Values-Based Models of Leadership and Their Role on Athlete Outcomes

Values-based models of leadership such as authentic (Walumbwa et al., 2008) and ethical (Den Hartog, 2015) leadership, have recently received increased research attention by sport psychologists. These models refer to leadership behaviours that are based on leaders’ values, which are typically moral values. Both authentic and ethical leaders act in line with these values and are concerned not only with optimising their followers’ performance, but also with promoting their development and enhancing their psychological well-being.

In our research, coaches’ authentic leadership has been positively associated with a range of psychosocial outcomes in athletes. Some examples are prosocial behaviour, psychological capital, positive mental health, enjoyment, and commitment (e.g., Bandura & Kavussanu, 2018; Kavussanu et al., 2024; Malloy et al., 2023). We have also showed that it is possible to teach coaches to be authentic leaders in their coaching (Malloy & Kavussanu, 2021). While most sport studies have investigated authentic leadership, emerging research on ethical leadership in sport also suggests that a coach who is ethical leader may promote a variety of positive outcomes in athletes. For example, one study found that coaches who were perceived as ethical leaders also created a more inclusive team climate (e.g., Yukhymenko-Lescroart et al., 2015). In contrast, perceptions of abusive coaching were positively associated with athletes’ willingness to cheat. It has been argued (Den Hartog, 2015) that A coach who is an ethical leader will not be abusive, thus it could be argued that abusive coaching is unethical leadership.

I am looking for a highly motivated individual who wishes to further research on authentic or ethical leadership in sport. The direction of the study will consider the specific interests of the student. Candidates who are interested in this project are kindly required to submit the following documents, directly to Dr Maria Kavussanu ([email protected]). 

1) Your CV, which highlights your educational qualifications and grades, and your (previous) experiences that are relevant to PhD study. 

2) An abstract of the most recent study you have conducted. If you have never done a research study, you could be considered for an MRes or a Masters by Research, with the potential to progress to a PhD, once this is completed at the appropriate standard.

IMPORTANT NOTE. At this point in time, no funding is available for this project. If you wish to apply, please consider carefully whether you are able to fund this PhD either through personal sources or via an external scholarship. Information about fees can be found here:

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/research/sport-exercise/sport-exercise-sciences