Melanie L. Sartore

Explaining the Under-Representation of Women in Leadership Positions of Sport Organizations: A Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

Research suggests that females are vastly under-represented in the upper echelons of sport organizations. As such, the purpose of the current article was to apply a symbolic interactionist perspective to the lacking presence of women in leadership positions of sport organizations. The model proposes that gender-role meanings and stereotypes associated with social and sport ideology may function to limit the capacity of females within the sport context. Specifically, in response to the lower levels of societal power and status afforded to women, females within sport organizations may fail to view themselves as adequate and appropriate leaders and/or coaches thus preventing them from acting as such (i.e., self-limiting behavior). Identity theory and the identity control process are applied to support the linking of these macro and micro processes, respectively. The proposed model also suggests the presence of a moderator; ones self-concept, that may provide a protective mechanism to the potential detrimental affects of ideological meanings, identity formation, and subsequent self-limiting behaviors. Additionally, suggestions for future research are offered.

The Application of Social Cognitive Career Theory to Sport and Leisure Career Choices

Social cognitive career theory is used to investigate student intentions to enter the sport and leisure industry. Data are gathered from 197 undergraduate students from four universities located across the United States. Path analysis supports the general model, as self-efficacy and outcomes expectations hold positive associations with vocational interests, which in turn are positively related to choice goals. Self-efficacy is also positively associated with outcomes expectations. Additionally, through comparison of competing models, support is garnered for the effects of supports (i.e., human and social capital) and barriers (i.e., discrimination and lack of advancement opportunities) to be manifested on self-efficacy. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The Lesbian Stigma in the Sport Context: Implications for Women of Every Sexual Orientation

The lesbian label exists within sports heterosexist and heteronormative context as a means to subvert womens status, power, influence, and experiences. As such, there exists a lesbian stigma that contributes to sports documented gender disparities. While acknowledged that some women may manage their gender and sexual identities to evade prejudice and discrimination related to this stigma, research has yet to fully address the full breadth of the stigma and its potential consequences. The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative model that identifies specific components of the lesbian stigma and its potential consequences as they pertain to women in sport. Further, as a great deal of previous literature has focused on the lesbian woman, an additional purpose of this paper is to extend the literature to women of all sexual orientations. The authors present implications for the proposed model and offer avenues for future inquiry.

Outsourced marketing: it's the communication that matters

Purpose – Outsourcing has been promoted as one of the most powerful trends in the modernization of marketing operations. The rationale for such an undertaking includes a variety of factors but is generally predicated on fiduciary considerations. The purpose of this article is to examine the issues with, and the empirical consequences of, outsourcing within the intercollegiate marketing context.Design/methodology/approach – This is an exploratory mixed‐methods study incorporating qualitative and quantitative data to investigate outsourcing specifically related to the communication‐employee commitment relationship.Findings – Results from study 1 reveal that marketing directors perceive outsourcing as critical but also experience dissatisfaction with the level, frequency, and direction of communication. Results from study 2 indicate that an explicit and positive relationship exists between employee satisfaction with communication and their resultant commitment to the organization.Research limitations/implica...