We invite you to participate in a research project which examines the existence of a gender pay gap amongst managers and administrators in Australian and New Zealand sport organisations. This project is being conducted by researchers from the Centre for Sport and Social Impact at La Trobe University, with support from Sportspeople Pty Ltd.
The following provides you with further information about the project, so that you can decide if you would like to take part in this research. Please take the time to read this information carefully. You may ask questions about anything you don’t understand or want to know more about.
Your participation is voluntary. If you don’t wish to take part, you don’t have to. If you begin participating, you can also stop at any time.
What is this research about?
Our project explores whether male and female managers and administrators in Australian sport organisations, who perform the same types of roles, receive the same level and type of remuneration and benefits. This is often referred to as a ‘gender wage gap’ – and considers whether workers who do the same jobs, are paid differently because of their gender. Some studies suggest that women are often paid less than their male counterparts, for a variety of reasons including career interruptions due to motherhood and caring responsibilities, and flexible working arrangements which fail to support women in combining work and family responsibilities. As we examine these issues, we will also paint a picture of the types of job roles, titles and salaries that exist in Australian and New Zealand sport administration.
What will I be asked to do?
Should you agree to participate in our study, we would ask to you complete an online survey. We anticipate that this survey will take up to 30 minutes to complete. We will ask you questions about your current employer, your job and the remuneration and other benefits you earn and how you feel about your work. We will also ask you some questions about you – your age, education qualification, how many dependents you care for and of course, your gender. We would also like to know if you have had any significant interruptions to your career, such as maternity or parental leave or personal leave due to illness.
What are the possible benefits?
Sport is a significant industry, both culturally and financially, employing many tens of thousands of Australians. Through this research project, we will continue to address gender inequality in the workforce, and provide an evidence base to Government and the sport industry for future funding and policy developments around workforce diversity and equality.
Do I have to take part?
No. Participation is entirely voluntary. If you do not wish to participate, simply ignore this invitation. If you begin the survey but do not submit your responses, we will not receive your data. However, once you submit your survey responses, you are unable to withdraw from the study, as your responses are anonymous and we have no way of identifying you.
Will I hear about the results of this project?
When our project is completed, we will disseminate the results in a number of different ways. We will publish the results in academic journals and conferences, and also provide a report on the major findings to Sportspeople. We also plan to distribute a short report of the results to each State and Federal Minister for Sport and sport industry bodies (e.g. sport federations and associations). We may also discuss the research outcomes in the mainstream media.
What will happen to information about me?
Once you have submitted your online questionnaire, the information will be stored in a password-protected file within the secure computer network of La Trobe University. Please note that the information you provide to us is anonymous. We will hold the anonymous data infinitely, as we may wish to collect more data about the gender wage gap in the future, and compare the size of the wage gap over time.
Who is funding this project?
This project has been funded by La Trobe University, through the Transforming Human Society Research Focus Area.
Where can I get further information?
Who can I contact if I have any concerns about the project?
If you have any complaints or concerns about your participation in the study that the Researcher has not been able to answer to your satisfaction, you may contact the Senior Human Ethics Officer, Ethics and Integrity, Research Office, La Trobe University, Victoria, 3086 (P: 03 9479 1443, E:
humanethics@latrobe.edu.au). Please quote the application reference number E17-069.
Sometimes thinking about the sorts of issues raised in the questionnaire can create some uncomfortable or distressing feelings. If you need to talk to someone about this immediately, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Beyond Blue support service on 1300 224 636. You may also wish to consider consulting your General Practitioner (GP) for additional support.
