Morris 1

Most people choose to imagine a world free of discrimination, hardships, and equity. The

reality is much different. Even this day in age, women face stereotypes regarding their ability to

work in a historically male dominated sports industry. Many minorities do not want to think that

they have been discriminated against “especially if you've advanced quickly and been successful,

you don't want to feel as if you've succeeded "in spite of" your gender, or race, or any other

characteristic. You just want to feel that you've succeeded – period” (Castergine, 2015). We

cannot fully blame supervisors for continuing these standards, but we should think of where

these negative assumptions about women in the workplace continually perpetuate. Parents,

education, but most of all society influences these stereotypes into reality. Even though laws

limit this kind of discrimination, we cannot control unconscious bias that occurs when hiring

candidates. Discrimination today is not as apparent as decades ago; discrimination now is much

harder to see.

Recognizing the subtle ways women are treated different in the workplace is essential to

how we as a society can eliminate these commonly held assumptions. Every workplace should

welcome diversity because this will further strengthen the mission, ideals, revenue, and culture

of the organization. Today, more women are breaking the barriers in sports management

positions for professional leagues and teams, yet women are still treated differently than men. I

will explore commonly held assumptions about women in sports management based on evidence

from scholarly business and sports research and six interviews of women currently or formerly in

a sports leadership position for the MLB, NHL, NBA, or NFL. I will then analyze why

contradictions exist between scholars and these particular subjects (women in front office for

professional sports teams/leagues) based on common culturally assumptions/stereotypes of

women in management. Acknowledging a wide variety of perspectives is valuable to the

Morris 2

importance of women in sports management to encourage young women like myself to pursue a

career in the sports industry.

Assumption 1: The Double Bind: “Women damned if they do, or doomed if they don’t”

Intro: In both the business and sports management world, when women are assertive they

are seen as aggressive. Additionally, women face a double bind: perceived as too soft or too

tough. I am going to describe the perception towards women who are assertive first and then

explain women’s double bind, seen as either “too soft” or “too tough.” I have structured this

assumption with scholarly research from both business and sports first, followed by interviews

from two current women in leadership position within the NBA and MLBPA, and finally why

discrepancies between scholarly research and these women’s own experience within the sports

industry may exist.

Assumption number one suggests when women are assertive, they can be seen as too

aggressive and often called “too bitchy”. Women in management positions face a double bind

because they are “damned if they do, or doomed if they don’t” (Catalyst). Double bind traps

people into feeling hopeless because everything you do is never right. To understand why this

assumption exists in sports management, we first have to understand women leadership positions

in general. There is similar scholarly research regarding this assumption between women in

leadership positions for the general public and women in sports management. According to the

leading and research advisory organization Catalyst, “when women act in ways that are

inconsistent with such stereotypes, they’re considered as unfeminine (too tough)” (Catalyst.org).

In this example, the stereotype is women are “care-takers” in the workplace, men are supposed to

be aggressive. When women behave assertively, they reject the social norm and are perceived as

too rigid or heartless.

Morris 3

Similarly, women in sports scholarly research states “if a woman comes off as ‘too

aggressive’ men working in the sports industry alongside of her may feel threatened” (Simmons,

2011). Yet, undergraduate student Katie Simmons of St. John Fisher College also says that

aggressive expressions are sometimes valued in organizations because they fit the dominant

leadership style exemplified in the sports industry. According to this research, women have no

choice for what kind of leader they want to be because they will be criticized every different

way. Women are uncaring if they behave aggressively but according to sports scholarly research,

women with a dominant leadership style are valued in sports organizations. People set

expectations on women’s performance and if women do not meet that social standard, they are

scrutinized and judged. Women managers currently in the professional sports field have their

own views on this first assumption.

Holly Yanak, Cleveland Cavaliers Director of Community Relations, and Melissa

Persaud, Director of Major League Baseball Players Trust (MLBPA), have their own insights

about the perception of women as too aggressive or bitchy if they behave assertively. Holly

Yanak started with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1996 as an assistant in the Community Relations

department and quickly moved up to Coordinator to Manager to Senior Manager and later

promoted in 2012 to her current position as Director. Yanak says there is some truth to this

assumption as women being seen as aggressive or “too bitchy.” The biggest point of weakness

for women, she says, is “not that women created it, but how stereotype is placed on them.”

