Leadership Roles and Impacts
Impacts of a Head Coaching Change on Intercollegiate Student-Athletes
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Tricia Jordan, Paula Upright, Stacey Forsythe
The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the impacts on intercollegiate student-athletes subsequent to a head coaching change. This study utilized case study interviews to achieve a rich description of the phenomenon of a head coaching change in one mid-major NCAA Division 1 institution in the Southeast. Psychological Contract Theory and Social Exchange Theory were examined to cognize the concept of athletics as a business and student-athletes as employees. Using inductive analysis and the constant comparative method, three emergent themes were identified: Student-athletes seem to accept head coaching changes. Head coaches are essential to team success. The student-athlete-coach relationship is the core factor of the intercollegiate experience. All participants articulated a metamorphic shift in thinking that began with the shock and anxiety of losing a head coach, followed by a discussion of the coach’s importance, or unimportance, to the success of the program. The participants in this study appeared to be aware of their role as “employees” of the programs and identified a common understanding of their role in the overarching “business”. Administrators, coaches, and support staff can use this information to provide improved programming for student-athletes who experience such a change.
Successful Team Leadership: Penn State Women's Volleyball
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session David Wolf, David Ober, Russell Rose
Based on an in-depth qualitative case study interview with Coach Russell Rose, this session will discuss the various leadership strategies employed by Coach Rose that has led the Penn State Women's Volleyball team to seven national championships since 1991. On December 17, 2009, Coach Rose notched his 1,000th career win with a victory over Hawaii in four sets to advance to his third consecutive national championship game with the Nittany Lions. His impressive career as it relates to his theories on leadership and its application to sports and society will be detailed.
Positioning the Athletic Director: Perceptions of Internal and External Stakeholders
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Timothy Harper, Jeffrey Segrave, Neil Sinclair
This paper discusses the positioning of the Athletic Director (AD) position in academic institutions. We employ the Collegiate Athletic Leadership Model (CALM) to develop hypotheses regarding how the positioning of the AD role within the structure of academic institutions might influence stakeholder’s perceptions. Specifically, we posit that the “space” the AD position occupies might influence stakeholders’ perceptions regarding the relative importance of academics and athletics. The CALM informs this discussion by positing that the organizational structures of academic institutions may facilitate or hinder the goals and outcomes of athletic departments. If this is true, academic institutions must attend to the positioning of the AD role beyond organizational factors related to hierarchy, authority and power etc. While these factors may serve as the drivers of the decision of where to position the AD role, the resulting perceptions is likely to result in unintended consequences. It is the uncertainty about whether such consequences will be positive or negative that makes AD role placement a primary issue. For example, the positioning of the AD role might influence several factors including: relative contributions (donor intentions and behavior); institutional attractiveness; and faculty, staff and student engagement with academics vis a vis athletics.
Critical Leadership Challenges in Interscholastic Sport
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Vincent Mumford
Today’s sport administrators are facing a plethora of issues. The very livelihood, survival, and future of many sport programs will depend on athletic administrators having a keen understanding of the key strategic issues. The future success of many interscholastic programs will depend on the ability of sport leaders to conceive and implement proactive, cost-effective solutions. As the sport industry grows, it is important for those in that field to understand and analyze current trends or issues that interscholastic athletics face. Information uncovering and exploring those issues deemed to be most pressing may help lead to the implementation of strategic plans to address these obstacles or properly handle difficult situations. This research will help leaders of sport maintain a vibrant and meaningful strategic map; meet evolving member expectations; and continue to provide valued resources, programs and services.
