Leadership Behaviors and Multidimensional Role Ambiguity Perceptions in Team Sports

The relationships between leadership behaviors and athletes’ perceptions of role ambiguity were investigated within interdependent team sports. Early to midway through their respective seasons, the degree to which coaches engaged in training and instruction and positive feedback behaviors was investigated in relation to athletes’ subsequent perceptions of multi-dimensional role ambiguity. For nonstarters, coaches’ training and instruction accounted for significant variation in offensive and defensive role consequences ambiguity as well as offensive role evaluation ambiguity. However, for starters, neither of the leadership dimensions assessed in this study could explain significant variance in any of the role ambiguity dimensions. Results are discussed in terms of theory development and further research investigating possible antecedents of multidimensional role ambiguity.