The team cohesion-performance relationship: A meta-analysis exploring measurement approaches and the changing team landscape

2021 ◽  
pp. 204138662110411
Author(s):  
Rebecca Grossman ◽  
Kevin Nolan ◽  
Zachary Rosch ◽  
David Mazer ◽  
Eduardo Salas
Keyword(s):  
Team Performance ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Team Cohesion ◽  
Plain Language ◽  
Predictive Capacity ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Optimal Measurement ◽  
Task Cohesion ◽  
Team Characteristics

Team cohesion is an important antecedent of team performance, but our understanding of this relationship is mired by inconsistencies in how cohesion has been conceptualized and measured. The nature of teams is also changing, and the effect of this change is unclear. By meta-analyzing the cohesion-performance relationship ( k = 195, n = 12,023), examining measurement moderators, and distinguishing modern and traditional team characteristics, we uncovered various insights. First, the cohesion-performance relationship varies based on degree of proximity. More proximal measures –task cohesion, referent-shift, and behaviorally-focused– show stronger relationships compared to social cohesion, direct consensus, and attitudinally-focused, which are more distal. Differences are more pronounced when performance metrics are also distal. Second, group pride is more predictive than expected. Third, the cohesion-performance relationship and predictive capacity of different measures are changing in modern contexts, but findings pertaining to optimal measurement approaches largely generalized. Lastly, important nuances across modern characteristics warrant attention in research and practice. Plain Language Summary Team cohesion is an important antecedent of team performance, but our understanding of this relationship is mired by inconsistencies in how cohesion has been conceptualized and measured. The nature of teams has also changed over time, and the effect of this change is unclear. By meta-analyzing the cohesion-performance relationship ( k = 195, n = 12,023), examining measurement moderators, and distinguishing between modern and traditional team characteristics, we uncovered various insights for both research and practice. First, the cohesion-performance relationship varies based on degree of proximity. Measures that are more proximal to what a team does – those assessing task cohesion, utilizing referent shift items, and capturing behavioral manifestations of cohesion – show stronger relationships with performance compared to those assessing social cohesion, utilizing direct consensus items, and capturing attitudinal manifestations of cohesion, which are more distal. These differences are more pronounced when performance metrics are also more distal. Second, despite being understudied, the group pride-performance relationship was stronger than expected. Third, modern team characteristics are changing both the overall cohesion-performance relationship and the predictive capacity of different measurement approaches, but findings pertaining to the most optimal measurement approaches largely generalized in that these approaches were less susceptible to the influence of modern characteristics. However, in some contexts, distal cohesion metrics are just as predictive as their more proximal counterparts. Lastly, there are important nuances across different characteristics of modern teams that warrant additional research attention and should be considered in practice. Overall, findings greatly advance science and practice pertaining to the team cohesion-performance relationship.

The Effects of LMX Differentiation on Team Performance: Investigating the Mediating Properties of Cohesion

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Manata
Keyword(s):  
Team Performance ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Leader Member Exchange ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Member Exchange ◽  
Task Cohesion ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Performance Results

Although conceptualized initially as a dyadic-level theory, scholars have since broadened the theoretical underpinnings of leader–member exchange (LMX) to account for its effects on group-level phenomena. LMX differentiation, for example, captures the extent to which variance in LMX quality within teams affects numerous outcomes (e.g., performance). However, the specific mechanisms by which LMX differentiation affects team-level outcomes remains virtually unknown. In an attempt to address this limitation, this study investigates the extent to which task and social cohesion mediate the effects of LMX differentiation on team performance. Results indicate that the negative effect of LMX differentiation on team performance is mediated by task cohesion but not by social cohesion. In addition, LMX differentiation was found to have a negative effect of social cohesion, which was also mediated by task cohesion. A discussion is offered in which the implications of these results are entertained.

scholarly journals Do sporting experiences predict team cohesion in youth athletes?

