This programme of research examined the psychosocial factors affecting performers and personnel that operate within sport organizations. Study 1 (chapter 4) aimed to gain a better understanding of how individuals manage their emotional responses to organizational stressors and the consequences for burnout and turnover intentions. A cross-sectional questionnaire design was the chosen methodology and moderation and moderated-mediation analysis was adopted. Results from this study highlighted the importance of emotional labour (i.e., surface acting) in understanding how organizational stressors contribute to the experience of burnout and turnover intentions. The results from study 1 suggested that emotional labour might have negative consequences for actual turnover. Therefore, study 2 (chapter 5) examined emotional labour as a moderator in the relationship between the frequency of organizational stressors, turnover intention, and actual turnover using a 6-month longitudinal design. In line with study 1, the results from study 2 highlight that organizational stressors and surface acting are among the factors that lead to psychological disengagement in sport (i.e., turnover intention). Specifically, surface acting moderated the relationship between organizational stressor frequency and turnover intentions, but not for actual turnover. Based on the findings from study 2, study 3 (chapter 6) aimed to determine whether an individual’s commitment, identity, and engagement with their organization might influence their experience of organizational stressors and the consequences for burnout and turnover intention. A cross-sectional questionnaire design was the chosen methodology and a moderation and moderated-mediation analysis was adopted. Results from this study showed that higher self-reported levels of commitment, identity, and engagement moderated the iv relationship between organizational stressors and turnover intention through burnout. These results highlight the importance of attitudes in understanding how performers and personnel respond to the organizational stressors they encounter in their sport. Drawing together the findings from this programme of research, the thesis contains a discussion of its empirical and practical implications, its strengths and weaknesses, and avenues for future research directions. The thesis concludes with a reflective epilogue, which presents an account of the author’s experience of the Ph.D. process. The aim of the reflective epilogue was to review the lessons learned from doing quantitative, questionnaire-based research and to reflect on being a part-time researcher.
A psychosocial examination of organizational stressors, emotional labour, attitudes and associated outcomes in sport organizations
Larner, R. J. (Author). Sept 2018
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis