Date of Award
Spring 5-2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Kinesiology and Nutrition
Committee Chair
Dr. Melissa Thompson
Committee Chair School
Kinesiology and Nutrition
Committee Member 2
Dr. Morgan Eckenrod
Committee Member 2 School
Kinesiology and Nutrition
Committee Member 3
Dr. Laurie Neelis
Committee Member 3 School
Kinesiology and Nutrition
Committee Member 4
Dr. Hal Wilson
Abstract
Sport coaching occurs in an ambiguous, complex, and dynamic environment bounded by rules, structures, and traditions unique to the context in which it occurs (ICCE et al., 2013; Jones & Wallace, 2005; Nash & Collins, 2006). Coaching is therefore not only pedagogical in nature but also features social and political elements (Abraham & Collins, 2011) focused on athlete development within a specific social and organizational context (ICCE et al., 2013). At the heart of this coaching practice is a constant process of decision-making (Abraham et al., 2006; Lyle & Vergeer, 2013; Vergeer & Lyle, 2009). However, research on the decision-making processes that focus on holistic athlete and program development (i.e. those that occur out of action), is absent from the literature.
The Mosier and Fischer (2010) human factors decision framework, which highlights that influences on real-world decisions can come from one of five areas: the organization, available technology, the decision-making team, the task environment, and the individual, was adopted as the theoretical framework for the present study. The researcher targeted two primary research questions: what elements of the organizational environment influence the out-of-action decisions made by coaches? and, how were these organizational elements influential in the course of making a difficult, out-of-action decision? Fourteen interscholastic head coaches from schools in the southeastern United States participated in semi-structured interviews. Following thematic analysis, four themes emerged: school environment, the decision-making team, administrators, and parents of athletes. These results support the influence of organizational elements as suggested by Mosier and Fischer while also extending the conceptual understanding of the impact of organizational influences on coach decision-making.
Recommended Citation
Faucett, Arien Elizabeth, "An Examination of Organizational Influences on Coach Decision Making" (2023). Dissertations. 2108.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2108
Included in
Human Factors Psychology Commons, Other Psychology Commons, Sports Sciences Commons, Sports Studies Commons