People make assumptions about why and how women acquire their management positions in the

professional sports level. Do these women have a hidden agenda or did their relative in sports get

them the job? Did their “bitchy” attitude help them get to the top? These are the type of questions

some people think about when they see a woman manager in professional organizations such as

Morris 4

the MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. Melissa Persaud, Director of MLBPA, says you have to

establish yourself right away. People may have “preconceived perceptions about why you’re

there, but you have to establish yourself” (Persaud). According to these women, people place

stereotypes on individuals but that does not mean these individuals are defined by them.

Comparing both the scholarly research and the interviews I conducted, I realized there is

a universal factor within this assumption. You cannot judge a book by its cover. We all learned

this saying when we were young, but individuals still do it. Both men and women have to first

recognize that this assumption is based from years of societal perceptions and expectations.

Women may be viewed negatively when they behave assertively because society may not be

used to this new change of leadership style. The correct terminology used to describe these

women is adopting a “masculine” leadership style. Think about the language used to describe

this leadership style. “Masculine” is portrayed as assertive and “feminine” is seen as caring or

nice. Gender bias and stereotypes exist and it is the individuals within the sport teams’ front

office that have the power to change this perception and reduce judgment. The solution to

reducing bias and judgment is to create more diversity including gender, sexual orientation, and

race for a respectful inclusive environment. Although this bias does not occur in every

professional sports front office, it is important to be aware that covert gender bias still exists in

some business and sports organizations.

(women’s supervisors, influenced by societal gender norms, perceive women as unfeminine)

Women also face a double bind. Based on scholarly research in the business world, women are

perceived on opposite sides of the spectrum, either “too soft” or “too tough.” If women act

inconsistently from what is expected, they are perceived as unfeminine (too tough). Yet, if

women act “consistently with gender stereotypes, they are viewed as less competent leaders (too

Morris 5

soft)” (Catalyst). Catalyst researchers call this “all-or-nothing” thinking because these “behaviors

and skills are perceived as polar opposites; they are never right.” Men are expected to be leaders

while women fight this double bind. Women have to be careful about crossing that thin line of

being too nice or too aggressive.

Similarly, scholarly research in sports utilizes the term descriptive bias to explain this gender

phenomenon. Women have been described as nice, caring, emotional and so on for decades

without any controversy. These traits are not bad left alone but reporter Eric Jaffe says, “when a

woman performs a job traditionally held by men they can become incredibly harmful” (Jaffe).

The result is what psychologist Madeline E. Heilman of New York University calls “a lack of fit

between the personality a woman is supposed to possess and the attributes considered necessary

for the job” (Jaffe). Women who are perceived as “too soft” most likely will not move up in

management compared to women who are perceived as “too tough.” Sports are a completely new

atmosphere of competition. Everyone is expected to work extra hard in the sports industry and

many times this means moving past these stereotypical barriers about emotion.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/media-spotlight/201311/crying-shame

Another stereotype women face is gender expectation regarding emotions. Many organizations

use the excuse that women cannot handle the job because females cannot handle their emotions.

Not true. Women should not be measured by these standards or judged when they release

emotion because emotions affect many people both men and women. Crying is one symbol of

emotions. Dr. Romeo Vitelli, Psychology Today writer of “A Crying Shame, When is crying

allowed in boys and girls?,” adds “that crying is a sign of weakness and a reason for shame is a

lesson most males learn by the time they reach adolescence” (Vitelli, 2013). According to this

study, crying correlates to weakness and boys are discouraged from it because when boys do cry

Morris 6

they are called names such as “sissy”. This cultural expectation about gender, weakness, and

crying is unfair to women because this stereotype assumes that only women cry and therefore

perceived as “too soft” or weak. Interestingly, Vitelli concluded “even though boys express a

wider range of emotions than girls do as infants, boys are typically discouraged from showing

their emotions as they grow older due to traditional ideas about masculinity and gender roles”

