The paradox of the contented working woman in intercollegiate athletics administration

We investigated the paradox of the contented working woman among middle and first-line intercollegiate athletics administrators. In this paradox, women report lower salaries than men but express comparable job satisfaction. The sample comprised 143 women and 371 men in 106 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I-A institutions. Job satisfaction was measured with the Job Descriptive Index (Smith, Kendall & Hulin, 1969) and Job in General (Ironson, Smith, Brannick, Gibson & Paul, 1989) scales. Analyses revealed the existence of the paradox: Women were paid significantly less, but were equally satisfied with their jobs. Neither gender was satisfied with promotion opportunities or pay, but both were highly satisfied with their jobs in general--another apparent paradox. The disproportionate number of male respondents raised questions about gender equity in athletics administration.