The number of females participating in high-performance track and field continues to increase. However, there has not been a corresponding increase in the number of women in head coaching and other leadership positions (Acosta & Carpenter, 2012; Shaw & Allen, 2009). This dearth of female coaches has been studied extensively in collegiate and professional team sports (Acosta & Carpenter, 2012; Kamphoff 2010; LaVoi & Dutove, 2012; Leberman & Palmer, 2009; Norman, 2008; Robertson & Marshall, 2010). Accordingly, this dissertation extends this literature by examining the phenomenon in an individual sport at the high-performance level. Some sport management scholars have concluded that sports organizations are infused with institutionalized gender ideologies that contribute to the marginalization of women (Burton, 2015; Claringbould & Knoppers, 2012, Cunningham, 2008). Therefore, combining institutional theory with gender concepts to analyze the gendered environment and gender politics of coaching in elite track and field, I examine the opportunities and challenges of female coaches as they work in a male-dominated environment. The research was guided by the following questions: (1) How do female coaches perceive the effects of institutionalized gender practices and discourse within (inter)national track and field organizations? (2) According to women coaches, how are dominant gender ideologies and gendered organizational practices diffused across various high-performance track and field organizations? (3) How does the process of gender institutionalization influence female coaches’ professional development? and (4) In what ways do female coaches respond to and develop strategies from which to navigate the process of gender institutionalization? For this analysis, I used a qualitative approach and conducted nine semi-structured interviews with elite-level female coaches from different countries to construct a representation of these gender politics and institutionalization processes, the impact on their careers, and the strategies they implemented to navigate opportunities and challenges they encountered within organizational structures of track and field. My findings show that gendered policies, practices, and behaviors marginalizing women in the sport are widespread and work across temporal, geographic, and cultural boundaries. However, the emergent themes also highligted the willingness and preparedness of the coaches to pursue their careers with dedication and determination. They articulated the desire to effect change and be a part of change. Further, they acknowledged they are already observing incremental change, as the number of women competing in the sport, working in leadership positions, and coaching at all levels of track and field has increased. This analysis adds to existing research that has highlighted institutionalized organizational processes and practices including gender ideologies as contributing factors to the marginalization of women across the sports sector and organizations (Burton, 2015; Claringbould & Knoppers, 2012, Cunningham, 2008; Knoppers, 1992). Additionally, it gives voice to a minority population of female coaches in high-performance track and field. Finally, this research underscores the existence of gender inequity in international coaching, but it also confirms the viability of change. Keywords: Gender bias, institutional theory, institutional entrepreneurship, track and field, high- performance / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sport Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2018. / March 05, 2018. / Gender bias, High-performance, Institutional entrepreneurship, Institutional theory, track and field / Includes bibliographical references. / Joshua Newman, Professor Directing Dissertation; Gerald Ferris, University Representative; Michael Giardina, Committee Member; Hanhan Xue, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_653492 |
| Contributors | Proctor, Wilma Fiona (author), Newman, Joshua I., 1976- (professor directing dissertation), Ferris, Gerald R. (university representative), Giardina, Michael D., 1976- (committee member), Xue, Hanhan (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Education (degree granting college), Department of Sport Management (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, doctoral thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (158 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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