Going Beyond the Check Mark: The Role of Institutional Pressures in Putting Gender Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy Into Human Resource Management Practices

Gender diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) remain an important aspect of organizational behavior in sport governing bodies (SGBs). The study’s purpose is to investigate gender DEI policy and human resource management gender DEI practices and the role of institutional pressures in explaining their presence or absence. Based on a mixed-methods design, data were collected via quantitative questionnaires, followed by qualitative interviews with leaders of Canadian and German SGBs. The results suggest that Canadian SGBs focus on the symbolism of having a gender DEI policy as a response to institutional pressures. German SGBs only perceive normative pressure but do not feel responsible for gender DEI. The study contributes to the literature by including all three institutional pressures and offering insights into why a focus on gender diversity in policies is not coupled with gender equity and inclusion in human resource management practices.