Understanding Gender (In)Equality in Leadership Positions in Sport: A Multilevel Perspective

Gender inequality in leadership positions in sport is a global challenge, manifested through factors such as the low representation of women in these roles, discrimination, and experiences of inequality. Despite the Nordic countries, Finland included, are often seen as pioneers of gender equality, gender inequality in sports leadership positions remains a challenge in these countries as well. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to increase our understanding of gender (in)equality in leadership positions in sport organizations in the context of Finnish organized sport.

This research topic is significant from several perspectives. Firstly, gender equality is ethically important in its own right. Thus increasing our understanding of why gender inequality occurs and persists, as well as of how to support equality, is socially desirable. Secondly, gender equality in sport leadership positions reflects the democratic values of modern societies. Equality is one of the fundamental principles of the Nordic welfare state. Women constitute half of the population; therefore, they should be adequately represented in decision-making and leadership positions. Thirdly, gender diversity within leadership positions may contribute to organizational benefits, as women may provide different and diverse perspectives into organizational decision-making. Furthermore, women often strive to promote equality policies and practices that benefit the entire community. Lastly, sport holds immense societal importance and impacts one way or another the lives of many individuals. For instance it employs more volunteers than any other third-sector actor in Europe and is the largest civic movement in Finland. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure gender equality in leadership positions in this influential institution.

As stated above, this dissertation focuses on gender (in)equality in leadership positions in sport. Specifically, I ask why gender inequality persists in leadership positions in sport and how to enhance gender equality in leadership positions in sport. I approach the research problem through four sub-studies and an integrative chapter. Each sub-study provides a distinct perspective and approach for examining the research problem, while the integrative chapter consolidates the results and findings from these sub-studies to present a comprehensive analysis.

Methodologically, I employ a mixed-methods approach utilising both qualitative and quantitative methods. The first sub-study provides a contextual backdrop for the dissertation by describing and analysing Finnish sport policy and its development. The primary data for this sub-study consist of documentary sources, including government reports, previous research, and other publicly available archives and documents. In the second article, I analyse survey data to examine the perspectives of male and female board members on board governance in national governing bodies of sport. Specifically, I investigate whether women and men offer differing views on governance or whether their perceptions are similar. In the third article, I explore the reasons for gender inequality and the low number of women in leadership positions within Nordic football organisations through semi-structured interviews. Finally, in the fourth article, I analyse interview data collected from women in leadership positions and examine their perceptions on how institutionalised gender inequality in sport leadership positions can be changed.

This dissertation contributes to the academic debate on gender (in)equality in leadership positions in sport by incorporating from the disciplinary perspective of administrative sciences. Empirically, this study expands the current body of knowledge by examining the phenomenon within the hitherto unexplored context of organised Finnish sport. The findings of this dissertation provide boundary conditions for the more general theory of gender (in)equality in leadership positions (in sport) by highlighting the contextual nature of gender (in)equality and challenging previous assumptions about its causes. Furthermore, this dissertation provides an understanding of how to promote gender equality in these positions.
Methodologically, this research enriches the existing literature by employing a mixed-methods approach and utilising survey methods, both of which are rare in the literature on gender (in)equality and leadership positions in sport.

For practitioners, this dissertation offers an understanding, framework and illustrative examples of why gender inequality persists in leadership positions in sport and how gender equality can be advanced. The findings of this dissertation provide concrete examples of barriers to gender equality in Finnish sport organisations, as well as factors and means that can support gender equality and drive change. These new understandings can serve as a foundation for evidence-based decision-making benefiting sport managers, decision-makers, other sport policy actors and advocates for gender equality.