Training and Quality of Work Outcomes of High School Officials

Purpose

While there has been much attention attributed to coaching and player development within all areas of sport research, the advocacy of high school referees (officials) has been neglected. Presumably, trained officials overseeing high school sports contests may have different experiences than participating players and coaches such that investigation on their quality of work outcomes are salient to the existence of high school athletics. To that end, the primary purpose of this study was to explore the influences of training on the specific quality of work outcomes of job satisfaction, pay satisfaction, and intentions to leave within high school sports officials. Management literature suggests training is linked to reduced turnover and positive individual outcomes (Gaertner, 1999). Evidence suggests, nationally, there is a shortage of high school officials in all categories of high school sport. Reasons for the shortage of officials have been linked to poor sportsmanship of coaches and athletes (Rainey & Dugan, 1998) and career demands (Seidler, Scott, & Hughes, 2004). To further investigate the shortage of high school officials we explored the effects of training on the individual outcomes under study.

Methods

Data from officials were collected through a web-based survey sent to active officials affiliated with an association of sports officials within a large southern state (n = 1023).

Analysis/Results

Results indicated the level of training had a significant effect on job satisfaction F (1,1016) = 21.17, p < .001, pay satisfaction F (1,1022) = 16.68, p < .001, and turnover intentions F (1,925) = 6.39, p < .05. Further analyses indicated that officials with less training had higher turnover intentions (M = 3.2, SD = 1.6) than officials who participate in continuous training (M = 2.9, SD = 1.6). Additionally, those officials who participated in training programs reported higher job satisfaction (M = 6.4, SD = .6) than officials who had less training (M = 6.2, SD = .6). Conversely, those officials who engaged numerous training hours had lower pay satisfaction (M = 3.1, SD = 1.2) than officials who were involved in less training (M = 3.5, SD = 1.2).

Conclusions

This exploratory study supports the importance of training on sustainability of high school officials, but more importantly provides an initial assessment on the reverse effects of training on pay satisfaction. Potentially, limited number of officials in high school athletics may be due to dissatisfaction with pay in a visibly tense advocacy.