A meta-analysis of women professional evolution in sports leadership

Abstract

The underrepresentation of women in sports leadership positions raises significant concerns regarding equality and diversity. This study aims to explore the relationship between sports leadership and gender. The objective is to understand and highlight the individual, organizational, and societal factors hindering women’s progress in sports leadership roles. This paper identified 32 publications out of 157 selected references through the systematic literature review (SLR) method. The results of this meta-analysis reveal that despite their active involvement in sports, women remain inadequately represented in leadership roles. In fact, women face several challenges, including sexism, underestimation of their skills, and associating them with family constraints. Consequently, it becomes imperative to take concrete measures to promote gender equality and an equal professional development environment for both genders. Several areas for future studies could deepen the understanding of sports leadership and gender, including cross-linguistic comparisons, intersectional perspectives, longitudinal analyses, a study of male dynamics, technological impact, the evaluation of organizational policies and practices, as well as cultural comparisons.