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Keywords

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Abstract

Context: Athletic trainers (ATs) face conflict within the social ecosystem of the organizations in which they practice and arises due to incompatibility of goals and interests. Within athletic departments, the ATs’ role to advocate for health and safety often comes at odds with an organizational culture directed towards maximizing performance and winning. ATs are often evaluated by dominant and powerful members of organizations who may not understand or respect the AT’s role. The purpose of this study was to examine the experience of managing conflict as an AT within the culture of athletics. Methods: This qualitative study explored experiences of conflict management through the perspectives of AT managers. AT managers hold positions which allow them to observe and facilitate conflict management in a variety of settings and with a range of personalities. An interview guide was developed based on conflict management and leadership literature and reviewed by an expert in organizational leadership. Eleven AT managers (7 males, 4 females; years certified=17.9±8.2; years as manager=7±4.9) participated in two 1-hour videoconference interviews, which were recorded then transcribed via an online transcription platform. For this study, the ATs’ worksites (i.e., high school, college, recreational) were considered, not the healthcare organizations which employed the ATs. Member checks were performed to confirm accuracy, ensure clarity and intention, and offer the opportunity to provide additional information. Transcripts were analyzed through an inductive process, including descriptive, values, and versus coding strategies. Codes were clustered and thematized through a phenomenologically informed process. Results: Managers identified that the goals of conflict management were to ensure athlete safety and reach mutual understanding. Three organizational factors acted as barriers or facilitators, ultimately influencing the work environment: 1) contextual factors, 2) conflict culture, and 3) health and safety culture. Contextual factors increased the perceived stakes of ATs’ decisions to remove athletes from play and led to emotionally charged conflicts. Decisions involving important games (i.e., playoffs), star players, implications on college recruitment, and schools with a history of athletic success were more likely to be met with emotional conflict. The college setting was considered more challenging for ATs than high school and recreational sports, involving more politics, higher perceived stakes, and higher stress. Conflict culture, the extent to which conflict and norms promoting productive conflict is accepted, complicated ATs’ ability to manage conflict. Politics led to power dynamics, which favored the opinions of coaches and administrators over ATs. Some organizations accepted antagonistic and aggressive behaviors from coaches and administrators while expecting unwavering professionalism from ATs. ATs who were able to identify and navigate politics were considered better able to manage conflict. Health and safety culture, the extent to which health and safety is valued within an organization, was marked by the knowledge of—and respect for—the AT’s role. Policies and procedures as well as support from administrators which granted ATs medical decision-making authority prevented and mitigated conflict. Excessive negative elements of conflict culture, health and safety culture, and contextual factors led to a negative work environment, marked by a lack of respect for the AT and pressure to clear athletes prematurely. Managers observed higher AT turnover in organizations with negative environments. Conclusions: ATs’ ability to effectively manage conflict and ensure athlete safety is influenced by the organizational culture in which they practice. Conflict culture, health and safety culture, and contextual factors influenced ATs’ experience with conflict management. Negative elements of culture were related to poor work environments and increased AT turnover. ATs should be aware of organizational factors which influence conflict and employ strategies to effectively navigate these factors to improve their workplace experience and maintain athlete safety.

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