Autonomy as a social mechanism linking family-supportive organizational perceptions and work-nonwork balance in sport

Employees continually navigate competing work and family demands when structuring their daily activities. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, this study introduces the concept of family autonomy and examines how work and family autonomy function as mediating mechanisms linking family supportive organizational perceptions to employee outcomes in the sport industry. Data were collected from 510 full-time college sport employees and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Measures included work autonomy, family autonomy, global work–nonwork balance, and person–organization fit. Results indicate family supportive organizational perceptions are positively related to global balance through both work and family autonomy. In contrast, the relationship with person–organization fit is mediated by work autonomy but not family autonomy. These findings highlight the central role of work autonomy across outcomes, while family autonomy appears particularly salient for understanding global work–nonwork balance. The results extend Self-Determination Theory by identifying autonomy-based mechanisms through which supportive organizational environments influence employee experiences. Practically, the findings underscore the importance of fostering autonomy-enhancing practices to support employee well-being, alignment, and retention. This study introduces family autonomy as a novel construct and represents one of the first quantitative examinations within sport of how family-supportive perceptions shape employee outcomes.