Leadership in Sport: A Meta-analytic Review

Linn, Cathy Ooi Hui (2012) Leadership in Sport: A Meta-analytic Review. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)


Abstract

The Multidimensional Model of Leadership (MML) is a widely applied leadership model in sport. The Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS), developed to test the MML, is regarded as a valid and reliable measure for leadership research in sport. The LSS has been translated and used worldwide for more than three decades. The present study was a meta-analytic summary of published English-language studies of coach leadership based on the LSS. The sample population included 13,046 athletes and 577 coaches. Forty-five studies yielded 152 sample groups. Significant differences were found across five subscales of coaching behaviour (Training and Instruction, Democratic Behaviour, Autocratic Behaviour, Social Support, and Positive Feedback) according to the LSS version used (athlete preference, athlete perception, and coach perception). Coaching preferences were moderated by gender, competition level, and task dependence, which supported the MML. Coaches typically rated themselves more favourably than their athletes rated them. Incongruities between perceptions of athletes and coaches have important implications. This discrepancy suggested that assessment of “actual” coach behaviour depended on whose perceptions were being evaluated. Studies that assess coaching behaviours from only one perspective have inherent limitations. Sport organisations should be aware of this potential incongruity and different coaching preferences, as these could lead to sub-optimal coach-athlete interactions. Future research directions were recommended.


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Item Type: Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours)
Item Status: Live Archive
Additional Information: Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013)
Supervisors: Peter Terry
Qualification: Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Date Deposited: 08 Oct 2025 02:32
Last Modified: 08 Oct 2025 02:32
Uncontrolled Keywords: meta-analysis ; sport ; leadership ; coach ; multidimensional model of leadership ; leadership scale for sports
Fields of Research (2008): 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified
Fields of Research (2020): 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified
URI: https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52634

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