Week 8

Question 1

What is the difference between Groups and Teams?

Answer 1

A Group is two or more people who interact with, and exert mutual influence on, each other.
A Team has a structured mode of communication and everyone in a team has distinctive roles.

Question 2

What is the Conceptual Framework of Group Effectiveness?

Answer 2

• (Steiner, 1972)
• Actual productivity = Potential Productivity (a team’s best possible performance) - Group Process Losses (Faulty group processes resulting in not succeeding as a group such as motivation, coordination or communication losses)

Question 3

What is The Ringelmann Effect?

Answer 3

As the size of a group increases, the individual productivity decreases.

Question 4

What is Social Loafing?

Answer 4

Individuals in a group or team put forth less than 100% effort because of losses in motivation.

Question 5

What is The Linear Perspective?

Answer 5

• (Tuckman & Jenkins, 1977)
• When groups are formed they go through 5 stages:
• Forming (medium effectiveness)
• Storming (Low effectiveness)
• Norming (medium effectiveness)
• Performing (peak effectiveness)
• Adjourning (high effectiveness)

Question 6

Define Team Cohesion

Answer 6

“A dynamic process reflected in the tendency for a group to stick together and remain united in the pursuit of its instrumental objectives and/or the satisfaction of member affective needs” - (Carron, Brawley, & Widmeyer, 1988, p.213)

Question 7

What is Task Cohesion?

Answer 7

The degree to which members of a group work together to achieve common goals e.g. winning the championship.

Question 8

What is the Social Cohesion?

Answer 8

The degree to which members of a group like each other and enjoy one another’s company e.g. Interpersonal attraction.

Question 9

What is Hackman’s (1990) three-dimensional model of group performance?

Answer 9

• Task Performance: the degree to which the group output meets the standards of quantity, quality, and timeliness.
• System Viability: the degree to which the members could work together interdependently in the future
• Professional Growth: the degree to which the members personal well-being develop

Question 10

What can be used to measure Cohesion?

Answer 10

• Sport Cohesiveness Questionnaire (Martens, Landers, & Loy, 1972)
• 7 Items measuring interpersonal attraction or direct ratings of closeness or attraction to the group.
• Criticism: a) no validity/reliability measures established; b) most items addressed only social cohesion.

OR

• Group Environment Questionnaire (Widmeyer, Brawley, and Carron, 1995)
• Distinguishes between the individual and the group and also between task and social cohesion; based on theory related to group processes; systematically developed to guarantee reliability/validity.

Question 11

What are the 6 components of creating an effective team climate?

Answer 11

• Social Support: support provided between at least two individuals with the intention to enhance the individual’s well-being.
• Proximity: people are more likely to bond when they are near each other
• Distinctiveness: when a group feels distinct, different or unique this brings with it feelings of unity and oneness - kit colours or mottos.
• Fairness: trust is important and at the core of trust is the athletes’ perceptions that they are being treated fairly
• Similarity: any similarities among team members will benefit the team climate including attitudes, aspirations and goals, personalities
• Task interdependence: all group members benefit or suffer from the group’s performance

Question 12

What are Formal and Informal roles?

Answer 12

Formal roles: coach or captain (individuals are trained or recruited to fill specific roles)

Informal roles: enforcer or comedian (evolve from group interactions)

Question 13

Define Leadership?

Answer 13

“The behavioural process of influencing individuals and groups toward set goals” (Barrow, 1977, p.232)

Question 14

What is the difference between a leader and a manager?

Answer 14

A manager takes care of things such as scheduling, budgeting, and organising, whereas a leader is more concerned with the direction of an organisation, including its goals and objectives.

Question 15

What does the Trait approach and Behavioural approach suggest?

Answer 15

The Trait Approach suggest that individuals with certain trait personalities, such as intelligence, assertiveness, independence or self-confidence, were more likely to be leaders.

Whereas the Behavioural Approach suggests that anyone can become a leader by simply learning the behaviours of other effective leaders.