Week 7 Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is team cohesion?
A dynamic process which is reflected in the tendency for a group to stick together and remain united in the pursuit of its instrumental objectives and/or for the satisfaction of member affect needs.
What are the key characteristics of team cohesion?
Multidimensional - numerous factors cause team to stick together
Dynamic - can change over time
Instrumental - what is the groups purpose
Affective - it feels good to belong
What is conceptualisation of cohesion?
Group integration - how close or united the group is
Individual attraction to the group - personal motivation to join/remain
What is task cohesion?
The degree to which members of a group work together to achieve common goals
What is social cohesion?
The degree to which members of a group like each other and enjoy each other company’s
What is the conceptual model of team cohesion?
Group integration - task orientation and social orientation
Individual attraction - task orientation and social orientation
These four factors are used to measure team cohesion
What is the group environment questionnaire?
Used to measure team cohesion
Combines individual perspectives rather than measures for each factor but it is a reliable and valid measure
Research using GEQ has indicated a significant relationship between levels of cohesion and performance
What are the effects of gender on cohesion?
Gender affects a number of group related relationships
Cohesion-success link was significantly stronger for female teams than male teams
How does the type of sport affect cohesion?
Negative cohesion-success link in bowling
Chelladurai (1981) concluded that cohesion more important for interactive sports
Carrons at el (2002) then established that actually equally important for co active and interactive.
How does competitive level affect cohesion?
Cohesion-success link greater in high school and inter collegiate teams than professional teams
- lack of research in this area though
Correlates of team cohesion - personal factors
Behaviours exhibited by individuals (cricketers) as sacrifice and conformity positively associated with cohesion
Other research shown that behaviours such as absenteeism and lateness negatively associated with team cohesion
Correlates of team cohesion - leadership
Task cohesion linked to coaches leadership behaviours
- training and instruction behaviours
- social support
- positive feedback
- democratic decision making process
Social cohesion linked to training / instruction and social support
Correlates of team cohesion - relationships
CA relationship quality has been found to associate with team cohesion
Correlates of team cohesion - environmental factors
Generally cohesion decreases as groups size increases
Optimum group size suggested to be around 6-8 people
Benefits of cohesion
Cognitive - reduced role ambiguity, lower anxiety
Affective - lower anger/depression, positive emotions associated with the group
Behavioural - increased self determined motivation, reduced social loafing, increased effort
Negatives of cohesion
Competitive state anxiety - don’t want to let team/friends down
Self handicapping (an action or choice which prevents a person from being responsible for failure)
What are the barriers to developing team cohesion?
Clash of personalities in group Conflicts of task or social roles among members Breakdown of communication Members struggling for power Frequent turnover of group members Disagreement on group goals
How to overcome barriers to cohesion?
Get to know members
Help members wherever possible
Give members reinforcement
Take responsibility (don’t blame others)
Communicate openly and honestly
Resolve conflicts immediately
Give 100% effort at all times - set good example
What are team building approaches typically designed to improve?
Goal setting Role clarity Interpersonal relationships Leadership Problem solving
What should future research in the area of cohesion focus on?
Need to start explaining links between cohesion and performance
Conduct research with different samples
Develop and evaluate interventions