(Vitelli, 2013). I believe expressing emotion such as crying is a sign of passion, power, and

strength. Being vulnerable takes courage, hence crying should not be perceived as a sign of

weakness. Holly Yanak of the Cleveland Cavaliers says you should never judge a book by its

cover. Awhile back, Yanak was working on a youth foundation for the Cavaliers. Yanak along

with three other women from the Community Relations department met with three women from

a youth organization that needed funding. Two of the women were very passionate and cried

about the fund, Yanak said. After they finished the meeting, Yanak ask her female employee,

“Do you think they would have cried if men were in the room?” Women may have not cried in

front of men because the exact same reason “boys don’t cry;” that is the perception of weakness

associated with crying.

Analyzing this scholarly research and real-world experience regarding emotional double bind, I

noticed women might be aware of this barrier of stereotypes so they manage it. Scholarly

research states the perception that women are either “too soft” or “too tough.” Even though this

perception may exist, women in sports management acknowledge this assumption and not let this

stereotype hold them back. As Yanak said, emotion is something women just have to manage.

This does not mean that women should be perceived in a negative light but rather society should

realize that expressing emotions is powerful. It isn’t until you actually sit, meet, and learn from

other women, then you see them differently without a stereotype” (Yanak). I think this is an

Morris 7

important lesson for all individuals within an organization, do not limit others to societal

stereotypes. People will surprise you. When women shed a tear or act demanding in different

situations, this does not explain their whole identity, but this emotion does show they are

passionate about their work.

Conclusion short: how this double bind restricts women in sports management. If it has changed.

Wrap it together. Stereotypes influence the way individuals think about women’s behaviors in

management.

Women in sports management work just as hard as men. Societal beliefs that place women in

this double bind may restrict perception and gossip but as far as these interviewees know, they

have not experienced this discrimination in their own workplace. Many of the women in sports

management agree that women have come a long way in business and in sports. Time could be

the factor that changes this assumption about emotions and double bind. As time passes and

more women become managers, we should expect this gap about gender assumptions between

scholarly data and initial sports knowledge to shrink. For now, companies should hold seminars

to address gender bias within the workplace for a more open and respectful atmosphere.

Everyone plays a role in producing a cohesive team in the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB, therefore

everyone has the responsibility to address gender discrimination if it exists within their office.

Assumption 2: Exclusion: Factors that limit Career Development

Intro: Even with high degrees and valuable sports experience, some women are restricted from

top management positions or excluded from social gatherings within their own company. The

reason why this exists is not limited to one gender. The good old boy network may still exist, but

women have their own network as well. Exclusion occurs in both networks but one affects

Morris 8

promotions and level of management more than the other. Nevertheless, women can be their own

barriers in professional sports management as a result of competition and gossip. I will begin

with scholarly research of the old boys’ network in business compared to professional sports.

Then I will discuss women’s competitive culture and exclusion in business verse a heightened

nature in sports. Finally, end with stories of three women currently working in the professional

sports industry.

The old boys’ network is still very much alive. Females and racial minorities are the first

to experience this kind of exclusion in the corporate world. Low mentoring of these groups

explains this discrimination. According to the Academy of Management Journal, researchers

James Westphal and Michael McDonald explore women and racial minority first-time directors

receiving significantly less mentoring from incumbent board members when they join corporate

boards. Some may argue that mentoring has miniscule impact for advancement compared to

potential and hard work. Wrong. According to The Washington Post reporter Jena McGregor, “a

shortage of advice reduced the chances that female or minority first-timers would be invited to

join a second corporate board within the next two years by 57 percent” (McGregor, 2013). This

staggering 57 percent means that this type of discriminatory exclusion must happen in the rest of

society.

