The journey of the women sport managers through the labyrinths: Skills of leadership, encountered barriers and socail gender roles

In this study, by using ?labyrinth? metaphor, the opinions of women sport managers, who are trying to reach or have reached higher positions in management, about ?Journey in Labyrinth: Leadership Skills, Encountered Barriers and Social Gender Roles? were evaluated. . In this study, a mixed method data collection techniques was used. In this study, ?criterion sampling method? and semi structured interview technique were used. The interviews were made in 2012 with 7 women sport managers aged 35-39 and had at least 5 years active sports managing career. Also how the participants themselves to define, BEM Sex Role Inventory was used. To analyze the data, descriptive and content analysis methods were used. The results were grouped under 5 basic themes; 1) Metaphoric definitions of Labyrinth (organizational climate) 2) Journey in Labyrinth (career process) and encountered barriers in labyrinth journey (career process) 3) Labyrinth journey (career process) 4) The role of sport experiences 5) Social gender roles. As a result; it was seen that participants were able to overcome several individual, organizational and social barriers in sport management career process with their leadership skills and their past sport experiences had positive effects on the development of their leadership skills. Keywords: Labyrinth journey (Career Process), Leadership Skills, Barriers, Social Gender Roles