1 Department of Sports Management, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, 53000, Türkiye
2 Department of Sports Management, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, 21280, Türkiye
Abstract
This research aims to deeply examine the professional experiences of female managers working in the field of sports management in Türkiye within a qualitative descriptive design framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 women managers selected via purposive sampling, each holding at least two years of managerial experience across different institutional structures (federations, provincial directorates, sports clubs). Data were collected between June 2025 and January 2026 and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings were structured under four main themes: disbelief in managerial identity, invisible barriers to career advancement, unequal treatment in the workplace, and struggle and meaning-making. The findings suggest that gender-based inequality in Turkish sport organisations is associated not only with individual prejudice but also with structural patterns related to institutional culture and social norms. A noteworthy finding is that women managers do not confront these structures passively; rather, they develop active resistance practices such as remaining visible in the field, pursuing internal transformation through patience and strategy, and serving as role models for younger women.
Keywords
Sports management,gender,women managers,Türkiye
How to Cite
Ozdemir, E., & Tapsın, F. O. (2026). Being a woman in sports management in Türkiye: A qualitative study on the professional experiences of female managers. International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences, 17(65), 1344–1359. https://doi.org/10.70736/ijoess.2480
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Faik Orhun Tapsın2