Diversity in Sport Organizations provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which people differ - including race, sex, age, mental and physical ability, appearance, religion, sexual orientation, and social class - and how these differences can influence sport organizations. It offers specific strategies for managing diversity in work and sport environments, provides an overview of diversity training that can be implemented in the workplace, and outlines legal issues related to diversity. Grounded in research and theory, this user-friendly book emphasizes the practical applications of research findings and provides interesting, relevant sport-related examples. Its clear discussions help readers understand the managerial implications of fostering and sustaining a diverse workforce.
The author has updated the second edition to reflect an explosion of research on such topics as age, sexual orientation, mental and physical ability, religious beliefs, social class, and appearance. He has added many new examples throughout which will help readers grasp how quickly our world is changing, and how sport organizations and the people who work for them need to change as well.
George B. Cunningham, Ph.D. (The Ohio State University), is a professor in the Division of Sport Management at Texas A&M University. He also serves as the director for the Laboratory for Diversity in Sport, which is dedicated to producing and disseminating research related to all forms of diversity in the sport context.
Author of more than 120 articles and book chapters, Cunningham focuses his research in the areas of diversity, group processes, and employee attitudes. Within the diversity domain, he investigates the underrepresentation of various groups in leadership positions, the impact of dissimilarity on subsequent outcomes and behaviors, and strategies for capitalizing on the positive effects of diversity. His research has been published in various journals, including those in the sport domain (e.g., Journal of Sport Management, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, and Sociology of Sport Journal) and the area of social psychology (e.g., The Journal of Social Psychology, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Sex Roles, and Group Dynamics), as well as in various management journals (e.g., Organizational Analysis, Journal of Business and Psychology), among others. Cunningham is a Research Fellow of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM); he served as president of NASSM during the 2009 2010 academic year.
His free time is spent with his family, swimming, or playing golf.