Historically patriarchal sports such as football tend to have a noticeably powerful good old boys’

network. This network forms during “business relationships on golf courses, at exclusive country

clubs, in the executive sky-boxes at sporting events, and in other facilities. These are facilities

from which women are traditionally excluded and thus are not welcome to the truly ‘serious’

business transactions or conversations” (Simmons, 2011). This exclusion leads women to miss

out on many opportunities for career development in sports management positions. In a 2012

Morris 9

Industry Salary Survey, 507 manager level respondents representing 126 teams from the MLB,

MLS, NBA, NFL, and NHL were analyzed based on level of compensation, title, tenure with

current organization, and perceptions/opinions about industry compensation. The survey showed

a staggering difference between compensation between males and females.

For example, the salary for males in the NFL is $125,000 compared to almost half women’s

compensation at $75,000. The chart also displays compensation by title. According to this

survey, the Vice President (VP) level, Executive/Senior VP level, and Other C-level (CFO,

CMO, etc.) are not applicable to women. Males make $350,000 at the C-level while only few

women represent the VP level where males at this level earn $185,000 (King, 2013). There were

some women in 2012 with Vice President positions but a sample size of 507 represented zero

women in sports high-level management. Women are slowly progressing to the executive level

and above and the percentage is insignificant to the percentage of males with top-level positions

in professional sports. Women receive extremely lower pay, titles, and starting positions than

their male counterparts which leads to an unequal representation of diversity within the company

culture. The old boys’ network socialize together and opportunity to form relationships and if

women get denied that access, females are restricted from forming relationship

Women have to fight harder to have the same trust, communication and relationships therefore

thus creating a lack of access for advancement.

According to research the old boys’ network creates many challenges for women, but these

interviews say otherwise. Men can have their boys’ network because women have their own

network. Jennifer Kallas, NHL Consumer Products Marketing Manager, says she has not

experienced the old boys’ network at her office. Kallas further explains, “if you know your stuff

then they [men] treat you as an equal. We are just one big family; I am very fortunate to work

Morris 10

with the men I do.” Additionally, Holly Yanak of the Cavaliers has never experienced this

exclusive men’s club. Although Yanak did say she has witnessed the old boys’ network in

different facets of the sports organization in the late 90s, but “it has changed over the years.”

These women currently working for the NHL and NBA give hope to women seeking a career in

sports management. The old boys’ network is slowly dying off in some sports organizations as

more women enter this industry and prove they can work just as hard as men to bring new

innovative ideas to the sports marketplace.

(Factors that cause women to compete, horizontal violence because they feel like only one is

going to make it) Issue that there is only one opportunity for management that is open. (Creates

jealousy)

Men are not the only ones limiting the empowerment of women in a sports organization. Women

can be their own barrier for progression within this competitive field. Women can create drama

at work by gossiping and talking behind another’s back. This can be explained by the

competitive nature of the sports industry. It may be a man’s world but women are fighting the

way to the top because they have to prove themselves. Some women degrade other women

because they might see them as competition so they belittle them to make themselves look better

to the boss. Someone who gossips is not a leader and creates a negative inclusive culture.

According to Beth Weissenberger, CEO and co-Founder of The Handel Group (New York-based

executive coaching firm), “workplace gossip is unproductive; it breeds resentment and becomes

a roadblock to effective communication and collaboration” (Weissenberger, 2009). Sports

business requires a whole team to function so instead of degrading one another women should

empower others to do the best job. After all, the sports industry is a world of men so women

need to empower one another as much as possible if they want to advance.

Morris 11

(my interview subjects)

Interesting enough when it comes to exclusion in the sport office, gossiping and competitiveness

among women heavily outweigh the old boys’ network according to these women’s experience.

Many would agree that sports create a competitive atmosphere. Angela Manolakas, former

Marketing and Events Assistant Vice President for the National Football League Players

Incorporated (NFLPA), emphasizes how people claim territory by “attacking you at any way

they can and hit your insecurities.” Both men and women compete this way and it is important to

stand your ground but also “learn who your enemies truly are versus people who are insecure.”

For example, women may feel insecure in a male dominated industry so they compete against

women instead. Holly Yanak says women can be the biggest barrier because they compete

against other women co-workers. They have the mindset “I’m going to be the best” and forget

about the rest of the team.

