"Discrimination? Low Pay? Long Hours? I am Still Excited:" Female Sport Management Students' Perceptions of Barriers toward a Future Career in Sport

Abstract

Women continue to be underrepresented in the management and leadership ranks of sport. Researchers have worked towards understanding the various challenges and barriers women face in the sport industry. This study sought to expand that research taking a new angle to explore the underrepresentation of women in sport by examining female undergraduates' perceptions of their future careers within the sport industry. Three focus groups with a total of 16 participants were utilized to gather data. Two investigators coded and searched for emerging themes from the focus group transcripts. The following themes emerged in this study: (a) perceptions regarding potential job discrimination (i.e., gender stereotypes, gender discrimination), (b) perceptions regarding industry-specific concerns (i.e., difficulty networking, job market constraints, long work hours, low salary range, multiple-role conflict, excitement regarding entrance into the field), and (c) overall excitement regarding future careers in sport.