JOB SATISFACTION & BURNOUT IN FAST-PITCH SOFTBALL COACHES

Robin Hardin, Ph.D. University of Tennessee

Rebecca Zakrajsek, Ph.D. University of Tennessee

Job SatisfactionA positive emotional response following an employee’s job expectations being met or exceeded (McChesney, 2005).

Nine Dimensions of Job Satisfaction (Spector, 1994)

Job Satisfaction Factor Description

Pay Pay & Remuneration

Promotion Advancement Opportunities

Supervision Immediate Supervisor

Fringe Benefits Monetary & Nonmonetary

Contingent Rewards Appreciation & Recognition for Job Performance

Operating Conditions Organization Policies & Procedures

Coworkers People Who Work with You in the Organization

Nature of Work The Actual Duties of the Job Itself

Communication Information Flow within the Organization

Burnout

Reaction to chronic stress that involves a negative interaction

between one’s environment and their personal characteristics (McChesney, 2005).

Emotional Exhaustion: Being emotionally overextended and

drained of emotional resources (Gomez & Michaelis, 1995).

Depersonalization: Development of cynicism and a dehumanizing

attitude towards athletes or patients (Gomez & Michaelis, 1995).

Personal Accomplishment: An individual’s perception of his/her

own ability to control his/her own situation (Gomez & Michaelis, 1995).

So What?• Negative effects of burnout on the coaches’ mental

and physical health

• Negative effects of burnout on coaches’ co-workers, family members and athletes/patients

• Attrition and job turnover

• Burnout and Job Satisfaction examined together

Research Questions• What is the level of job satisfaction in Fast-Pitch

Softball Coaches?

• What is the level of burnout in Fast-Pitch Softball Coaches?

• What is the relationship between job satisfaction and burnout?

METHODOLOGY

Subjects

• IRB Approval

• Members of National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association (~4300)

• Recruitment via email– Initial email (cover letter with instructions and link to online

survey)– Follow email 1 week after initial contact

• 326 Respondents (7.6% response rate)

Instrumentation• Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey (22 job

related statements)– Emotional Exhaustion - EE (feelings of being exhausted or

overextended)• 9 questions

– Depersonalization - Dp (unfeeling towards work)• 5 questions

– Personal Accomplishment - PA (feelings of competence or successful achievement)• 8 questions

– High levels of burnout is reflected by high EE & Dp scores with a low PA score

Instrumentation• Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) (Spector, 1994)• 9 factors of JS (4-items per factor)

• Summed score for each factor– 4-12 (dissatisfied with job)– 12-16 (ambivalence with job)– 16-24 (satisfied with job)

Job Satisfaction Factor Description

Pay Pay & Remuneration

Promotion Advancement Opportunities

Supervision Immediate Supervisor

Fringe Benefits Monetary & Nonmonetary

Contingent Rewards Appreciation & Recognition for Job Performance

Operating Conditions Organization Policies & Procedures

Coworkers People Who Work with You in the Organization

Nature of Work The Actual Duties of the Job Itself

Communication Information Flow within the Organization

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

Mean Scores for the Dimensions of Burnout

Burnout X SD Ranking

Emotional exhaustion 23.4 10.5 Average

Depersonalization 9.6 4.5 Average

Personal accomplishment 49.0 5.5 Low

Mean Scores for the Dimensions of Job Satisfaction

Job Satisfaction X SD Ranking

Supervision 19.6 4.3 Satisfied

Coworkers 19.9 3.4 Satisfied

Fringe benefits 15.1 4.9 Ambivalence

Communication 17.7 4.9 Satisfied

Operating conditions 14.9 4.2 Ambivalence

Contingent rewards 16.0 4.8 Ambivalence

Nature of work 21.5 2.6 Satisfied

Pay 13.2 5.6 Ambivalence

Promotion 13.2 4.5 Ambivalence

Overall 151.19 28.59 Satisfied

Frequency for the Dimensions of Job Satisfaction

Dimensions Dissatisfied Ambivalent SatisfiedPay 46% 24.2% 29.8%

Promotion 43.8% 34.6% 21.6%

Supervision 9.5% 14.9% 75.6%

Fringe Benefits 29.2% 33.3% 37.5%

Contingent Rewards 23.2% 29.5% 47.3%

Operating Conditions 28.6% 40.6% 30.8%

Coworkers 3.2% 15.2% 81.6%

Nature of work 1.0% 3.4% 95.6%

Communications 17.8% 20.3% 61.9%

Overall 6.7% 36.2% 63.8%

Burnout is prevalent in the area of personal accomplishment

Tangible benefits are reflected as ambivalent in Job Satisfaction

Working conditions are ambivalent as well.

Coaches are working for the love of the game and not necessarily the financial gain but there is some unrest in this area.

Low levels of personal accomplishment show the coaches are not getting a sense of fulfillment

Next Steps?Which dimensions of job satisfaction are related to burnout?

Are any demographic variables related to job satisfaction or burnout?

Are sport managers aware of burnout and the impact of it on athletes and co-workers?

robh@utk.edu

Dr. Robin Hardin

raz@utk.edu

Dr. Rebecca Zakrajsek