This kind of selfish attitude can lead to other negative problems that separate people

rather than unify them. Jennifer Kallas sadly expresses, “I have seen girls being catty, cliquey,

and still in high school. The old mean girl trait still continues but as long as it does not affect

how work is being performed then it won’t strongly impact the whole company.” Kallas says, the

problem is when women “exclude people from essential work information because they don’t

like them” and forget to realize that this hurts the entire group not just those two people.

Intro (what is the issue, what is the problem, why I am invested in it)

Morris 12

Conclusion (what happens after this, next steps, (WISE), so why is this issue important to

address sexist stereotypes in sports management (diverse workplace, provide different voices,

encourage young girls in sports, if you don’t see yourself you don’t think its possible for you)

Contrary to previous assumptions, scholarly research and these personal interviews both agree

gossiping in the workplace negatively affects company culture. Women tend to gossip making

themselves their own barrier in the sports field. Why do they gossip? Women gossip similarly to

men when they dislike someone, disagree with a manager, or a myriad other reasons. Women in

the sports industry may gossip because they all want the same job. Ronda Sedillo says that there

are few women in upper management positions. Sedillo further explains, “for that one

management position, there are five women fighting for it.” Instead of women rallying together

in support of one another, some women point out flaws in their women counterparts to secure the

management position. Work drama is unproductive. Hopefully, more women realize the

positivity that stems from encouragement. WISE (Women in Sports and Events) is a perfect

example of an organization that teaches women from a range of generations how important

women and positive networking are to each other. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Yes. Some organizations may continue an “old boy’s network.” Yes. Women can be their

own barriers. But NO. Women should not accept these assumptions as true in every sports job.

Stereotypes can be true but there are a whole lot that are false. Stereotypes are false when women

do not perpetuate the norm. More women in sports are challenging this norm such as Kim Ng,

possible first female General Manager in Major League Baseball. Men, particularly white males,

are privileged not to face these challenges that women do because it has been the norm for

centuries. But norms are meant to be broken. As more women break this standard, society will

change its’ views for the better.

Morris 13

Assumption #3: Proving yourself: Performance or Potential?

Intro: The proportion of women with executive sports management positions compared to men is

significantly lower. Some may argue that the previous two assumptions discussed could be part

of the reason for preventing women advancement. Others believe women have to constantly

prove themselves for a promotion, whereas men may be promoted on their perceived potential.

Also, men often accelerate faster in an organization than women. In this section, I will discuss

why this assumption exists, how the business world differs from the sports industry in regards to

this belief, and what advice these women have to share concerning their own experience within

professional sports team. First, I will focus on the assumption that women have to prove

themselves in both the business world and a sports organization. Then, I will describe

performance verse potential and how the terms have evolved today.

Prove yourself. Many women feel the extra need to constantly prove themselves in their

workplace. If women want to move up into high-ranking positions, they have to prove that they

are capable of the responsibility, work, and “their emotions.” According to scholarly research for

business, Joan C. Williams, a distinguished professor of law at University of California, Hastings

College of Law calls this challenge “Prove it Again” bias after interviewing 127 women in high-

ranking positions for a research project. Williams says “Prove it Again” bias is a pre-conceived

notion of leaders. When we “picture CEOs, government leaders, or prestigious scientists, we still

visualize men rather than women.” Since we see this image of female leaders as risky, they have

to prove themselves even more. Strictly referring to this business article, women are faced with

more challenges in addition to this leadership bias. Williams first workplace pattern states,

“women’s mistakes are noticed more often and remembered longer. Women are penalized for

making errors while men are praised for taking risks” (Women on Business, 2015). How do

Morris 14

women overcome this bias? First, women should write down their accomplishments for their

own personal benefit regardless of this bias. Joan Williams also offers great advice, “If you want

to be a manager, don’t keep your head down until you’ve crossed off every requirement. Instead,

ask for the chance to lead, and prove that you can do it. Women deserve to be in charge”

(Women in Business, 2015). In other words, individuals should not let biases like these or any

other stereotypes hold themselves back from leadership.

