group cohesion Flashcards
what is group cohesion?
The extent to which a group stays together and united to pursuit of common goals and objectives
- Teams lacking cohesion fail to perform to their potential and become divisive
- Task and social cohesion can be independent of each other
what are the two components of group cohesion?
- task cohesion
- social cohesion
what is task cohesion?
- How committed are the team members to achieving their predetermined common performance goal
- Very important for teams in interactive sports where cooperation is essential
what is social cohesion?
- The degree to which team members like each other and enjoy being together
- Reflects friendship within the group
what are the 3 methods of measuring group cohesion?
- questionnaires
- sociograms
- observation
what are questionnaires/self-reports?
- Given to team members
- Used to determine the level of cohesion within the team and problem areas can be addressed
what are sociograms?
- Diagram which shows the inter-relationship between individuals in a team
what can sociograms determine?
- Potential leaders within the group
- Players who should not be considered for leadership roles
- Friendship groups that extend beyond the game e.g. off-field socialization
- Player cliques that can be divisive
- Attraction / rejection between players
- Isolated players who may need extra support
- Potential conflicts within the player group
what is observation?
- Coach can use a checklist to observe how players in the group relate to each other, who they mix with, who they avoid and who they interact with
- Not valid method as it is dependent on players displaying their normal behaviour rather than what they consider the coach wants to see
what are the 4 factors of Caron’s model which affect group cohesion?
- Environmental factors
- Personal factors
- Leadership factors
- Team factors
what are environmental factors affecting group cohesion?
= Normative forces that bring a team together
- Contracts
- salary caps
- Geographical location
- Age
- Eligibility
- Group size
- Organisation orientation
what are personal factors affecting group cohesion?
= Individual characters/ demographic attributes of team members such as motives for participation
- Task motive = desire to contribute to achievement of team goals
- Affiliation motivation = associated with social cohesion and a desire to be a part of a group and develop relationships
- Self-motivation = attempt to obtain personal satisfaction through improving personal performance
what are leadership factors affecting group cohesion?
= Refers to the leadership style used by the coach and captain and the relationships developed
- Ensure the most appropriate style of leadership to meet the needs and expectations of the group is used
what are team factors affecting group cohesion?
= The collective identity, goals, and standards of the team
- Team stability = maintaining the same playing group over time increases cohesion
what are the benefits of group cohesion?
- More likely to be successful
- Satisfied members
- Communication is more effective
- Higher motivation
- Increased feeling of the group as a whole
- Players work together to achieve team goals ahead of personal goals
- Players support and encourage one another and enjoy each other’s success
