Cohesion Flashcards
Group cohesion
Group cohesion is a term used to describe the extent to which a group stays together and united in the pursuit of common goals and objectives.
Group cohesion parts
Task cohesion
How committed are the team members to achieving their predetermined common performance goal.
Social cohesion
The degree to which team members like each other and enjoy being together. Reflects friendship within the group.
these can be independent of each other.
e.g. bulls werent friends but still won 6 chips
A team in a social competition may have little task cohesion but can still have high social cohesion if they enjoy the company of their teammates regardless of the game outcome
strategies to improve group cohesion
Use of leadership
communication
goal setting
team building
roles and expectations
use of leadership
Leadership groups are commonly used to give the playing group a greater sense of power
The leadership group is typically established during the forming stage of team development and MUST include clearly defined roles for each of its members
Develops both social and task cohesion
communication
Communicating clearly and regularly so all members understand their roles and responsibilities
Having clear and understood expectations/norms
Making clear what everyone must do for the team to achieve its goals
Be fair and consistent in dealing with the player group
Maintain honest and open communication
Resolve conflicts quickly
Develops both social and task cohesion
goal setting
Set challenging but realistic goals for the team as a whole and for individual players and make players are involved in this process
Make clear what everyone must do for the team to achieve its goals
Goals can be set within subunits e.g. def/off
helps develop pride and keep players accountable
Prioritise team goals over individual goals
Typically used to develop task cohesion
team building
Team building helps to develop social cohesion by encouraging social interaction away from the sport
e.g. paintballing and BBQs.
Specific team-building activities such as pre-season camps are often integrated into seasons to allow teams to build stronger bonds
Typically used to develop social cohesion
roles and expectations
Every team has their own group roles and group norms, which influence the behaviour of its members as individuals and collectively.
Group roles
are the shared expectations of how an individual should behave in a certain position. These positions all have set expectations and responsibilities, and anyone not performing their role can affect the productivity and cohesion of the team.
Formal roles
usually improve task cohesion
The leadership group
Selection Group
Coach
Medical staff
Fitness coordinator
informal roles
usually improves social cohesion
Social organiser
End-of-season tour organiser
Fines master / Judge
Norms
group norms
are shared expectations of how group members should behave.
formal norms
usually to improve task cohesion
Arriving at the ground in team uniform and standing as a team.
in warm up everyone participates in activities.
All players are required to be at the ground 1 hour before the game.
informal norms
usually to improve social cohesion
Not official rules but a set of expectations developed by a leadership group aimed at introducing new players to the team and its culture
e.g. The newest member of the team is responsible for bringing a bag of ice to the game each week
A player who drops a catch puts $5.00 into the team end of season wind up fund
benefits of cohesion
Communication and motivation within the group are extensive.
There is an increased feeling of the group rather than as individuals.
Players work together to achieve team goals ahead of personal goals.
Players enjoy each other’s success
A group with a high cohesiveness is much more successful in achieving their goal.
The members in cohesive groups are much more satisfied with that group and are willing to stay in the group longer when things are not going well
barriers to cohesion
Personality clashes between members
Unclear or conflicting roles among group members
Frequent changes to the group
Disagreement on group objectives
Lack of communication
A power struggle between players.
factors affecting group cohesion
social loafing
leadership
team dynamics
social loafing
Social loafing is the tendency of individuals to lessen their effort when they are part of a group.
Social loafing occurs under the following conditions
A belief that their efforts won’t make a difference
Larger group sizes
The task is seen as meaningless
Individuals feel like their input is not essential to achieving the goal
The individual is competing against a perceived weaker opponent
players who are social loafing may display
Decreased effort at training
Arrives late or leaves early to/from training
Misses training
Decreased form
Expect teammates to cover their mistakes
Does not help with equipment pack up or down
how is social loafing minimised
Write a team contract that includes
Group expectations
Individual responsibilities
Forms of communication
Methods of discipline
Consequence of breaching team rules
Develop rules of conduct
Establish rules of expected behaviour that will help the team achieve goals and objectives.
Create appropriate group sizes
Assigning too many members to an easy task encourages loafing.
Evaluate all members of a group individually
Members will be more productive if they know that their individual contributions will be evaluated
Provide regular feedback to each individual player
Make a roster to ensure all players assist with setting up and putting away equipment
Set challenging individual and team goals for each training session
Make individuals accountable for effort by publishing stats for the team.
leadership
Refers to the leadership style the coach and the captain used and how this affects the group cohesion.
Good leadership is key to developing a socially and task-cohesive team.
Ensure the most appropriate leadership style is used for the environment they are working in
Authoritarian
Democratic
casual
Good leaders will set;
Team goals
Individual roles
Team rules
Standards of behaviour
