Perceived leadership qualities as hiring criteria for athletic trainers at NCAA institutions in the southeast region of the United States

In sport organizations, those in authority such as athletic directors and athletic trainers should possess concrete leadership styles in order to maintain effectiveness of the organization (Kickul & Newman, 2000). Hiring employees that possess similar or compatible leadership attributes to the employer will help produce a positive, productive workplace. The purpose of this study was to evaluate hiring criteria characteristics in assistant athletic trainers at NCAA institutions in the Southeast Athletic Trainers' Association and to assess leadership qualities as main determinants for hiring. The 138 head athletic trainers at Divisions I, II, and III NCAA institutions that make up the Southeast Athletic Trainers' Association were surveyed. The study concluded that Personal Characteristics/Leadership Attributes are ranked as most important among a variety of hiring criteria for assistant athletic trainers. There was a significant difference between assessing Work-Related Attributes at Division I institutions compared to Division III institutions. The division of neither the institution nor the annual salary range for assistant athletic trainers at a particular school affected the assessment of Personal Characteristics as most important of all hiring criteria.