The Hidden Players: An Egocentric-Network Analysis of Work–Life Balance Among College Athletics Employees

Many employees are reevaluating the role of work in their lives and placing greater emphasis on social activities (e.g., family and leisure time). Simultaneously, the college sport world has witnessed a mass exodus, with many employees leaving to work in other realms. As such, college athletic departments that are struggling to recruit and maintain talented employees would be wise to consider their approach to work–life balance (WLB). Scholars specializing in WLB have begun to emphasize its social nature; WLB is not achieved in isolation but through a process of shared, mutually negotiated role responsibilities. In college sport, however, little is known about employees’ social structures (i.e., their social networks) and how the characteristics of such structures contribute to (or inhibit) WLB. To this end, we leveraged hierarchical linear modeling to conduct an egocentric-network analysis of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college sport employees. Our results highlight the dramatic role of others (i.e., “hidden players”), namely, family members and close friends, in helping college sport employees achieve WLB.