Group Success

What is a group?  2 or more individuals who have a shared objective which will bring about interaction. Characteristics of a group  A collective identity  A sense of shared purpose  A clear structure for communication If these are all in place the group will form a ‘bond’. (Carron)

Groups “Groups are those social aggregates that involve mutual awareness and the potential for interaction” (McGrath) GROUPS (Carron) A collective identity A sense of shared purpose A clear structure for communication

Sports Groups  Groups undergo:  Forming – team members get to know each other & work out their roles  Storming – members jockey to establish roles; conflict may develop  Norming – cooperation & cohesion develop & the group becomes more stable  Preforming- group works effectively as a team allowing success.

Team Success Success of a team (Actual Productivity) is equal to the best it can do (Potential Productivity) minus Faulty Processes (When things go pear shaped!)

So what may go wrong?  Coordination Problems  Misunderstanding instructions  Wrong tactics  Communication  Captain/ coach make wrong decision  Lack of cohesion  Team units for a common goal  Lack of Motivation  Think they are not getting noticed, effort goes to waste  Social loafing

Steiner’s Model ACTUAL = POTENTIAL - LOSSES DUE TO PRODUCTIVITY PRODUCTIVITY FAULTY PROCESSES (AP) (PP) (FP) The team performance at any given time (due to successful interaction) The maximum capability of the group when cohesiveness is strongest Factors that go wrong in team performance which impede/ prevent group cohesion e.g. co- ordination losses & motivational losses GROUP COHESION IS THE FORCE THAT BINDS A GROUP TOGETHER, HELPING TO PREVENT FAULTY PROCESSES.

Faulty Processes Co-ordination Losses o These occur when the ‘operational effectiveness’ of the group cannot be sustained for the whole match. o Planned strategies/tactics may go wrong due to positional error or bad timing, e.g. Line out in rugby. A co-ordination loss that leads to a breakdown in team work is called the RINGLEMANN EFFECT. Problems with team co-ordination are more likely to increase as the number of team members increase. Motivation Losses o This may occur if the task is too difficult. o Also an individual might suffer loss of motivation causing them to withdraw effort and coast through that part of the game. A motivation loss that leads to a reduction in effort is called SOCIAL LOAFING. This is called when an individuals efforts go unnoticed or when someone feels like the others on their team are not trying hard enough. People with low SC tend to be loafers.

The Ringlemann Effect & social Loafing  Group performance decreases with group size.  Ringlemann studied rope pulling & found that a group of 8 did not pull their rope 8 times as hard as 1 person.  There is less effort exerted when working with others.  Some individuals performed only at 50% effort when in a group.

Social loafing  Social loafing is the tendency of individuals to drop their effort & hide within the group.  It is an individual motivation loss due to lack of performance identification.

Social loafing  Social loafing is caused by: A belief that you effort won’t change the result A perception that others are not trying, so why should you? A belief that others will cover for your lack of effort Individual effort not being recognised

Causes of social loafing cont…  Lack of reinforcement from others  Low confidence  Perceived low ability  Low arousal/motivation  Poor leadership  Negative attitudes

Preventing Social loafing (Reducing motivational losses)  To stop the players feeling a lack of motivation towards the team, the coach should try: Highlighting individual performances Monitoring individuals with feedback Using positive reinforcement when possible Rewards Promoting task cohesion within the team Setting individual goals Effective captain

Cohesion in the team  Cohesion is what keeps the group together & is one way to prevent the coordination & motivational problems discussed earlier.  As a group, the team will have developed norms that the group members adhere to, such a ‘we always train on a tuesday’.

Cohesion cont…  Cohesion is defined as the degree to which the members of a group exhibit the desire to achieve a common goal.  It has 2 aspects: Attraction – the reasons why you would go to the group in the first place Integration – how you get on socially & how you feel about the other members of the group when you are there

Cohesion cont…  There are 2 types of cohesion: Task cohesion – the degree to which group members are united in achieving the common goal, such as winning the game Social cohesion – the degree to which group members like each other & get on, with mutual trust

Group Cohesion “ The extent to which a group sticks together in pursuit of a common goal.” TASK COHESION The way team members work together to successfully complete a task, e.g. a football team sets Out to win by adopting attacking Tactics at home & away matches Vital in INTERACTIVE Sports, e.g. hockey SOCIAL COHESION The personal relationships within a group which relies on individuals enjoying social interaction, e.g. strong Bond developed whilst on tour. Vital in CO-ACTIVE sports, e.g. track and field

This may have reduced social cohesion But will it affect their task cohesion?

Cohesion cont…  The 2 types are independent.  It is possible to be committed to achieving the team goals but not get on with other team members.  A team with major disputes can still do well & a social team may not be successful.  Best when both high

Factors affecting cohesion  The size of the group  The amount of communication between team members  The type of sport (interactive sports, such as team games, need more cohesion than ind sports)  The amount of time the group has been together to establish relationships

Carron’s Model  4 key antecedents to development of cohesiveness  (something pre existing)  Environmental factors  Personal factors  Leadership factors  Team factors

The creation of a successful team rarely happens by chance. Identify and explain Carron’s antecedents (factors) that contribute to the cohesiveness of a group. (3 marks)  Environment/situational factors – size of group/time/facilities/age or equivalent  Member/personal factors – ability/motivation/satisfaction/similarity of group or equivalent  Leadership factors – style/behaviour/personality/relationship with group or equivalent  Team factors – task/motivation/stability/ability/shared experiences or equivalent

Promoting cohesion cont…  Encouraging group identity – eg. Introducing a team tracksuit  Practising clear tactics, drills & strategies to promote coordination  Getting to know your players as individuals – clear roles  Develop team goals  Use motivational strategies such as social opportunities

Promoting cohesion cont…  Agreed norms of behaviour  Role clarity  Reward exceptional contributions  Team meetings to resolve disputes