Browsing by Author "Brown, Monique A., 1996-"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Undervalued and unseen : a multiple case study exploring the underrepresentation of African American women in Division I athletic director positions.
(2023-12) Brown, Monique A., 1996-; Howell, Leanne.
African American women represent an overwhelmingly low percentage of Division I athletic directors compared to White men, Black men, and White women. White men hold the majority, 64%, of Division I athletic director positions, while African American women only hold 3% of these positions. African American athletic directors do not accurately represent the increase in African American student-athletes, coaches, and women entering the sports industry. This disproportion is discouraging to the advancement and success of their careers (Bower et al., 2015). The purpose of this study was to uncover how social role theory influenced the journey toward becoming and maintaining positions as Division I athletic directors for four African American women. I used a qualitative multiple case study to understand the experiences of the participants in alignment with five categories of social role theory: (a) society, (b) culture, (c) biology, (d) situation, and (e) gender. At the time of this study, the participants were Division I athletic directors at a university or college for at least two years and identified as African American women. The findings of this study provided an outlook on the experiences the participants endured to become successful in their careers while also shedding light on the disparities between the success of their White male, African American male, and White female counterparts. The participants cited, along with the categories of social role theory, networking, and mentorship influenced the trajectory of their careers. The findings of this research provided implications and recommendations for policy and practice changes and organizational restructure that will impact the success of African American Division I athletic directors. The implications and impact of this study provided five stakeholder groups with the knowledge to make a change and created an avenue for future research. The stakeholders included the NCAA, athletic departments, university administration, African American women on their journey toward becoming being a Division I athletic director, and future researchers. The implications and recommendations support the need for a reverse study on how African American women’s increased social capital and networks impacts White men’s advancement as Division I athletic directors.