Match or Mismatch? The Influence of Athletes’ Leadership Style Preferences on Perceived Coaching Effectiveness in Sports

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.