Abstract
There is a growing body of the literature highlighting the positive impact of transformational leadership behaviours across contexts, including sport. However, there is a lack of knowledge of this relationship within elite sport settings. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between elite youth athletes’ perceptions of coaches’ transformational coaching-behaviours and variables that have been linked to transformational leadership in other settings (i.e., group cohesion, motivational climate, self-regulation of learning and athlete satisfaction). Norwegian elite youth soccer players (n = 753) selected into the national talent development program completed questionnaires to measure the variables of interest. Using structural equation modelling, results revealed a positive path from transformational leadership to both task and social cohesion, task-oriented motivational climates, self-regulation of learning and athlete satisfaction. Finally, a negative path from transformational leadership to ego-oriented climates was identified. The findings are in line with previous research in associating transformational leadership behaviours with adaptive outcomes, and further indicating that such relationships may also be valid in elite sport contexts.
Highlights
Engagement in sport can lead to a variety of desirable outcomes for individual participants, which can be grouped into participation, personal development and performance (Côté et al, 2014)
Initial analysis of the factor structure of the Global Transformational Leadership scale (GTL) indicated an acceptable model fit [S-B χ2(df = 51, n = 754) = 73.57, p < 0.001; Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.939; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.960; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.076, 90% CI = 0.059–0.094; and SRMR = 0.031]
The initial model fit for the cohesion scale (YSEQ) was deemed not acceptable due to low TLI and high RMSEA values [S-B χ2(df = 24, n = 748) = 519.86, p < 0.001; TLI = 0.89; CFI = 0.90; RMSEA = 0.08, 90% CI = 0.07–0.08; and SRMR = 0.05]
Summary
Engagement in sport can lead to a variety of desirable outcomes for individual participants, which can be grouped into participation, personal development and performance (Côté et al, 2014). 316), have proposed that effective coaching can be defined as “the consistent application of integrated professional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal knowledge to improve athletes’ competence, confidence, connection and character in specific coaching contexts.” Drawing upon this definition, Vella et al (2010) suggested that coach leadership can be understood as a process of interpersonal influence, dependent upon the relationship between coach and athlete, that facilitates the athlete outcomes of competence, confidence, connection and character. A commonality between the various definitions and models is that effective leadership in sport is dependent on multiple interacting factors, including coach and athlete characteristics and the situational context (Chelladurai, 1990; Horn, 2008; Côté and Gilbert, 2009). It is suggested that coaches’ behaviours are more likely to be consistent when aligned with their underlying values and beliefs (Becker, 2013)
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