Sports research addresses “Prove it Again” bias a little differently. The battle for women

in sports is tougher in certain departments and positions than others. As more females work in

sports and move into management positions, the stereotypes and prejudices seem to diminish

every year. Yet, there is one area in sports that women are not as widely accepted in. According

to journalist Joe Pirucki of Sports Networker, “females are now openly accepted working in

every facet of a professional sports team’s Front Office except Coaching, Scouting, and Player

Personnel. Women are viewed as less knowledgeable in these areas for some reason” (Pirucki,

2013). Some will argue that females can’t play football, so why should they be able to be

coaches, scouts, or player personnel? First, Pirucki argues “Who is to stop a female from being

intricately involved in the operations of her high school football team, serving as a Football

Operations assistant and Football Manager in college, earning multiple sports internships in

Front Offices, and volunteering her free time with other local sports teams? (Pirucki, 2013). If

the female understands the game and has the right experience, then she should be an equal

candidate.

Sadly, there is still no female General Managers for Major League Baseball but Kim Ng

is very close. However, there is a select group of female coaches in mens’ professional sports

including the NBA, MLB, and NFL. In late January of this year, “Buffalo Bills made NFL

Morris 15

history by hiring Kathryn Smith as the league’s first female full-time assistant coach” (Lomardo,

2016). At only 30-years old, Smith will replace former NFL safety Michael Hamlin as Buffalo’s

special teams quality control coach next season. After next season, this outstanding

accomplishment will make Smith the first female NFL full-time coach. Women also making

inroads in the National Basketball Association (NBA) when two former WNBA players were

hired as assistant coaches. Nancy Lieberman, a Basketball Hall of Famer since 1986, “became

the second full-time female assistant coach in NBA history in July 2015 for the Sacramento

Kings” (Lombardo, 2016). In 2014, Becky Hammon was “named the first full-time female

assistant coach in NBA history, when San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich announced

her hiring” and later made further history “in July when she became the first female head coach

of an NBA Summer League team” (Lombardo, 2016). Justine Siegal, the first woman to ever

pitch batting practice to a Major League Baseball team is now the first woman in MLB history to

serve as a guest instructor for the Oakland Athletics’ fall instructional league. In the words of

sports journalist Joe Pirucki, “Gender doesn’t matter for these positions anymore, and anyone

who thinks otherwise is living in the past! IT IS TIME.”

Gender has not restricted the women I interviewed from their own success in sports

management. If one has the experience, passion, and hard work ethic, then one has an equal

opportunity. Some organizations that still live in the past might think otherwise but the majority

see gender diversity as essential to a professional team rather than detrimental. Holly Yanak of

the Cleveland Cavaliers says, “it goes back to who you know and your own hard work.” She

emphasizes she did not have to prove herself with the Cavaliers. Yanak notes, “everyone is

encouraged to speak up and share their ideas. You are looked to be the expert in your department

so you are the leader of your team.” When you reach a sports management position, people are

Morris 16

expected to be the expert in their department because they earned that position. Gender in this

sense is not a barrier because that individual’s array of sports experience and management speaks

for the job. Nowadays, “proving yourself” is more on everyone. Ronda Sedillo, Chief Executive

Officer of the Padres, explains “it is silly to promote people on potential because they need skill,

production, work ethic, and work product.” According to these interviews, “prove yourself” is

based on one’s own performance through experience, work ethic, and ability not gender.

To prove yourself has many different meanings according to scholarly research for

business and sports compared to current experiences. The business side argues that women face

the “Prove it Again” bias and also challenged by more barriers limiting growth in the company.

To solve this, women should list their accomplishments and prove to managers that they are

more than qualified for the job. Sports scholarly research says females face less discrimination in

the Front Office of professional leagues but they are limited in the fields of coaching, scouting,

and player personnel. However, women are breaking barriers in coaching as I described earlier,

yet still few women to the many men. All these sources including these interviewees would agree

that the sports industry takes a certain kind of hard work ethic. An ability to not be discouraged

and show your value to the professional team is extremely essential to this field. Both men and

women have to perform to their highest ability or else they will be overlooked and left jobless.

