Representation within the sport management curricula: exploring educators’ decision-making processes

The rise of curricula activist campaigns requires intensified scrutinisation of representation in the curricula. Although case studies represent a key pedagogical tool within management education, representation within case studies and educators’ accompanying decision-making processes are underexplored. Adopting a qualitative research approach, this study interviewed sport management lecturers at two UK higher education institutions. Natalie Jester’s feminist reading of the theory of representation, which conceptualised representation within the curricula, was drawn upon to explore educators’ decision-making processes, including the representative groups used (if any), when selecting and creating case studies. Using a grounded research approach, educators’ perceptions regarding the challenges to achieving representation in case studies were investigated. The findings informed a conceptual model of educator decision-making, identifying meso, micro and macro factors that influence decisions regarding descriptive and substantive representation within case studies. Practical implications for higher education sport management educators, departments and senior managers were also discussed.