Laura J. Burton

Work-Family Conflict, Part II: Job and Life Satisfaction in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A Certified Athletic Trainers

CONTEXT Previous researchers have shown that work-family conflict (WFC) affects the level of a persons job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and job burnout and intentions to leave the profession. However, WFC and its consequences have not yet been fully investigated among certified athletic trainers. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between WFC and various outcome variables among certified athletic trainers working in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A settings. DESIGN A mixed-methods design using a 53-item survey questionnaire and follow-up in-depth interviews was used to examine the prevalence of WFC. SETTING Division I-A universities sponsoring football. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS A total of 587 athletic trainers (324 men, 263 women) responded to the questionnaire, and 12 (6 men, 6 women) participated in the qualitative portion of the mixed-methods study. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We calculated Pearson correlations to determine the relationship between WFC and job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and job burnout. Regression analyses were run to determine whether WFC was a predictor of job satisfaction, job burnout, or intention to leave the profession. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed using the computer program N6 as well as member checks and peer debriefing. RESULTS Negative relationships were found between WFC and job satisfaction (r = -.52, P < .001). Positive were noted between WFC and job burnout (r = .63, P < .001) and intention to leave the profession (r = .46, P < .001). Regression analyses revealed that WFC directly contributed to job satisfaction (P < .001), job burnout (P < .001), and intention to leave the profession (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings concur with those of previous researchers on WFC and its negative relationships to job satisfaction and life satisfaction and positive relationship to job burnout and intention to leave an organization. Sources of WFC, such as time, inflexible work schedules, and inadequate staffing, were also related to job burnout and job dissatisfaction in this population.

Undergraduate athletic training students' influences on career decisions after graduation.

CONTEXT Career opportunities for athletic training students (ATSs) have increased substantially over the past few years. However, ATSs commonly appear to be opting for a more diversified professional experience after graduation. With the diversity in available options, an understanding of career decision is imperative. OBJECTIVE To use the theoretical framework of socialization to investigate the influential factors behind the postgraduation decisions of senior ATSs. DESIGN Qualitative study. SETTING Web-based management system and telephone interviews. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Twenty-two ATSs (16 females, 6 males; age = 22 ± 2 years) who graduated in May 2010 from 13 different programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS All interviews were transcribed verbatim, and the data were analyzed inductively. Data analysis required independent coding by 2 athletic trainers for specific themes. Credibility of the results was confirmed via peer review, methodologic triangulation, and multiple analyst triangulation. RESULTS Two higher-order themes emerged from the data analysis: persistence in athletic training (AT) and decision to leave AT. Faculty and clinical instructor support, marketability, and professional growth were supporting themes describing persistence in AT. Shift of interest away from AT, lack of respect for the AT profession, compensation, time commitment, and AT as a stepping stone were themes sustaining the reasons that ATSs leave AT. The aforementioned reasons to leave often were discussed collectively, generating a collective undesirable outlook on the AT profession. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the importance of faculty support, professional growth, and early socialization into AT. Socialization of pre-AT students could alter retention rates by providing in-depth information about the profession before students commit in their undergraduate education and by helping reduce attrition before entrance into the workforce.

The Importance of Physical Activity in Closing the Achievement Gap.

The most significant concern within the US educational community is the academic achievement gap. Investigation of the achievement gap reveals that minority students across all levels of education are not meeting the same academic measures as their non-Hispanic White peers. In addition, a disproportionate number of minority children are identified as overweight. Physical activity has been identified as an influence on the reduction and prevention of overweight and obesity. In addition, physical activity has been recognized as beneficial to cognitive performance in children. The current review provides a stimulus to recognize the links between overweight and academic achievement in minority youth and the importance of physical activity in addressing these issues.

The call for servant leadership in intercollegiate athletics.

We advance that servant leadership should be viewed as a viable form of leadership to be studied and supported within the domain of intercollegiate athletics. Servant leadership is different than other approaches to leadership as the emphasis of leadership is explicitly on the needs of followers, and because this approach emphasizes the ideal of service in the relationship between leader and follower. In addition, servant leadership is a people-centered approach to leadership that includes an ethical component. We propose that athletic directors demonstrating servant leadership will provide the leadership necessary to support the development of student-athletes, cultivate an ethical environment that best supports this development, and inspire the call to service for employees within their athletic departments. Moreover, external pressures for ethical leadership and new actors in the field of intercollegiate athletics will lead to the development of servant leadership as a viable leadership paradigm in intercollegiate sport.

The professional socialization of collegiate female athletic trainers: navigating experiences of gender bias.

CONTEXT Female athletic trainers (ATs) experience gender discrimination in the workplace due to stereotypical gender roles, but limited information is available regarding the topic. OBJECTIVE To understand the challenges and obstacles faced by young female ATs working in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletics. DESIGN Exploratory study using semistructured interviews. SETTING Division I clinical setting. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS A total of 14 female ATs were included in the study, using both criterion and snowball-sampling techniques. Their mean age was 27 ± 2 years, with 5 ± 2 years of overall clinical experience. Criteria included employment at the Division I clinical setting, being a full-time assistant AT, and at least 3 years of working experience but no more than 9 years to avoid role continuance. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Analysis of the interview data followed inductive procedures as outlined by a grounded theory approach. Credibility was established by member checks, multiple-analyst triangulation, and peer review. RESULTS Clear communication with both coaches and players about expectations and philosophies regarding medical care, a supportive head AT in terms of clinical competence, and having and serving as a role model were cited as critical tools to alleviate gender bias in the workplace. CONCLUSIONS The female ATs in this study stressed the importance of being assertive with coaches early in the season with regard to the ATs role on the team. They reasoned that these actions brought forth a greater perception of congruity between their roles as ATs and their gender and age. We suggest that female athletic training students seek mentors in their field while they complete their coursework and practicums. The ATs in the current study indicated that a mentor, regardless of sex, helped them feel empowered to navigate the male-centric terrain of athletic departments by encouraging them to be assertive and not second-guess their decisions.

