Research literature suggested that gender difference might affect individuals’ perceptions toward sport competitiveness (Gill, 1988), social-recreational events (Caldwell & Andereck, 1994), and the inventive systems of voluntary associations (Knoke, 1988). However, limited attention has been given to examine perceptual differences between males and females with or without teaching duties toward important membership incentives induced by the coaches’ associations.
Are female coaches motivated to be members in their respective associations differently compared to their male counterparts? Do the coaches who carry teaching duties differ from those who have no teaching duties regarding their motives to engage in the associational activities? The study was designed to determine whether gender difference and teaching duty would be important factors to affect head coaches’ decisions of participation in their professional associations.
A national survey was conducted among the head coaches who were active members from 13 national coaches’ associations (e.g., National Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, Intercollegiate Tennis Association). The 14-item and 5-point Likert Membership Incentive Scale (MIS) was used as the instrument to test differences containing four (Utilitarian, Solidary, Purposive, Informative) incentive factors. A package was mailed to 480 randomly selected participants including MIS, demographic information sheet, return-addressed envelope and the informed consent form. The voluntary participants (N=247; males = 188, females = 59, with teaching = 111, without teaching = 136) completed and returned the survey.
A 2 x 2 (gender x teaching duty) independent groups factorial MANOVA, followed by univariate F tests in SPSS (10.0), were utilized to explore difference. No interaction between two independent variables and no significant differences were found for the groups with or without teaching duties. A significant (p < .01) perceptual difference toward membership incentives was found in the mean vector of gender. The univariate F test further supported the significant (F = 7.60, p < .01) mean difference only on the factor of Utilitarian Incentives. The females (M = 2.69) perceived material (utilitarian) incentives more important than their male colleagues (M = 2.26) did.
The result indicated that the perceptual differences of coaches toward membership incentives should not be overlooked. The organizers of associations may reconstruct their marketing strategy based on the variations of members’ preferences and gender-role orientations. The study recommended that tangible rewards are also essential to an incentive system and multi-dimensional inducements would assist recruitment and retention of members for our coaches’ associations.