The Effects of Group Size in Sport

1990 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Neil Widmeyer ◽  
Lawrence R. Brawley ◽  
Albert V. Carron

Although group size has been one of the most frequently examined small-group variables, it has rarely been studied in sport. In Study 1 the effects of number of team members on cohesion and performance were examined. Teams of 3, 6, and 9 members participated in a 3-on-3 basketball league. Discriminant function analyses indicated that team size was related to pre-and postseason task cohesion and postseason social cohesion. Study 2 determined effects of action-unit size (number from one team on the field of action) on enjoyment and cohesion. Relationships between these outcomes and five more immediate outcomes were also investigated. As predicted, enjoyment and cohesion decreased as size increased. This decrease was also observed for the more immediate outcomes of exercise/fatigue, influence/responsibility, and organization/strategy whereas feelings of crowding increased with size. The best predictor of enjoyment was exercise/fatigue in smaller units and reduced influence/responsibility in large units. Organization/strategy was the best predictor of cohesion for all action-unit sizes.

Author(s):  
Serghei Musaji ◽  
Julio De Castro

Despite the continuous interest in studying entrepreneurial teams, the relationship between team composition and, particularly, team diversity and performance remains fertile ground for active debate. Taking roots in the knowledge-based view and organizational learning literatures, this chapter argues that performance in entrepreneurial teams is contingent on (a) the overlap between team members’ knowledge/competences and the content of the performed tasks, (b) the duplication of the team members’ knowledge in the areas with that content, (c) the nature of tasks (exploration or exploitation), (d) the team’s flexibility to adapt to changes in the content and nature of those tasks, and (e) the rate of environmental change. Because an important source of ambiguity in the understanding of how team diversity and performance are linked ties to issues of how team diversity is conceptualized and operationalized, the chapter also proposes a new way of looking at diversity in future research.


2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wim van Breukelen ◽  
Wendy Wesselius

Differential treatment by coaches of amateur sports teams: right or wrong? Differential treatment by coaches of amateur sports teams: right or wrong? J.W.M. van Breukelen & W. Wesselius, Gedrag & Organisatie, volume 20, November 2007, nr. 4, pp. 427-444 A central assumption in the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory is that leaders do not adopt a single style towards all members of their work unit, but treat the various team members differently. This may result in different kinds of working relationships between the leader and the various members ranging from formal to intense. The effects of these different LMX relationships are visible in important outcome variables such as job satisfaction and performance. Not only in working organizations but also in the context of sports differential treatment by the coach seems a relevant topic. In this article we describe the results of a field study among the players (N = 218) of 21 amateur sports teams. Firstly, we investigated on which aspects the coaches of these teams differentiated between the various team members and how these incidents of differential treatment were experienced by the players in terms of justice and fairness. In addition, we analyzed whether the frequency and evaluation of differential treatment was related to the players' enthusiasm and to team atmosphere and team performance. Social differentiation was appreciated less than task differentiation. Especially task differentiation proved to be important for team performance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-65
Author(s):  

It is the position of American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) that all inpatient interdisciplinary teams include a diabetes educator to lead or support improvement efforts that affect patients hospitalized with diabetes or hyperglycemia. This not only encompasses patient and family education but education of interdisciplinary team members and achievement of diabetes-related organizational quality metrics and performance outcomes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 715-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiamin Zhang ◽  
Yi Wang ◽  
Marina Yue Zhang

ABSTRACTThis article investigates the impact of cross-level interplay between team members’ and their leaders’ goal orientations (learning, performance approach, and performance avoidance) on knowledge sharing using samples from design teams in two companies in China. Our results show that team leaders’ learning goal orientation plays a critical moderating role. Specifically, team leaders’ learning goal orientation strengthens the positive relationship between team members’ learning orientation and knowledge sharing; positively moderates the relationship between team members’ performance approach orientation and knowledge sharing; and weakens the negative relationship between team members’ performance avoidance orientation and knowledge sharing. Team leaders’ performance approach orientation demonstrates a positive moderating effect when there is congruence between the performance approach orientation of leaders and members. Finally, team leaders’ performance avoidance orientation negatively moderates the relationship between team members’ learning and performance approach orientation on knowledge sharing. This research enhances our understanding of the conditions under which knowledge sharing occurs among team members, using the lens of Trait Activation Theory.


1996 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 452-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Vandenberghe ◽  
N. Gillis ◽  
M. Van Leemputte ◽  
P. Van Hecke ◽  
F. Vanstapel ◽  
...  

This study aimed to compare the effects of oral creatine (Cr) supplementation with creatine supplementation in combination with caffeine (Cr+C) on muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) level and performance in healthy male volunteers (n = 9). Before and after 6 days of placebo, Cr (0.5 g x kg-1 x day-1), or Cr (0.5 g x kg-1 x day-1) + C (5 mg x kg-1 x day-1) supplementation, 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the gastrocnemius muscle and a maximal intermittent exercise fatigue test of the knee extensors on an isokinetic dynamometer were performed. The exercise consisted of three consecutive maximal isometric contractions and three interval series of 90, 80, and 50 maximal voluntary contractions performed with a rest interval of 2 min between the series. Muscle ATP concentration remained constant over the three experimental conditions. Cr and Cr+C increased (P < 0.05) muscle PCr concentration by 4-6%. Dynamic torque production, however, was increased by 10-23% (P < 0.05) by Cr but was not changed by Cr+C. Torque improvement during Cr was most prominent immediately after the 2-min rest between the exercise bouts. The data show that Cr supplementation elevates muscle PCr concentration and markedly improves performance during intense intermittent exercise. This ergogenic effect, however, is completely eliminated by caffeine intake.