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 102-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Roberto Andrade do Nascimento Junior ◽  
Adson Alves Da Silva ◽  
Carla Thamires Laranjeira Granja ◽  
Daniel Vicentini De Oliveira ◽  
Roseana Pacheco Reis Batista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Team Cohesion ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Youth Athletes ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Task Cohesion ◽  
Personal Skills ◽  
And Task

Abstract This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between sporting experiences and the perception of team cohesion according to sex among youth Brazilian recreational athletes. Participants were 253 youth athletes with age average of 12.97 ± 0.98 years.  Athletes represented the following sports: Indoor soccer (n=20); basketball (n=62); handball (n=123) and; volleyball (n=48). The instruments used were the Youth Experience Survey for Sport (P-YES-S) and the Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire (P-YSEQ). Independent sample t-test revealed significant difference between sexes in the dimensions of Personal Skills (p=0.02) and Task Cohesion (p=0.02). The following significant correlations were found for girls: Task Cohesion with Personal Skills (r=0.48), Initiative Experiences (r=0.37); and Social Cohesion with Personal Skills (r=0.41), Cognitive Skills (r=0.43) and Initiative Experiences (r=0.32). For boys, it was found the following correlations: Task Cohesion with Personal Skills (r=0.19), Initiative Experiences (r=0.42) and Negative Experiences (r=-0.22); and Social cohesion with Personal Skills (r=0.18) and Initiative Experiences (r=0.30). Multiple regression analysis indicated that sports experiences are significant predictors of task (R2=0.21; F=17.838; p<0.01) and social cohesion (R2=0.10; F=7.440; p<0.01). It can be concluded that positive sporting experiences may predict social and task cohesion among youth athletes.

scholarly journals Maximizing Learning Through Cohesion: Contributions From a Nonlinear Approach

2020 ◽  
pp. 104649642094448
Author(s):  
Isabel Dórdio Dimas ◽  
Paulo Renato Lourenço ◽  
Teresa Rebelo ◽  
Humberto Rocha
Keyword(s):  
Radial Basis Function ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Basis Function ◽  
Team Learning ◽  
Team Cohesion ◽  
Nonlinear Approach ◽  
Maximum Value ◽  
Task Cohesion ◽  
The Relationship

This study explores the relationship between team cohesion and team learning by adopting a nonlinear approach. A quantitative study with a sample composed of 82 organizational teams was conducted. Radial basis function (RBF) interpolation models were used, and results showed that the best predicting ability was obtained by the Thin Plate RBF model, which revealed that an increase in both dimensions of cohesion leads to an increase in team learning up to a certain threshold. Moreover, our results showed that the maximum value of team learning is obtained at higher values of task cohesion and moderate values of social cohesion.

Impact of team design and technical factors on team cohesion

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 357-374
Author(s):  
Chitra Dey ◽  
Ganesh M.P.
Keyword(s):  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Team Cohesion ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Common Method ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Task Cohesion ◽  
Team Design

Purpose Based on the interpersonal interaction perspective of team cohesion, this study aims to examine the effects of team boundedness, formal coordination and organization tenure diversity on both task and social cohesion. The authors test for the interaction effect of organization tenure diversity on the relationships between the independent variables and the dimensions of team cohesion. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 111 software development teams and aggregated to the team level. Common latent factor test for common method bias showed no significant bias. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test all the hypotheses. Findings SEM results show that team boundedness and formal coordination have positive and significant association with both dimensions of team cohesion. Formal coordination was found to be a stronger positive predictor for task cohesion than for social cohesion. Organization tenure diversity was found to be a stronger negative predictor for social cohesion than for task cohesion. Organization tenure diversity in the team moderates the relationship between formal coordination and task cohesion. Research limitations/implications The data was collected using a cross-sectional design. However, the authors have mitigated the effect of common method variance by adopting both procedural and statistical methods. Originality/value This paper expands extant literature by examining the antecedents of two important components of team cohesion, task and social cohesion. The authors proposed and found that the independent variables have different impacts on task and social cohesion. This study furthers both theory and practice by considering team boundedness as a variable of interest and its impact on internal team dynamics.

