Women leaders in sport: a community of practice programme to create social learning

ABSTRACT

Purpose:

A community of practice (CoP) social learning approach can purposefully support change and provide rich experiences to benefit participants and their sport organisations. We explore how a CoP intervention programme creates social learning outcomes and expands opportunities for women as leaders in sport.

Research methods:

Chief Executive Officers (16) undertaking a 1-year intervention programme were interviewed and completed a Gender Equality Diagnostic Tool, pre- and post-programme.

Findings:

The social network formed during the CoP programme expanded participant's social learnings and associated actions, through informal social interactions and discussion of shared practices.

Practical implications:

CoP interventions that embed social learning into programme design and provide impetus to implement organisational change and initiatives can expand opportunities for women into sport leadership.

Research contribution:

A refined understanding has been gained on how bringing together CoP and social learning theoretical frameworks can be a powerful force for change.

KEYWORDS:

• Sport
• community of practice
• social learning
• women as leaders

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Dr Bridie O’Donnell, who was the Director, Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, and Chair, Change Our Game Champions programme for the approval to publish this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, Victorian Government, Australia.