When coaching is a calling: A moderated mediating model among school sports coaches. Issue 5 (October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lu, Wan Chen; Lin, Shin-Huei; Cheng, Chih-Fu; Wu, Ming-Han
• Is Part Of: International journal of sports science & coaching. Volume 17:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: 964
• Page End: 973
• Publication Date: 2022-10
• Subjects: Autonomy support -- gender -- goals -- job demands -- work engagement; Coaching (Athletics) -- Periodicals; Sports sciences -- Periodicals; Coaching (Athletics); Sports sciences; Periodicals; 796.077
• DOI: 10.1177/17479541221103778
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1747-9541

Abstract

Introduction: Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources Model, the present study examined the relationships among the job control, calling, work engagement, and job performance of sports coaches. Methods: With a cross-sectional study design, we enrolled 278 school sports coaches as participants and adopted questionnaires to collect data. Self-reported data on demographics, job control, calling, work engagement, and job performance were collected from participants. We posted recruitment posters at the sports seminars/workshops for coaches and distributed an informed consent form and a questionnaire to coaches who were willing to participate in our study. Participants received an NT$100 gift voucher after they had filled out the questionnaire. Descriptive analyses (e.g., means, standard deviations, and correlations among focal variables, etc.), reliability and validity analysis, and a series of hierarchical regression analyses to test the hypotheses were adopted in this study. Results: Job control is positively associated with job performance through work engagement. Further, the moderated mediation model demonstrated that job control has a stronger positive correlation with work engagement and job performance, especially when sports coaches possess higher levels of calling. Conclusion: The current findings suggest that job control is a critical antecedent of job performance through work engagement and that a higher level of calling strengthens the relationship. We suggest that crafting an autonomy-supportive working environment will help empower sports coaches to set goals and become involved, which in turn supports sports coaches in achieving their goals and produces better individual/team performance.