NATION

Disney plays up ESPN angle

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. » Walt Disney World is rebranding its sports complex as ESPN Wide World of Sports and stepping up capital spending to make the place more of a sports and visitor draw.

It's part of a strategy to shift 12 years of modest growth into a faster gear by making the 220-acre complex an extension of ESPN, which is also Disney property.

The network nerve center that controls seven cable channels will remain in Bristol, Conn. But ESPN will “;double or triple”; the 20 events aired annually from the Disney World facility next year and is investing in narrow-casting far more amateur sports events staged there over the Internet on ESPN 360.

“;Rebranding with ESPN is one of those, 'Why didn't we do this before?' ideas,”; said Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises.

He sees Disney becoming the dominant player in the U.S. sports tourism industry that's estimated to grow by $200 million in spending this year to $900 million.

The Wide World of Sports already houses preseason training for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the British Chelsea soccer club and the Atlanta Braves. The Tampa Bay Rays played a regular-season series there. Disney is looking to sign a second major-league spring training deal.

Transgender study suggests bias

A recent study has found a new way to examine pay disparities between men and women: Comparing the salaries of transgender employees before and after their gender changes.

The study in The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, an academic journal published by The Berkeley Electronic Press, found that while the average earnings for women who changed their gender slightly increased after the transition, it fell by nearly a third for workers who went from male to female.

The research was based on interviews with 64 individuals employed before and after a gender transition with hormone therapy or surgery.

“;I think the gap that we've found has to do with ideas about gender and how masculinity is valued in the workplace,”; said Kristen Schilt, a sociology professor at University of Chicago who conducted the study with New York University professor Matthew Wiswall.

Schilt, who is currently expanding the research into a book slated for release in 2010, also did an analysis of U.S. legal cases involving transgender discrimination. Nine out of 10 cases involved men who changed their appearance to look like a woman, she said.

How to enhance your job offer

If the thought of negotiating a salary made you cringe in the past, the thinning job market and faltering economy could add to that anxiety.

But Dick Gaither, co-author of the recently published book “;Next-Day Job Interview,”; says that passive acceptance will cost you even as the economy recovers. He gives these suggestions for enhancing a job offer:

» Don't assume pay and benefits aren't negotiable. Most employers expect to make an adjustment to pay, benefits, perks, work schedules or work locations.

» Know in advance what the high, low and average salary levels are for a person with your experience and education are.

» Be able to present concrete and measurable examples of your skills and your value to the company—how you'll make them money, save time or solve problems, for instance.

» If financial woes limit an employer and you can't negotiate for more money, compromise with things that can translate into money like extra vacation time, education reimbursements or travel allowances.

» Don't say yes too quickly. The longer an interviewer talks to you, the more likely you'll be able to negotiate better pay.

» Be patient and persistent. Find the right timing and don't give up too quickly, even if the employer isn't receptive the first time around.