Physical Culture and Sport, Studies and Research | 2026
Authors: Lin C.-W.; Lai B.-H.; Lee S.-S.; Tsai I.-Y.; Lin Y.-S.
DOI: 10.2478/pcssr-2026-0006
Journal: Physical Culture and Sport, Studies and Research
Year: 2026
Publisher: Sciendo
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access
Cited by: 0
This study examines how athletes' preferred coaching leadership styles relate to and influence the coach-athlete relationship and leadership effectiveness. A total of 90 collegiate badminton players from Taiwan's general division were recruited using purposive sampling. The researcher personally administered the implicit association test and conducted a survey questionnaire with each participant using a two-stage data collection process. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, difference analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings show that coaches who adopt a democratic leadership style positively influence the coach-athlete relationship and leadership effectiveness. Athletes who prefer democratic leadership significantly moderated the association between coaching leadership behavior and leadership effectiveness. When coaches adopted a democratic style, coaching effectiveness increased significantly. Differences between the coach's displayed style and athletes' preferences did not produce a significant effect on the coach-athlete relationship; however, when coaches employed an autocratic approach while athletes preferred a democratic style, athletes' evaluations of coaching effectiveness declined significantly. Overall, collegiate badminton players generally preferred coaches who demonstrate a democratic leadership style, which helps create a harmonious training climate and fosters team cohesion. This contributes to enhancing the effectiveness of coaching leadership. © 2026 the author(s), published by University of Physical Education in Warsaw.
Autocratic leadership; Coach leadership behavior; Coach-athlete relationship; Democratic leadership; Implicit associative attitude