| Path-goal leadership theory provides an analytical framework which enables the exploration of the leader-subordinate relationship and those situational factors which might effect that relationship. This framework was utilized to examine the relationship between men's athletic directors in the Ohio Athletic Conference and the North Coast Athletic Conference and the coaches of football, basketball, baseball, and track within their respective departments.;Leadership style is defined in two dimensions, initiation of structure and consideration, and was measured by the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire - Form XII. Subordinate satisfaction with work, supervision, and the job in general was measured by the Job Descriptive Index. Based upon the prior research, this relationship was studied as moderated by three separate factors, the complexity of the task (based upon the sport coached), the experience of the coach, and the past success (won/loss record) of the coach.;Responses were received from 49 of the 51 coaches to whom the instruments were administered. Moderated regression analyses were performed to determine the moderating effect of the suggested situational variables.;Significant results were obtained in eight of the 18 suggested hypotheses. Task complexity positively moderated the relationship between both leadership dimensions and subordinate satisfaction with supervision. As predicted by the path-goal framework, experience had a negative moderating effect on the relationship of initiation of structure and satisfaction with work and a positive effect on the relationship of consideration and satisfaction with work. Contrary to the predicted relationship, experience had a negative moderating effect on the relationship of consideration and satisfaction with supervision. Success positively moderated the relationship of initiation of structure and all measures of satisfaction. |
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