Sadly, women probably do have to prove a little more than men about their ability to coach a

men’s professional team just because it is so foreign at this time. Once the perception of female

professional coaches become usual, there will be a whole new perception of women as engineers,

doctors, contractors, mechanics, and CEOs of fortune 500 companies. A positive ripple effect

will occur and companies around the world will create equal opportunities for all minorities.

Morris 17

Another significant part of this assumption is the difference between how supervisors rate

potential and performance based on gender. According to Business Insider, “women must prove

that they are capable of succeeding in a role before they are promoted into it, whereas men may

be promoted on their perceived potential” (Goudreau, 2014). In other words, females are

promoted based on performance, while men are promoted on potential. This may not stand true

for all business organizations but this predicament is a subtle way that women are treated

differently at work that some might not even notice. The leading research and advisory

organization, Catalyst researched this predicament and found similar results. Catalyst business

researchers call it the high competence threshold. Women face higher standards but lower

rewards. When it comes to proving leadership capabilities, “women have to work harder to show

the same level of competence and have to confront additional trade-offs than their men

counterparts in order to lead effectively” (Catalyst, 2007). It has been almost ten years since the

Catalyst researchers performed this study, so some might argue that this discrimination does not

exist. Even though many organizations may have grown over the decade, these Catalyst findings

are important for supervisors to acknowledge as they promote their employees.

Sports research found similar discrimination when supervisors hire and promote

employees. Many women, who could have done a great job, have been passed over resulting in

more men and less women with management positions. This is called unconscious bias when

supervisors give into the cultural norm and hire or promote men over women because men do not

have face the same negative stereotypes in sports. According to CNN sports reporter Leigh

Castergine, even though we have made progress as a society, “unconscious bias persists, cutting

across industries and organizations, resulting in lower pay, fewer opportunities for career

advancement and, in some cases, even a toxic work environment for many women and

Morris 18

minorities” (Castergine, 2015). According to research, women in sports management face

unconscious bias that may prevent some women from furthering their advancement or pushes

others to fight harder. Alana Nguyen, executive producer of SFGate.com says women should

prepare for a different world and “women must be realists and deal with this [male dominated]

culture” (Chandler, 2011). Ali Towle, the 49ers’ director of marketing, advises women to not

take criticism personally because some “women will go off and obsess. However, ‘men will have

moved on to the next thing, and they haven’t even thought about it another second” (Chandler,

2011). Many females still have to face this predicament in their sports careers but some women

are fortunate to have jobs in diverse open-minded sports organizations.

All of my interview subjects have not experienced this unconscious bias when hiring and

promoting. Shauna Smith, Vice President of Client Relations at BDA Sports Management, does

not agree with the assumption that women are promoted on performance, while men are

promoted on potential. Smith says, today there is a “more level playing field when it comes to

promotion. Both men and women have to perform.” Ronda Sedillo, CFO of the Padres, agrees

that promotions are more on everyone, especially at the upper level.” Sedillo also notes,

“sometimes men are more aggressive to get a promotion, so women should advocate more on

their successes.” When women do advocate for themselves, sometimes “it is seen as bragging

whereas guys are just reminding their supervisors of what they’ve done” (Sedillo, 2016). Jen

Kallas, manager of Consumer Products Marketing at NHL, who has not experienced or

witnessed this discrimination at her office, says “you hope for the best, I wouldn’t be surprised if

men were promoted on potential.” In the sports industry, it seems like everyone has to prepare

for a different world because if you do not perform than you are either fired or do not advance.

Morris 19

Both scholarly business and sports research agree that women have to prove themselves

but my interview subjects see this assumption differently. None of the women in sports

management subjects have experienced or witnessed this assumption that females have to prove

themselves based on performance to get promoted. What could be the reasons behind this

discrepancy? Scholarly research tends to look at organizations as a whole not the individual

experience. This research also performs studies of fairly small sample sizes that is representative

of the whole industry. However, we should not dismiss this data because even though every

woman does not experience this discrimination in sports management, that does not mean it does

not happen. That is why women are given advice for how to prepare for this different world of

sports. Women should speak up and list their accomplishments when fighting for a promotion.

