Prof Sarah Leberman MNZM, Cert ACE, PhD, BA, CMInstD

Contact details

• Ph: +64 6 9517935
  Location: 3.15, Business Studies Central
  Campus: Manawatu

Qualifications

• Graduate Certificate in Athelte Career and Education Management (2002)
• Doctor of Philosophy - Victoria University (1999)
• Bachelor of Arts - University of Cambridge (1987)

Fellowships and Memberships

• Member, New Zealand Institute of Directors (Other) (2020)
• Member, New Zealand Government (Member) (2020)

Certifications and Registrations

• Licence, Mentor Supervisor, Massey University

Research Interests

My current research interests are in the areas of women and leadership in sport and academia, as well as the transfer of learning, and in particular the processes and factors which facilitate this. My most recent research publications have focused on mothers in sport leadership roles, and as elite athletes. I was a Fulbright Senior Scholar in 2008, which I tenured at the Tucker Centre for Research on Girls and Women in Sport, at the University of Minnesota. My research is always applied in that I try to make a difference in the areas of sport and academia as a result of my research findings. I am an Editorial Board member for Journal of Sport Management, and regularly review for the Sport Management Review and the European Sport Management Quarterly.

My research draws on the extant literature within leadership and gender, and on early research on the transfer of learning. The main research question focuses on the reasons why women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions and identifying ways in which this gap can be redressed. An in-depth understanding of their experiences, assists in identifying processes for organisational change. The research has given voice to those underrepresented in the sport management literature - mothers and female inmates. The findings to date suggest that the area of transfer of learning from motherhood to sport and vice versa has been under researched. By addressing this gap, organisations can highlight the mutual benefits in terms of matching skill sets, confront issues around confidence and knowledge and work-life balance, contributing to the growing body of research based on work-family enrichment.

Thematics

21st Century Citizenship, Health and Well-being

Area of Expertise

Field of research codes
Business and Management (150300): Commerce, Management, Tourism And Services (150000)

Keywords

My area of expertise is leadership development. My research to date has focussed on women in sport and academia using qualitative methodologies. 

Languages

• French
  Last used: last week
  Spoken ability: Average
  Written ability: Average
• German
  Last used: last week
  Spoken ability: Excellent
  Written ability: Excellent

Teaching Statement

My focus in teaching is providing high quality high impact learning experiences, which enable students to challenge themselves, so they can grow and develop, in a supportive environment. Drawing on my PhD research which focussed on how to maximise the transfer of learning, I am always looking for ways to maximise the transfer of learning from the myriad of situations our students find themselves in. I have taught papers in sport management and management from 100 level through to postgraduate over the past 29 years. I am  currently responsible for teaching postgraduate sport sociology and sport management, plus the 15 credit internship in business.

Courses Coordinated

• 114.900 PhD Human Resource Management
• 115.389 Business Internship
• 152.133 Sport Facility Management
• 152.238 Professional Development for the Sport Industry
• 152.900 PhD Management
• 234.731 Advanced Sport in the Social Context
• 234.732 Advanced Sport Management
• 234.832 Professional Practice in Sport Management

Graduate Supervision Statement

I feel very privileged to be able to work with PhD students and guide them through the doctoral journey. Each student is unique and so my style is to adjust to the student's needs. My belief is that each student needs to know why they want to do a PhD and be passionate about their topic – they need to drive it. There is no one size fits all. I ensure that the supervision team is just that a team - where we work collectively to bring our strengths to the topic at hand. All the students I have worked with have brought their own topic about which they are passionate. Many focus on women in leadership in some form or other and many have been related to sport. However I have also relished the opportunity to work with colleagues from other disciplines (creative arts, history, natural resource management, matauranga Māori) where the topic has benefited from a multidisciplinary approach. Outside of Massey I have been part of supervision teams at the University of Washington and the University of Minnesota. I have supervised both traditional PhD and those by publications.

Current Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

• Miriama Cribb - Doctor of Philosophy
  Decolonising management practices in the implementation of Māori frameworks in non-Māori organisations - a case study for Te Awa Tupua
• Christy Hopkins - Doctor of Philosophy
  Leadership Re-Defined: Case Studies of Entrepreneurial Women
• Rhema Chatiya Nantham - Doctor of Philosophy
  Learning from the experiences of women adult third culture kids: Prototyping their insights for leadership development in a globalising context
• Alida Shanks - Doctor of Philosophy
  How did we get here? Power dynamics and gender equity in New Zealand sport organisations.

