Do Goal Orientations and Coaching Efficacy Contribute to the Likelihood of Coaches' Transformational Leadership?
Keywords:
youth sport, structural equation modeling, interpersonal relationships, achievement goal theoryAbstract
PROBLEM: In an effort to improve youth sport experiences, many studies have investigated the influence of various coaching styles. A growing body of sport research links transformational leadership (TL) to positive outcomes (Stenling & Tafvelin, 2014; Vella, Oades & Crowe, 2013). Yet, little effort has been made to examine factors that influence sports coaches’ proclivities to adopt TL behaviors. According to Horn’s (2008) model of coaching effectiveness, coaches’ beliefs, values, and goals are antecedents to coaching behaviors. In this study, TL was situated as a coaching behavior informed by two salient antecedent factors: motivational goal orientations (GO) and coaching efficacy (CE).
METHOD: Youth basketball coaches (males = 102, females = 20) completed an online survey measuring TL, GO, and CE. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the relationships between coaches’ GO, CE, and TL.
RESULTS: Results yielded an acceptable fit of the proposed model. CE was strongly associated with the presence of TL behaviors, but coaches’ GO were not related to TL behaviors.
DISCUSSION: Findings suggest that the more coaches believe in their ability to affect the learning and performance of their athletes the more TL behaviors they will engage in. Thus, coaches should formulate strategies to assist in developing CE.
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