How Do Serbian Gymnastics Coaches Make Decisions?

Abstract

Different authors argue that coaching is fundamentally a decision-making (hereinafter: DM) process, while coaches’ DM has been identified as a key element of a coach’s practice. In the present study, we examined the DM behavior of Serbian gymnastics coaches. The sample consisted of 53 coaches (age: 40.96±13.04 years). Manifested DM behavior was measured during the national coaching seminar using the General DM Style Inventory, which includes five DM styles defined as rational, intuitive, dependent, spontaneous and avoidant DM. Factor analyses were performed to reveal the DM styles’ structure. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to identify the association between DM styles, demographic and professional characteristics, and ANOVA was used to detect differences between more experienced and less experienced coaches. The results showed that coaches use a combination of all five DM styles when making decisions, but mostly use rational and dependent DM styles. Based on the discovered average structure of the DM styles, we can conclude that Serbian gymnastics coaches are mostly rational decision-makers who increase their rationality by seeking advice, opinions, and knowledge from colleagues when making decisions. Furthermore, more experienced coaches can make decisions more independently and also faster when the situation is urgent or time-limited.