Coach and Athlete Burnout - West Virginia University

The multidimensional theory of leadership synthesized previous non-sport
Burnout 3
leadership models (e.g. path-goal theory, House & Dressler, 1974) and extended them to
a sport context (Chelladurai & Riemer, 1998). The model proposes that athlete
satisfaction and group performance are a function of the combined effects of required,
preferred, and actual leader behavior (see Figure 1). Three antecedents affect the leader
behavior. These include situational, leader, and member characteristics. Required leader
behaviors are those necessitated by both situational and member characteristics. These
would include the parameters of the organization, its environment, governmental
regulations, age, and gender, for example (Chelladurai, 1990; Chelladurai & Riemer,
1998). Preferred leader behavior is determined by member characteristics and the
situational variables. Actual leader behavior is a function of characteristics of the leader,
required behavior, preferred leader behavior, and group performance and satisfaction.
Leader characteristics would include their personality, ability, and experiences
(Chelladurai & Riemer, 1998). Using this model of leadership as a guide, Chelladurai
and Saleh (1978, 1980) developed the Leadership Scale for Sports, a 40-item, five-factor
scale assessing specific coach leadership behaviors.
The LSS measures athletes’ perceptions of coach behavior, athletes’ preferences
of coach behavior, and coaches’ perceptions of their own behavior (Chelladurai, 1990).
Dimensions of behavior that are included assess the degree to which coaches include
training and instruction, social support, positive feedback, and autocratic and democratic
decision-making behaviors in their coaching. An autocratic decision-making style refers
to one in which the coach has the final word regarding team decisions. A coach with a
democratic style tends to include the team in the decision-making process. (Chelladurai