Date of Award

1998

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science Honours

Faculty

Faculty of Communications, Health and Science

First Supervisor

Dr Elithabeth Rose

Abstract

Team cohesion repeatedly has been emphasised as important in the development of performance success. This research examined the importance of team cohesion as a multidimensional construct through three inter-related studies with elite netball players. The first study examined differences between successful and unsuccessful teams on (a) overall team cohesion. (b) overall task cohesion including attraction to group-task (ATG-T) and group integration-task (GI-T) components, and (c) social cohesion including attraction to group-social (ATG-S ), and group integration-social (GI-S) components. The second study examined the multidimensional nature of cohesion in relation to player satisfaction. Finally, study investigated the relationship between pcrfom1ancc outcome and player satisfaction. Seventy-two elite netball players from divisions one and two of the Western Australian 'Quit' State Netball League were selected from six teams. Three of these teams were categorised “successful"' and three were categorised as ''Unsuccessful". Both groups provided mid-season data on overall, task, and social cohesion by responding to the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) (Widmeyer, Brawley, & Carron, 1986) and a single-item questionnaire on player satisfaction. In the first study, independent samples t-test reveals no significant difference between successful and unsuccessful teams on overall team cohesion. Furthermore, 2 x 4 (Performance x Cohesion) MANOVAs and ANOVAs find that successful teams do not differ from unsuccessful teams in overall social cohesion or ATG-S and GI-S components. However, this study reveals that successful teams significantly differ from unsuccessful teams in overall task cohesion and ATG-T and GI-T components. In the second study, Pearson product moment correlation finds no significant relationship between player satisfaction and overall team cohesion. Furthermore, no significant relationship is found between player satisfaction and overall social cohesion. However, a significant relationship between overall task cohesion and player satisfaction is found. Further examination of the task dimensions reveals a significant relationship between the ATG-T component and player satisfaction. However, this is not found for the GI-T component. Study three, reveals a significant relationship between player satisfaction and performance outcome. The findings of this research demonstrate the importance of examining team cohesion as a multidimensional, rather than as a unitary construct .Whilst successful teams did not differ from unsuccessful teams on overall team cohesion and social cohesion, it was clear that successful teams were higher on task cohesion. In addition, this study demonstrated that player satisfaction was clearly related to task rather than social, or overall cohesion. Finally, the findings support previous research in demonstrating that player satisfaction is strongly linked to performance outcome. These findings have practical implications for sports scientists and netball coaches alike. Elite netball coaches need to address these findings so appropriate programs may be developed to enhance player satisfaction and effective levels of cohesion for the future success of their teams.

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