Complexity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Giannoccaro ◽  
Giovanni F. Massari ◽  
Giuseppe Carbone

How are teams able to cope with environmental threats? Why are some teams better than others in facing this challenge? This paper addresses these questions by investigating two drivers of team resilience: the team size and the density of social interactions among team members. We adopt a complex system approach and employ a model of team decision-making where collective dynamics of team members are governed by a continuous-time Markov process. The model simulates team performance in complex and turbulent environments. It is used to measure the resilient ability of team to quickly adapt to disturbance and secure a new more desirable condition. Scenarios characterized by increasing levels of complexity and turbulence are simulated, and the resilience performance is calculated and compared. Results show that the team size negatively affects the team resilience, whilst the density of social interactions plays a positive influence, especially at a high level of complexity. We also find that both the magnitude and the frequency of disturbance moderate the relationship between team size/density and the team resilience.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Bashokuh-E-Ajirloo ◽  
Bahman Khodapanah ◽  
Mehdi Alizadeh ◽  
Mehdi Ebrahimzadeh

PurposeThe main objective of this study is to explain the relationship between members' cultural values on structure and performance of the entrepreneurial teams that located in Tehran.Design/methodology/approachData used in this study are collected by a questionnaire distributed among managers and other executive members of SMEs located in Tehran. One hundred and thirty-nine participants completed the questionnaires, and their responses were analyzed using partial least squares technique. Measures showed good convergent and discriminant validity. Furthermore, Cronbach's alpha, as reliability indicator for all measures, is at the acceptable level.FindingsResearch finding shows that all hypothesis supported in Iran contex. Entrepreneurial team members' cultural values have positive and significant effect on the entrepreneurial team structure. Entrepreneurial team members' cultural values have significant effect on the entrepreneurial team performance and also, the structure of the entrepreneurial team has a positive and significant effect on the entrepreneurial team performance.Originality/valueThese studies mostly focused on technical dimensions of entrepreneurial teams and overlooked the cultural values of their members.


1994 ◽  
Vol 31 (03) ◽  
pp. 231-237
Author(s):  
Malcolm S. Child ◽  
L. Alberto Cangahuala

This paper reports on the history of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's entry in the 2nd International Human-Powered Submarine Race. The design of this entry was an evolution of the MIT design (named Icarus) from the first competition, held in 1989. Anticipating an increase in competitive entries, the new MIT entry (hereafter referred to as Sea Beaver) was designed to be more reliable and faster than Icarus. Sea Beaver was designed with a maximum diameter four inches smaller than Icarus. This change in cross section forced a change from a rotary to linear pedaling mechanism. The linear pedal motion was transferred to the drive shaft through an innovative arrangement of pulleys and one-way hub bearings. This arrangement allowed the pedals to remain independent from one another, opening up the possibility to experiment with different pedaling cadences. The propeller was designed for efficiency and to minimize the possibility of entanglement with lines along the course. The steering system was arranged to take up the least volume inside the hull as possible. In addition to taking advantage of experience gained in the design of Icarus, the MIT team also made significant advances in construction techniques. The hull, propellers, and nose cones were all fabricated from molds built by team members. Compared with the Icarus construction history, Sea Beaver was completed in less time, at less cost, with more spare parts available during the competition. For the design and construction of the propulsion system, the Sea Beaver team received the 1991 Medal of Engineering Excellence from Popular Science Magazine.


Author(s):  
Sean D. Williams

This chapter explores collaborative writing in virtual teams, and, particularly, trust formation in virtual writing teams, to help those who create or work in virtual writing teams to understand the importance of trust. In order to build the case for trust as the key component in teams, the chapter presents important background on teams as a general concept. In particular, it considers the constituents of quality teams, which include small team size, diverse team membership, interdependent relationships, shared team vision, articulated processes, and performance orientation. The chapter then elaborates on the role of trust in teams, presenting it as the key feature for any type of team environment. Based on this background, the chapter then differentiates the general concept of teams from virtual teams in particular, arguing that virtual teams must address specific considerations in order to build trust. Such considerations include the composition of the team, where team members possess a propensity to trust; the proper use of technology in the virtual team, so that the medium matches the communicative need; and social presence, or the ways that virtual teams can build trust by using communication behaviors to demonstrate to others that they share understanding. The chapter combines the general team considerations with the virtual team considerations into a rubric for building strong virtual teams based upon four major categories: team traits, team actions, individual traits, and environment traits. The chapter concludes with suggestions for future study.


2008 ◽  
pp. 280-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arianna Dal Forno

When selecting work team members several behavioral components concur. In this chapter we are interested in investigating the effects of these components in terms of team selection, agent aggregation and performance of groups. A computational model, together with a theoretical approach and the results of two human experiments where subjects interact in a similar game, allow us to identify some of the most important determinants. Our results suggest that the occurrence of two factors is crucial: the presence of leaders as aggregators of knowledge and agents being able to expand and improve their higher profit projects. It is particularly evident the threefold role the leaders have. First, they increase the social network of other agents making possible projects otherwise impossible. Second, they state the pace of a balanced growth in terms of social network, while taming the otherwise combinatorial explosion. Finally, they help selecting one of the theoretically possible equilibria.


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