Appraisal in a Team Context: Perceptions of Cohesion Predict Competition Importance and Prospects for Coping

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 489-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svenja A. Wolf ◽  
Mark A. Eys ◽  
Pamela Sadler ◽  
Jens Kleinert
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Team Sport ◽  
Team Cohesion ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Impact Performance ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Task Cohesion ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
And Performance

Athletes’ precompetitive appraisal is important because it determines emotions, which may impact performance. When part of a team, athletes perform their appraisal within a social context, and in this study we examined whether perceived team cohesion, as a characteristic of this context, related to appraisal. We asked 386 male and female intercollegiate team-sport athletes to respond to measures of cohesion and precompetitive appraisal before an in-season game. For males and females, across all teams, (a) an appraisal of increased competition importance was predicted by perceptions of higher task cohesion (individual level), better previous team performance, and a weaker opponent (team level) and (b) an appraisal of more positive prospects for coping with competitive demands was predicted by higher individual attractions to the group (individual level). Consequently, athletes who perceive their team as more cohesive likely appraise the pending competition as a challenge, which would benefit both emotions and performance.

Team cohesion: the impact of team design and technical factors

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Team Cohesion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Task Cohesion ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Team Design ◽  
The Impact ◽  
And Task

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of team boundedness, and formal coordination on task and social cohesion and the moderating effect of organization tenure diversity. Design/methodology/approach Data was gathered from the responses of 398 team members and leaders working in 111 software development teams to a questionnaire survey. The hypotheses were all tested using structural equation modelling. Findings The results show team boundedness and formal coordination have positive and significant associations with task and social cohesion. Formal coordination is a stronger positive predictor for task than social cohesion. Organization tenure has a greater negative effect on social cohesion than task cohesion and moderates the relationship between formal coordination and task cohesion. Practical implications Therefore, for organizations to optimize team cohesion the impact of antecedent variables on social and task cohesion should be taken into considering in planning strategies for improvement. Originality/value This paper has an original approach by adding to the literature through an examination of the antecedent variables of task and social cohesion which are two key components of team cohesion.

Team Building Through Video Games: A Controlled Experiment (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J Keith ◽  
Douglas Dean ◽  
James Eric Gaskin ◽  
Greg Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Team Performance ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Practical Method ◽  
Team Cohesion ◽  
Controlled Experiment ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Treatment Team ◽  
Rock Band

BACKGROUND Organizations of all types require the use of teams. Poor team member engagement costs billions of US dollars annually. OBJECTIVE Explains how team building can be accomplished with team video gaming (TVG) based on a team cohesion model enhanced by team flow theory. METHODS In this controlled experiment, teams were randomly assigned to a TVG treatment or a control treatment. Team performance was measured on basic tasks both pre- and post-treatment. Then teams who received the TVG treatment competed against other teams by playing the Halo™ or Rock Band™ video game for 45 minutes. RESULTS On the posttest task, teams from the TVG treatments were significantly more productive than teams that did not experience TVG. Our model explained performance improvement about twice as well as prior related research. CONCLUSIONS The focused immersion caused by TVG increased team performance while the enjoyment component of flow decreased team performance on the posttest. Both flow and team cohesion contributed to team performance, with flow contributing more than cohesion. TVG did not increase team cohesion so TVG effects are independent of cohesion. TVG is a valid practical method for developing and improving newly formed teams CLINICALTRIAL n/a

scholarly journals Using a Personal-Disclosure Mutual-Sharing Approach to Deliver a Team-Based Mindfulness Meditation Program to Enhance Cohesion

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-29
Author(s):  
Piotr A. Piasecki ◽  
Todd M. Loughead ◽  
Kyle F. Paradis ◽  
Krista J. Munroe-Chandler
Keyword(s):  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Mindfulness Meditation ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Task Cohesion ◽  
Viable Approach ◽  
Building Program ◽  
Personal Disclosure

In an effort to increase perceptions of cohesion among intercollegiate soccer players, a team-based mindfulness meditation program was undertaken. This team-building program was delivered by using a personal-disclosure mutual-sharing approach. A total of 31 female intercollegiate soccer players from two teams participated. Assigned to the intervention condition was a Canadian intercollegiate team (U Sports), while the control condition was an American intercollegiate team (NCAA, Division II). The participants completed a measure of cohesion (Group Environment Questionnaire) pre- and postintervention. Controlling for the preintervention scores, the 8-week team-based mindfulness meditation program resulted in significantly higher perceptions of social cohesion for the intervention group compared with the control group at postintervention. However, there were no significant differences in task cohesion between the intervention and control groups at postintervention. Using personal disclosure, mutual sharing seems a viable approach by which to deliver a team-based mindfulness meditation program to enhance a team’s social cohesion.

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