Examining the influence of transformational leadership, organizational commitment, job embeddedness, and job search behaviors on turnover intentions in intercollegiate athletics

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of transformational leadership, organizational commitment, job embeddedness, and job search behaviors on voluntary turnover intentions among senior administrators in intercollegiate athletics departments in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 196 senior athletic administrators completed an online questionnaire assessing transformational leadership of the athletic director, organizational commitment, job embeddedness, job search behaviors, and voluntary turnover intentions. A model of turnover intentions was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – Results indicated that organizational commitment did not mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and job search behaviors, nor did job search behaviors mediate the relationship between organizational commitment and turnover intentions. However, job embeddedness moderated the relationship between organizational commitment and job search behaviors. Resear...

Servant Leadership in Sport for Development and Peace: A Way Forward

ABSTRACT The field of sport for development and peace (SDP) has been growing exponentially, with many organizations and academics embracing the possible contribution that sport can make to development. To date, leadership in sport for development and peace has not been conceptualized. Perhaps due to the missions of sport for development and peace organizations, many of which focus on helping marginalized individuals, the leadership style needed to effectively guide a sport for development and peace organization may be different than that which is needed to lead other types of sport organizations. In this article, we advance that servant leadership, which is predicated on follower care and development, can be a highly effective leadership style in sport for development and peace. Through a series of propositions, we opine that servant leaders in sport for development and peace will empower followers, lead to more sustainable and effective organizations and participant outcomes, facilitate psychological needs satisfaction, and diffuse issues of power and control. Future research directions stimulated by the propositions are also discussed.

The Experiences of Female Athletic Trainers in the Role of the Head Athletic Trainer

CONTEXT Very few women have leadership positions in athletic training (ie, head athletic training positions) in intercollegiate athletics. Research exists on the barriers to attaining the role; however, our understanding about the experiences of those currently engaged in the role is limited. OBJECTIVE To examine the experiences of female head athletic trainers as they worked toward and attained the position of head athletic trainer. DESIGN Qualitative study. SETTING National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I setting. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Eight female athletic trainers serving in the role of head athletic trainer participated in our study. The mean age of the participants was 45 ± 12 years, with 5 ± 1.5 years of experience in the role of head athletic trainer and 21 ± 10 years of experience as athletic trainers. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We conducted phone interviews with the 8 participants following a semistructured format. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed following a general inductive approach as described by Thomas. To establish credibility, we used a peer reviewer, member checks, and multiple-analyst triangulation. RESULTS Six major themes emerged from our analysis regarding the experiences of female head athletic trainers. Opportunities to become a head athletic trainer, leadership qualities, and unique personal characteristics were discussed as factors leading to the assumption of the role of the head athletic trainer. Where women hold back, family challenges, and organizational barriers speak to the potential obstacles to assuming the role of head athletic trainer. CONCLUSIONS Female head athletic trainers did not seek the role, but through persistence and encouragement, they find themselves assuming the role. Leadership skills were discussed as important for success in the role of head athletic trainer. Life balancing and parenting were identified as barriers to women seeking the role of head athletic trainer.

Pervasively Offside An Examination of Sexism, Stereotypes, and Sportscaster Credibility

Women remain underrepresented in sport media despite increased opportunities in other facets of sport and journalism. Further, women who have held positions in sport media are often perceived as being less credible than men in the field. In an effort to understand why these perceptions exist, the present study examined the influence of gender-role stereotyping and sexism on perceived sportscaster credibility. Using a posttest-only quasi-experimental design, 544 participants watched a video of a basketball debate between a male and female sportscaster, in addition to assessing the credibility of these sportscasters. Participant attitudes toward the sportscaster, gender-role stereotyping, and sexism as well as media consumption intentions were also measured. Results indicated that participants’ endorsement of gender stereotypes and level of sexism had a negative effect on the perceived credibility of the female sportscaster. Credibility was also found to have a significant relationship with attitudes toward the sportscaster, which in turn was related to media consumption intentions.

“They Were Really Looking for a Male Leader for the Building”: Gender, Identity and Leadership Development in a Principal Preparation Program

This study utilized a comparative case study analysis to investigate how gender influenced the experiences of participants in a leadership development program (principal preparation program) designed to lead public K-12 schools identified as requiring turnaround. We closely focused on two participants, a man and a woman, and compared the ways each participant made meaning of his/her experiences as developing leaders in the program. Although both participants conceptualized effective leadership in similar communally-oriented ways, the way they came to construct their identities as leaders varied greatly. These differences were largely influenced by different and, what appeared to be, gendered feedback occurring during the program and when participants entered the job market.