The environmental factors include contractual forces, group
size, and family expectations. If a
member of the group is contractually obliged to compete (for example,
professional footballers who have signed a contract) then of course we should
expect that they participate in all team activities (in the case of the
footballer; training and matches) otherwise there will be consequences (a fine
or deduction of wages). If an individual
is expected to join a group (e.g. parental pressures) then it is likely they
will participate because they want to satisfy significant others and make them
feel proud. However, there could be a
reduction in participation over the long term if that is the individuals only
motives. Group size is also another
important factor which effects an individual’s bond to a team. If a group is too big the individual will
become dissatisfied because they’ll receive less feedback. There is also likely to be less unity because
the larger a group gets the more cliques that form so it becomes harder to get
to know people, and the focus of the group changes. This could affect participation because the
group becomes less socially cohesive and the individual would avoid a situation
where they feel they don’t fit in, and there is a shift of focus from the
actual task.
This leads on to the second antecedent which is personal
factors – e.g. gender, personality and the individuals motives. It’s important that an individual feels like
they’re part of the group and they’re accepted for them to partake. For example, in a P.E. class there are often
one or two people who don’t partake because they don’t share the same interests
as the rest of the group and they view the class as an opportunity to relax
rather than exercise and have fun. This
demonstrates the influence of motives and personality in partaking in group
activities. The group must share a task
goal to be cohesive, and they must have similar personalities or reasons for
being part of the team if they’re to bind to other team members and feel
included in the group.
The third factor is leadership. The leadership style and relationship between
team-leader are all key in determining whether the leader is liked or more
importantly respected. If a leader is
disliked or disrespected what they say will not be considered important and
there will be a lack of focus on the task.
Participation levels are also likely to decrease if relations between
the team and the leader are weak. For
example, students often avoid classes if they don’t like the teacher. The same occurs in sporting situations, where
a team member may not attend training sessions if they don’t get along with the
coach or agree with his coaching style.
Finally, there are group factors – e.g. group norms, roles
within the group, team ability and team stability. If a team is unstable (for example, the coach
keeps changing and players come and go) a member may regularly avoid
participation (e.g. training, games etc.) because there is no sense of
dedication to group and it is normal for the group. It’s also important for the group to have a
mutual understanding of what behaviour is and isn’t acceptable (group norms) as
research shows members apply more effort in a team with strong group norms
(Articlesbase, 2010). Finally, the roles of each individual within the group must
be clear to everyone. This is important
because it gives each individual a sense of responsibility and it’ll bind them
more as a team because they need to work together to achieve their goals. For example, if a football team only has one
goalkeeper he won’t want to let the team
down by not participating in games.
All of these antecedents lead to a highly cohesive group,
and therefore greater member satisfaction.
Satisfaction from the task is going to make the individuals more likely
to compete and increase their work output.
The group will feel unified and they’re likely to feel a sense of
belonging which too will mean their participation levels remain high, because
not only is it a joyful situation but they won’t want to let the team down. In conclusion, group cohesion which is
determined by Carron’s outlined antecedents should ensure participation remains
high.References
Artcilebase.com (2010) Antecedents and Consequences of Cohesion [online] Available from: http://www.articlesbase.com/friendship-articles/antecedents-and-consequences-of-cohesion-2474173.html [Accessed 12th January 2013]
Bibliography
Gill, A. (2012) Cohesion and Development [Presentation] Sport Psychology, HND Sport Coaching, Chesterfield College, December.
Pentin, S. (2013) Group Cohesion [online] Available from: http://sianpentin.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/group-cohesion.html [Accessed 12th January 2013]
Excellent. Just Excellent
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