Completed Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

• 2019 - Vasudha Rao - Doctor of Philosophy
  Rethinking sponsoring: Evidencing and conceptualising sponsorship as a relational practice for women’s career development
• 2019 - Ellen Nelson - Doctor of Philosophy
  The Social Well-being of Women Officers who have Left the NZ Army
• 2017 - Jane Hurst - Doctor of Philosophy
  It's all about relationships: Women managing women and the impact on their careers
• 2016 - Mark Bradford - Doctor of Philosophy
  BeWeDo®: Co-creating possibilities with movement
• 2015 - Bevan Erueti - Doctor of Philosophy
  NGA KAIPARA MAORI: NGA PUMAHARA O TE TUAKIRI MAORI ME TE AO HAKINAKINA Maori Athletes: Perceptions of Maori Identity and Elite Sport Participation
• view more...
• 2015 - Alec Astle - Doctor of Philosophy
  Sport Development - Plan, Programme and Practice: A case study of the planned intervention by New Zealand Cricket into cricket in New Zealand
• 2013 - Ryan Holland - Doctor of Philosophy
  Governance of New Zealand National Sport Organisations: Pasifika and Maori Voices
• 2011 - Warren Smith - Doctor of Philosophy
  Athlete satisfaction over time: Adapting the athlete satisfaction questionnaire (ASQ) to a New Zealand setting
• 2011 - Arnold Young - Doctor of Business and Administration
  Insight: Leadership training, an organistaional context, and transfer of learning - a case study
• 2009 - Anne Probert - Doctor of Philosophy
  Competitive Bodybuilders and identity: Insights from New Zealand
• view less...

Co-supervisor of:

• 2015 - Lesley Gill - Doctor of Philosophy
  Exploring trainer perspectives of emotional intelligence training program design
• 2009 - David Harris - Doctor of Business and Administration
  A discourse analysis of the nature of institutions in New Zealand rugby 1985 and 2005
• 2009 - Abigail Allan - Doctor of Philosophy
  Decision-Making in Conservation: A model to Improve the Allocation of Resources amongst National Parks
• 2001 - Andrew Martin - Doctor of Philosophy
  Outward Bound, New Zealand: Process and Outcomes.

Media

• 30 Oct 2018 - Newspaper
  'Sport for the many, not the few'
  Article by George Heagney on the launch of Sport Development in Action, Manawatu Standard, 30 October 2018, p. 3. Online version of story published 29 October 2018 https://www.stuff.co.nz/ma
• 30 Jul 2019 - Online, Newspaper
  Male dominated sports organisations getting despar
  
• 30 Jul 2014 - Newspaper, Online
  The Power of 1
  Quoted in article in The Press and Marlborough Express (30-Jul), Manawatu Standard and Taranaki Daily News (2-Aug), Timaru Herald and Waikato Times (9-Aug) discussing whether single sex schooling is b
• 29 May 2008 - Radio
  Gender Equity in Olympic Sport
  Interviewed by Teddy Katz from CBC National Radio at NASSM conference in Toronto on my presentation Gender Equity in Olympic Sport see ROs. From: Canadian National Radio
• 29 Jun 2017 - Online
  Women sport and leadership
  Interviewed as part of blog for Global Women.
• view more...
• 28 Feb 2019 - Radio, Online
  How to prevent sexual violence through and in spor
  Pos cast for Radio New Zealand Fair Play Show
• 28 Aug 2017 - Radio
  How to boost women's sport
  Radio interview with Mike Hoskin on Newstalk ZB morning radio on how we can improve the situation for womens sport.
• 27 Apr 2014 - Radio
  The Week in Sport
  Panel discussion with Zoe Ferguson and Wallace Chapman for 'Sunday Morning' programme, RadioNZ.
• 26 Jul 2015 - Radio
  Smashing the Glass Ceiling - RNZ's Sunday Morning
  Professor Sarah Leberman was interviewed on Radio NZ’s Sunday Morning programme about the Young Women’s Leadership Programme and her research into the reasons for the low number of women in leadership
• 22 Mar 2017 - Radio
  Valued, visible and influential
  Radio interview with Kathryn Ryan on what is required to shift the needle for women in sport in New Zealand.
• 21 Sep 2014 - Online
  Women in Leadership
  Invited presenter for Massey Business School's 'Big Issues in Business' series
• 20 Nov 2019 - Other
  Understanding privilege
  Podcast as part of Uncomfortable is OK
• 20 May 2019 - Newspaper, Online
  Why we are challenging the system for equality in
  
• 20 Dec 2014 - Magazine
  Crash Hot: Are confidence and self-belief really..
  Quoted in article in The Listener (p.18) on whether confidence and self-belief are the keys to success.
• 18 Jan 2015 - Radio
  Growing Grass Root Talent
  Panel discussion on developing young people in sport through to elite level Panel discussion on developing young people in sport through to elite level on 'The Week in Sport' RadioNZ January 2015
• 18 Feb 2008 - Television
  Women in Sport feature.
  Interviewed as part of feature on women in sport. This was based on my research conducted during my Fulbright Scholarship and linked to NROs 1, 2 and 3. From: TV3 - Campbell Live
• 17 Nov 2013 - Radio
  The Place of Women in Sport in NZ Society
  Interviewed by Zoe Ferguson for 'Sunday Morning' programme with Chris Laidlaw, RadioNZ.
• 16 May 2013 - Radio
  Parenting with Sarah Leberman and Billy Harris
  Interviewed by Kathryn Ryan on how to be a good sideline supporter for the 'Nine to Noon' programme, RadioNZ.
• 15 Aug 2019 - Online
  Stop saying no one watches womens sport
  