For the men and women in sports management, reporter Leigh Castergine says “take extra care

to diversify the pipeline of candidates you're considering for a job, and to cultivate talent that

might be at risk of being overlooked” (Castergine, 2015). Many professional teams in the NBA,

NFL, MLB, and NHL already diversified their organization for a much stronger team, and only

time will tell how the rest of the teams will follow.

Conclusion

Historically sports are perceived as more sexist and male-dominated than other

businesses and to change this perception they are encouraging more women to enter this field for

a more diverse and successful business. Women are progressing much faster in the front office of

professional sports teams than other businesses, which means that gender stereotypes in the

sports industry are either non-existent or perceived differently today. Not every sports

organization accept women as equal to their male counterparts. Coaches, scouts, and general

managers represent little to no women compared to the few women in management in the front

Morris 20

office. Still, there are no female head coaches in the NBA, MLB, NHL, and the NFL. However,

recently many women were hired as assistant coaches for the NBA, MLB, and NFL; we should

expect advancement for women as their work creates societal progress. Acknowledging that

these sexist stereotypes still exist in sports management is essential for men, women, and society

to evolve into a diverse workplace encouraging all minorities that they have a right to pursue

their dream. A wise woman said, “if you don’t see yourself, you don’t think it’s possible for

you.” This research paper aims to change this discouraging belief into a possible reality for

young women and minorities.

Additionally, women are creating their own opportunity for growth in the business of

sports. Women in Sports and Events (WISE) is a nationwide organization whose mission is “to

create and support programs that enhance the success and growth of women in the business of

sports and events. The organization strives to be the definitive source for businesswomen seeking

information about issues, challenges and opportunities impacting all stages of their career – from

entry level to senior management and those in transition” (WISE). This organization provides a

positive path for young women pursuing a career in the competitive sports industry. Even though

women have these positive opportunities in sports, individuals should not be fooled that we live

in a post-feminism society. We can, however, learn from the advice of former Senior Vice

President for Ticket Sales of the New York Mets, Leigh Castergine “the key to how women and

men in any industry, but especially sports, decide their path forward is to use integrity as the

measuring stick for your professional relationships.”

Morris 21

References

Catalyst. (2007). The Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Damned if You Do,

Doomed if You Don't. Retrieved April 23, 2016, from

http://www.catalyst.org/system/files/The_Double_Bind_Dilemma_for_Women_in_Leade

rship_Damned_if_You_Do_Doomed_if_You_Dont.pdf

Contributor, Sponsor (2015, May 06). Why Women Get Overlooked for Management Positions.

Retrieved April 24, 2016, from http://www.womenonbusiness.com/prove-yourself-again-

why-women-get-overlooked-for-management-positions/

Goudreau, J. (2014, June 27). 13 Subtle Ways Women Are Treated Differently At Work.

Retrieved April 24, 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/subtle-ways-women-

treated-differently-work-2014-6

Jaffe, E. (2014, June 14). The New Subtle Sexism Toward Women in the Workplace. Retrieved

April 19, 2016, from http://www.fastcompany.com/3031101/the-future-of-work/the-new-

subtle-sexism-toward-women-in-the-workplace

King, B. (2012, August 13). What's the payoff in sports? Retrieved April 19, 2016, from

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2012/08/13/In-Depth/Salary-

survey.aspx

Lombardo, K. (2016, January 21). Timeline: Women coaches in men's pro sports. Retrieved

April 24, 2016, from http://www.si.com/nfl/2016/01/21/buffalo-bills-kathryn-smith-

hiring-jen-welter-becky-hammon .

Mcdonald, M. L., & Westphal, J. D. (2012). Access Denied: Low Mentoring of Women and

Morris 22

Minority First-Time Directors and Its Negative Effects on Appointments to Additional

Boards. Academy of Management Journal, 56(4), 1169-1198. doi:10.5465/amj.2011.0230

Weissenberger, B. (2009, November 03). Gossip In the Workplace. Retrieved April 19, 2016,

from http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/nov2009/ca2009113_999372.htm

Morris 23