Title: Sport information directors and homologous reproduction

Authors: Warren A. Whisenant, Susan P. Mullane

Addresses: Sport Administration Program, School of Education, P.O. Box 248065, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124–2040, USA. ' Sport Administration Program, School of Education, P.O. Box 248065, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124–2040, USA

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of homologous reproduction (Kanter, 1993) on the number of women serving as Sports Information Directors (SIDs) in intercollegiate athletics. Previous research has demonstrated that the dominant group (men) in power in sports systematically reproduces itself by hiring more men than women for coaching and administrative positions (Lovett and Lowry, 1994; Stangl and Kane, 1991). The result is the entrenchment of male hegemony (Schell and Rodriquez, 2000) in sport. This study analysed the administrative structure within NCAA athletic departments (n = 369) to determine if the sex of the Athletic Director (AD) influenced the sex of the Sports Information Director (SID). The findings suggested that ADs did engage in homologous activity.

Keywords: intercollegiate athletics; homologous reproduction; sport information directors; women; female directors; male hegemony; athletics directors; NCAA.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2007.012404

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2007 Vol.2 No.3, pp.252 - 263

Published online: 11 Feb 2007 *

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