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The purpose of this research is to investigate equality policy development through an examination of The Equality Standard: A Framework for Sport and consider implications for practitioners and research‐based alternatives.

A textual analysis of The Equality Standard: A Framework for Sport.

The Equality Standard represents a shift from historic “one suit fits all” versions of equality policy creation in sports organisations. It is limited, however, by a reliance on formalised audit measures, limited encouragement of organisational involvement in creating equality policies, a reluctance to acknowledge powerful, taken‐for‐granted assumptions about equality, and an inability to encourage organisations to reflect on their history and culture.

Calls for future research into the further critique of audit‐based approaches to equality implementation and stronger links between academic research and practitioner experience.

To encourage individuals to critically examine equality within sports organisations with a view to adopting a more reflective framework of equality in which to address organisational processes.

This research contributes an analysis of recent equality policy development in UK sport. It uses textual analysis to examine policy in order to offer alternative avenues for policy development.

The purpose of this research is to examine the experiences of female CEOs in New Zealand sport using a career account approach overlaid with the Kaleidoscope Career Model (KCM). This research focuses on their successful careers, rather than constraints and barriers, which is a feature of much previous research in the area.

Semi-structured interviews and analysis were informed by the principles of the KCM of career authenticity, balance and challenge. Seven chief executive officers in New Zealand sport organizations were interviewed. Data analysis was undertaken through a three-step coding process.

Respondents highlighted the importance of authenticity, balance and challenge in different ways. The KCM model is extended by identifying sub-themes within each principle. These were, under authenticity, passion and relationship-building; under balance, self-awareness and influencing the organization; and under challenge, taking opportunities and working in sport’s gendered environment. Findings indicate that a more nuanced development of KCM is required and that decision-makers in sport organizations need to be aware of the varied drivers of women’s positive experiences.

This research contributes to an understanding of successful women’s careers, rather than focusing on barriers to success. It also extends the KCM. Future research is necessary to examine the viability of our suggested extensions to the KCM.

While not generalizable, this study’s findings suggest that sport organization decision-makers would be well advised to understand the unique ways in which authenticity, balance and challenge are understood by their female employees. This may encourage organizations to look more closely at their cultures to ensure that they are more welcoming and supportive to women in a male-dominated industry.

This research contributes to an understanding of successful women’s careers, rather than focusing on barriers to success. It also extends the KCM. Future research is necessary to examine the viability of our suggested extensions to the KCM.

Gender relations in organisations remain contested and unresolved. While researchers increasingly focus on how gender is articulated, there is also a need to examine gender suppression, or how gender is deliberately not expressed in organisations. The purpose of this research is to examine gender suppression within regional sports trusts (RSTs) in New Zealand (NZ).

Surveys were sent to all 17 chief executive officers of RSTs in NZ, of which ten replied. Of these, six agreed to a phone interview. The data were transcribed and coded.

There was evidence of gender suppression within the RSTs articulated through four organisational practices, which were: employing the “best person for the job”; the importance of gender balance; gender equity policies; and the role of external funders influencing gender relations.

The examination of gender suppression provides one area of analysis within the multiple elements of gender relations. Areas for future research are addressed.

In order to de‐stabilise the gendered status quo within the RSTs, employees and other organisational members may be encouraged in future to discuss gender relations. Suggestions for how this may be achieved are proposed.

Gender suppression has not been widely analysed in its own right in organisational analysis, this study represents a theoretical and empirical engagement with this concept in order to further understandings of gender relations.

The paper draws out the key conceptual, methodological and substantive issues raised in the papers around the politics of equalities.

Rather than reviewing and summarising each paper in turn this introductory article synthesises the key themes from papers to develop an overview of the key issues raised in the edited collection.

The papers trouble traditional dichotomies in equalities studies, suggesting complex and fluid relationships between states, activists and professionals. They also identify some key elements of current equalities work such as equalities framing, diversity interpretation and the negotiation of ambiguity produced through the seesaw of hope/failure characterising this work.

The collection highlights the continuing dearth of work around certain equalities strands, in particular, around sexualities and generation. It also suggests avenues for further work developing postcolonial analysis of equalities work in organisations.

The collection is unique in that it draws together current work crossing diverse national and sectoral contexts and from a range of equalities strands.

Perhaps it was because I had recently been reading Swift's Battle of the Books, but what I know for certain is that I shall always laugh at those people who tell me that libraries are like sanctuaries, oases of peace in a raucous world. I used to believe that. Not now: not after what happened last night when I was left alone in the library. Did I say alone? Well, now, that's not quite right. But let me tell you about it.

PUBLIC LIBRARIANS outside London watch with attention/pleasure/alarm the results of governmental thinking on the re‐organisation of local government. Londoners will be more detached but, remembering 1965 and fingering their old scars, will have sympathy.

The purpose of this paper is to examine women composers’ use of online communities of practice (CoP) to negotiate the traditionally masculine space of music composition while operating outside its hierarchical structures.

The authors employed a mixed methods approach consisting of an online survey (n=225) followed by 27 semi-structured in-depth interviews with female composers to explore the concept and use of CoP. Content analysis was used to analyze the survey responses and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to interpret respondents’ lived experiences as relayed in the interviews.

The findings reveal that the online environment can be a supportive and safe space for female composers to connect with others and find support, feedback and mentorship, increase their visibility and develop career agency through learning and knowledge acquisition. CoP emerged as an alternative approach to career development for practicing female music workers and as a tool which could circumvent some of the enduring gendered challenges.

The findings suggest that online CoP can have a positive impact on the career development and sustainability of women in male-dominated sectors such as composition.

Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Tenn. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.