• 13 Jul 2013 - Newspaper
  I am Woman, Hear me Roar
  Quoted in article in Taranaki Daily News (and stuff.co.nz) discussing what difference it would make if there were more women in government and on company boards.
• 13 Aug 2015 - Newspaper
  Young women helping the community
  Interviewed by North Harbour News, Auckland, re the 8 week Young Women's Leadership Programme for Year 12 girls that was held on Albany Campus
• 13 Apr 2017 - Online, Newspaper
  Women still on the outside of NZ sport
  Interview based on data collected about women in leadership positions - both board and as CEOs - within New Zealand sport.
• 12 Sep 2009 - Radio
  Mothers as elite athletes
  Interviewed by Daniel Conifer, as a result of the article published in Sport Management Review - see NRO 3. From: SBS Radio, Sydney, Australia
• 11 Mar 2008 - Radio
  Encouraging Women as Sports Coaches
  Interviewed by Heather Jarvis as part of the "In the Loop" programme. This was based on my research conducted during my Fulbright Scholarship and linked to NRO 2. From: Australian Broadcasting Corpora
• 10 Sep 2014 - Television
  Professor speaks on issue affecting all women
  Interviewed on issue of pay inequality for television programme 'Good Day Utah', Fox13, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
• 10 Sep 2008 - Newspaper
  How Media Showed us Games
  Quoted in news brief in Domion Post on my research into how media depict Olympic athletes, p.3
• 10 Oct 2014 - Radio
  Quiet achievers-getting more women into leadership
  Interviewed on quiet achievers and getting more women into leadership for radio programme 'Nine to Noon', RadioNZ National.
• 10 Mar 2007 - Magazine
  View from the top
  Quoted in article in New Zealand Listener: Leading New Zealand women share their strategies for success, p.22
• 10 Jul 2013 - Newspaper, Online
  Sports Bodies Still Largely Boys' Own Territory
  Quoted in article in Dominion Post (p. 6) discussing the low number of women in sports management in New Zealand. Article also online at stuff - businessday.co.nz
• 10 Aug 2012 - Television
  Turning Medals into Money
  Interviewed by Alison Mau on TV 1 'Close up'
• 10 Aug 2012 - Television
  Turning medals into money
  Interview on TV 1 'Close up' with Alison Mau
• 08 Mar 2017 - Online, Newspaper
  Under valued, under funded, under the radar
  Reuters article picked up by India Times, New York Times Yahoo!, New Straits Times, SBS news and EuroNews. 'Under valued, under funded, under the radar - women's sport seek change in New Zealand.
• 08 Mar 2008 - Radio
  Mothers as coaches
  Interviewed by Gary Lord. This was based on my research conducted during my Fulbright Scholarship and linked to NRO 2. From: NewsTalk ZB
• 08 Jul 2013 - Newspaper
  Sideline Behaviour Could Turn Kids Off
  Quoted in article in Manawatu Standard (p. 3) discussing why women are under-represented in the coaching ranks.
• 08 Aug 2016 - Radio
  Low number of New Zealand women coaches Rio 2016
  Interviewed on NewstalkZB and The Hits on the low number of New Zealand women coaches at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
• 07 Sep 2017 - Television
  It's time we all stopped ignoring sexism
  TV interview for Seven Sharp TV1 on what can be done about sexism in women's sport.
• 07 May 2009 - Newspaper
  White blokes hog media limelight
  Newspaper interview discussing research on how children's perceptions of sport are influenced by the media
• 06 Mar 2008 - Radio
  Mothers as Coaches
  Interviewed by Bill Ralston. This was based on my research conducted during my Fulbright Scholarship and linked to NRO 2. From: Radio Live Auckland
• 06 Mar 2008 - Newspaper
  Lack of Confidence Stops Women Coaching - Study
  Interview for article that appeared in NZ Herald, 6-3-2008, and Manawatu Standard, 2-4-2008, p.24
• 06 Aug 2008 - Newspaper
  Games Not about Looks
  Interview for Manawatu Standard on representation of sportswomen in the media, p.1
• 04 Mar 2020 - Radio, Online
  Sport system failing top women coaches
  
• 03 Jul 2013 - Newspaper
  New Zealand Lagging over Women Leaders
  Quoted in article in New Zealand Herald (p. B16) highlighting the success of the Achieving Career Excellence (ACE) programme.
• 02 Jan 2016 - Radio
  Sport: New Zealand Sport Women
  Part of panel discussion on Radio New Zealand with Lynn Freeman about women in sport in New Zealand.
• 01 Sep 2007 - Magazine
  Cover Story: Home Team Advantage
  Interview for NZ Management for article 'What can business learn from sport?', vol 54(8), pp. 26-31
• 01 Nov 2018 - Magazine
  NEXT Women of the Year Sport Award
  Awarded NEXT Women of the Year for my 20 years of advocacy and research for women in sport.
• -
  
  Interviewed for the Australian Women's Weekly New Zealand edition based on my research - see NROs 1, 2 and 3 - for an article focusing on New Zealand's female sporting stars to coincide with the Commo
• view less...