Structure And Measurement And Effect Mechanism Of Organizational Stressors Of Chinese Elite Athletes

Organizational stress is an ongoing transaction between an individual and the environmental demands, individual will be stressful by various stimulating factors, which are called organizational stressors. Organizational stressors are the environmental demands, which are from leadership, culture, team, logistics and operation, interpersonal relationship and sports career and so on. Because of the inherent competitiveness and challenge of sports, athletes are under stress in the long time inevitably. Stress will cause much negative impact on individual, such as anxiety, attacking behaviour, which will affect their performance and well-being. When the athletes fail to cope with the environmental demands of competition within their abilities and resources, they probably become burnout or drop out from the sports event. In present, organizational stress has become an important research area, more and more researchers focus on this problem.This paper carried out the evidenced research on organizational stressors of Chinese athletes. Firstly, it focused on conceptual and operational issues relating to organizational stressor in competitive sport. Secondly, it investigated current situation of organizational stressors and athlete burnout of Chinese athletes. And then the paper constructed a theoretical model by putting organizational stressors as independent variables, social support and mental toughness as moderated variables, athlete burnout as outcome variable, and explored the mechanism between organizational stressors and athlete burnout.Lastly, this paper put forward some corresponding coping strategies and suggestions toward organizational stressors. The conclusions of this paper can be included:1.The OSI-SP has good reliability and validity up to psychometrics standards, including coaching stressor, selection stressor, goals and development stressor, team and culture stressor,logistics and operation stressor, the five-factor model can be used to assess organizational stressor of Chinese athletes.2. The level of organizational stressors of Chinese athletes is at a moderate to inferior. The order of stressors'score is goals and development, coaching, selection, team and culture, logistics and operation. Male athletes have more logistics and operation stressors than female athletes. The athletes under 16 years old have more logistics and operation stressors, team and culture stressor; physical and skill athletes have more coaching stressors than others, but they have less selection stressors. Athletes who are the second skill level have more team and culture stressors than others.3. The level of athlete burnout of Chinese athletes is at a moderate to inferior. The order of burnout'score is emotion/physical exhaustion, reduced personal accomplishment and sport devaluation. Male athletes experience more sport devaluation than female athletes. The athletes over 21 years old experience less reduced personal accomplishment than under 20 years old athletes. Skill athletes experience more reduced personal accomplishment and sport devaluation. Athletes who are first and second skill level experience burnout than others.4. The result shows that each dimensions of social support (emotional, information, esteem and tangible support) can negatively predict athlete burnout. Emotional support has regulatory effect on the relationship between goals and development, logistics and operation, selection stressor and burnout, which means emotional support can buffer the negative effect of three stressors on burnout; Information support and esteem support has regulatory effect on the relationship between goals and development stressor and burnout, it means information support and esteem support can buffer the negative effect of goals and development stressor on burnout; Tangible support has regulatory effect on the relationship between goals and development stressor, logistics and operation stressors and burnout, which means tangible support can buffer the negative effect of two stressors on burnout;5. The result shows that each dimensions of mental toughness (control, confidence and constancy) can negatively predict athlete burnout. Constancy has regulatory effect on the relationship between goals and development stressor, team and culture stressor and burnout, which means constancy can buffer the negative effect of the two stressors on burnout; Confidence has regulatory effect on the relationship between goals and development stressor, logistics and operation stressor, team and culture stressor and burnout, which means confidence can buffer the negative effect of the three stressors on burnout; Control has regulatory effect on the relationship between goals and development stressor, selection stressor, which means confidence can buffer the negative effect of the two stressors on burnout.6. According to the results of the research, the paper put forward some corresponding coping strategies and suggestions to manage organizational stressors and come up with some ways to enhance social support and cultivate athlete's mental toughness.