An examination of authentic leadership in coaches and its consequenses for athletes

The aim of this thesis was to examine Authentic Leadership (AL) in sport. In Study 1 AL was investigated through professional football coaches’ perceptions. This thesis also sought to investigate the links between AL, satisfaction, commitment, enjoyment and task cohesion, and potential mediators of the relationships between AL and the abovementioned variables. Trust (Studies 2 & 3) and autonomy (perceived choice) (Studies 2 & 3) were examined as mediators of the links between AL and satisfaction (Study 2), commitment (Studies 2 & 3) and enjoyment (Study 3). In Study 4, team sacrifice, and trust were investigated as mediators of the relationship between AL and task cohesion. AL was positively related to commitment, enjoyment and satisfaction. Mediation findings showed that trust and autonomy (perceived choice) may help explain the links between AL and the abovementioned variables. AL was positively associated with task cohesion. Mediation findings revealed that trust and team sacrifice may help to understand the link between AL and task cohesion. These findings suggest that coaches may benefit from being authentic as this may be beneficial for athlete and team outcomes.