Relationships between cohesion, collective efficacy and performance in professional basketball teams: An examination of mediating effects

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to examine mediating effects in the relationships between cohesion, collective efficacy and performance in professional basketball teams. A secondary aim was to examine the correlates of collective efficacy in a professional sport. A total of 154 French and foreign professional players completed French or English versions of questionnaires about cohesion and collective efficacy. Two composite measures of individual performance were used (pre- and post-performance). Individual-level analyses were performed. Regression analyses supported two mediating relationships with collective efficacy as a mediator of the pre-performance - Group integration-task relationship, and Group integration-task as a mediator of the pre-performance - collective efficacy relationship. Statistical analyses indicated that neither Group integration-task nor collective efficacy was a better mediator in the relationship between pre-performance and the other group variables. Results also revealed positive relationships between three dimensions of cohesion (i.e. Individual attractions to the group-task, Group integration-task, Group integration-social) and collective efficacy. These findings suggest that in professional basketball teams, staff members should look after athletes who perform at a lower or below their usual level because their performances might lead them into a downward cohesion - collective efficacy spiral. Staff members should also develop a high quality of group functioning, both on and off the basketball court, given its relationship with collective efficacy.

Basketball game‐related statistics that discriminate between teams’ season‐long success

“…These actions are mostly performed by guards (Sampaio, Janeira, Ibanez, & Lorenzo, 2006;Taxildaris et al, 2001). Therefore, it is suggested that the best teams have players in this specific position better prepared to execute these tasks, building in practices and promoting in competition a stronger within-team offensive communication (Heuze, Rainbault, & Fontayne, 2006).…”

Development and Validation of the Collective Efficacy Scale for Basketball

“…For this reason, to capture the basically performance is still much controversial. Some people pick the number of wins (Watson et al, 2001), some people select the original formula (Heuze et al, 2006a;Bray and Whatley, 2001), and the others choose the value of notational game analysis (Maclean and Sullivan, 2003) as performance indices. In this way, if the concept of performance deˆned is ambiguous, not only we cannot verify the relation between performance and collective e‹ca-cy, but a new problem appears.…”

“…For instance, Heuze et al (2006a) reported a complementary relationship between CE and group cohesion. Among the four dimensions of cohesion in Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ: Carron et al, 1985;(a) Individual Attractions to the Group-Task, ATG-T; (b) Individual Attractions to the GroupSocial, ATG-S; (c) Group Integration-Task, GI-T; and (d) Group Integration-Social, GI-S), it has been reported that individual performance contributes to perceptions of CE, which in turn contribute to perceptions of GI-T.…”

“…Indeed, Bandura (1997) referred to``using e‹cacy measures that are situation-or context-speciˆc.'' By contrast, Heuze et al (2006a;2006b) proposed that a measure developed for a single sport can attain a certain degree of generality by including items selected by the expert coach of the relevant sport (i.e., in this case, basketball).…”

Interaction between Players during a Sequence of Small-Sided Soccer Games: Effect of the Game Compartment

“…Sport researchers interested in the quality of the sport experience have implemented a variety of strategies to address their concerns. Descriptive-analytic research focusing on the behavioral assessment and analysis of behaviors in athlete-athlete interaction settings is typified by the studies of Heuzé et al (2006). Moreover, the interaction analysis strategy is to observe, describe, and analyze the quantity and quality of the interactions occurring in the sport environment for a specific period of time in game (Patterson et al, 2005).…”