SPILLOVER EFFECTS OF SPORT PARTICIPATION PROGRAMS ON EMPLOYEES’ PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL CHANGES IN THE WORKPLACE

Abstract

Drawing on social exchange theory and the notion of behavioral spillover, this dissertation provides empirical evidence that organizational support for employees’ participation in organized sport participation programs can engender employees’ psychological and behavioral changes in the workplace. Based on a mixed-method approach using multimethod (qualitative and quantitative) data, findings showed that employees’ attitudes toward organized sport participation programs, which capture the degree to which employees value such programs, strengthen employees’ social abilities, workplace cooperativeness, and affective organizational commitment. Additionally, results indicated that opportunities for organized sport participation programs should be fairly distributed to all employees, and the level of competitiveness in sport should be well controlled; employees wanted organized sport participation programs to entail a balance between functioning as a social activity and competitive sport. Findings are expected to motivate practitioners to consider adopting organized sport participation programs to create a workplace of cooperative and affectively committed team members. This study contributes to the literature by empirically examining social exchange theory in the context of organized sport participation programs. As suggested, employees are likely to reciprocate the benefits of organized sport participation programs through increased affective organizational commitment. In addition, findings on the positive association of organized sport participation programs with employees’ social abilities and workplace cooperativeness provide a foundation for future researchers to confidently propose sport as an avenue to individual, organizational, and social development.