Abstract
Through phenomenological research, a global leadership and change initiative is outlined for US-based sports organizations. The sports organizations are the National Basketball Association (NBA) and their extended female league, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Both organizations recruit international players, attract global fans, and enhance current diversity policies to promote underrepresented women and people of color in leadership. The NBA and WNBA public human resources and diversity policies provide underrepresented leadership rates and efforts for questionnaire data sets and qualitative interviews. Nationally, these major sports organizations should further develop policies and practices to increase Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) in leadership. Intergroup Contact and Gender and Leadership theories provide the conceptual framework of societal structures and motivation. These reflections on defining diversity in the organization based on inclusivity, career development and support, implementation, and employee spaces and culture, meaning for leadership, buy-in; and impact on underrepresented leaders’ professional lived experience would influence sports organizations’ policy updates for design, processes, interviewing, hiring, diversity culture buy-in, and career advancement practices worldwide.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Diversity in the workplace; Sports administration; Minorities in sports; National Basketball Association; Women's National Basketball Association
Date of Award
2025
School Affiliation
Graduate School of Education and Psychology
Department/Program
Education
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate
Faculty Advisor
Kfir Mordechay
Recommended Citation
Jimenez, Alejandra, "Leveling the playing field: a phenomenological study advocating for diversity in NBA and WNBA sports organization leadership" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 1686.
https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/1686