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Yellow card: U.S. Women’s Soccer seeks pay equity

Joanna Kimbell (Department of Management, Marketing and General Business, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas, USA)
Anne Macy (Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas, USA)
Emily Ehrlich Hammer (Department of Management, Marketing and General Business, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas, USA)
Denise Philpot (University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA)

Publication date: 8 May 2018

Abstract

Synopsis

The Women’s US Soccer team in 2016 entered into the summer Olympics with a dark cloud over their heads, the lack of pay equity in the sport of soccer. Despite being heralded as the best female team in the world, the team’s compensation does not reflect their winning record or average work performance. Complex contractual negotiations and compensation intricacies surround this situation and the legal proceedings with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that include discrepancies between gender preferences for compensation, benefits packages and terms of the overall collective bargaining agreement in a monopsony. The financial impact of lost wages and the role of the fan base are also examined.

Research methodology

This case has been created through the eyes of past and current members of the US Women’s Soccer team using scholarly and periodical sources.

Relevant courses and levels

This case is designed for upper level, undergraduate human resource management, labor economics and employment law courses, specifically, principles of human resource management, gender equity courses, business law, labor economics, law & economics.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Disclaimer. This case is written solely for educational purposes and is not intended to represent successful or unsuccessful managerial decision making. The authors may have disguised names; financial, and other recognizable information to protect confidentiality.

Citation

Kimbell, J., Macy, A., Hammer, E.E. and Philpot, D. (2018), "Yellow card: U.S. Women’s Soccer seeks pay equity", , Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 272-291. https://doi.org/10.1108/TCJ-03-2017-0025

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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