Coaching and family: the beneficial effects of multiple role membership

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2009-05-15

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An examination of the intersection between work and family for small college coaches was conducted via an online questionnaire to explore variables that affect coaches? work-family fit. Specifically, the work variables of autonomy, supervisor support, and working hours were hypothesized to be related to all or some of the work-family variables of work-family conflict, family-work conflict, work-family enrichment, and family-work enrichment. Likewise, family variables such as spousal support, spousal working hours, spouse job-type, number of children, child sport involvement, and child sport attendance were hypothesized to be related to all or some of the same work-family variables.Ecological theory was used to explain and predict the expected relationships between work and family factors with the work-family interface variables.Confirmatory factor analysis results suggested that the fit for coaches and their work-family interface is best explained by four work-family dimensions?two directional conflict dimensions and two directional enrichment dimensions. Structural equation modeling was used to explore the effects of three work factors on the four work-family variables: supervisory support, autonomy, and hours worked. Multiple regression was used to examine the effect of family variables on the work-family constructs.. Additionally, gender differences within spousal job hours and type were explored. Results suggest that supervisory support correlates with lower conflict and greater enrichment. Additionally, coaches reported that an autonomous workplace correlated with lower conflict and greater work enrichment with family. No hypothesis was supported with hours worked. In the family domain, spousal sport support, like supervisory support, was correlated with lower conflict and greater enrichment. No other family variables were significantly related to the work-family variables within the multiple regression analysis. Two hypotheses involving spouses of coaches, however, were supported as coaching mothers had spouses/partners who were more likely to work longer hours than fathers. Additionally, coaching mothers were more likely to have spouses/partners who were more likely to work in a career-type job. Besides theoretical and practical applications, an exploration contrasting male and female coaches was done. Additionally, in aligning with ecological theory, coaches? work-family fit needs to be considered when hiring and retaining parents who coach.

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