Introduction

Teams exist in all manner of forms and contexts, from those that take part in social or performance sport, the specific focus of this article, to teams operating within the professional world and teams based in the community. Indeed, no matter what our individual circumstances, we are all members of, and contributors in, a variety of teams.

Common sense would dictate that highly cohesive teams are likely to be highly successful teams. This is traditional sporting wisdom, and it certainly seems logical to expect that a highly cohesive team would be likely to achieve more than a team rife with discontent, conflict and disruption. However, it is altogether unreasonable to assume that all successful teams are also highly cohesive in nature, there is and will always be glaring exceptions to this rule.

Therefore, the key questions are: Just what is the nature and magnitude of the relationship, if any, between team cohesion and performance? And furthermore, what are the implications for athletes, supporters, coaches, administrators and everyone else involved in the sporting community? This paper seeks to address these concerns.

Explaining Cohesion and Performance

Cohesion, in the context of teams, is all about the joining together of individuals to form a united and cooperative whole. Cohesion is an overall measure of group togetherness, and is based on three key factors: interpersonal attraction, defined as the tendency of one person to evaluate another person in a consistently positive manner; individual commitment, towards the collective and its objectives/goals; and feelings of personal satisfaction and pride, based upon the perceived achievements and/or opportunities derived from membership. If all three of these factors are found to be abundant within the majority of team members, said team can therefore be considered relatively cohesive.

Performance can be defined as a measure of the effectiveness and efficiency of a given team, and its individual members, in pursuing predetermined objectives and goals. Criticisms are often made that performance tends be measured chiefly by results, with little concern for the internal processes of teams and other less tangible, but potentially important, outcomes. This point notwithstanding, the link between performance and results is both logical and practical when we consider that the reason we form teams in the first place is because we wish to achieve certain objectives and goals. To take a negotiated position on the matter, while team process is indeed of interest, and one could well argue that analysis of performance should involve greater attention to internal team processes, it is the end results that should, and inevitably do, prove the final and overriding measure of success or failure.

The Nature of the Cohesion-Performance Effect

Whilst there is a kernel of quality literature regarding the cohesion-performance relationship in the sport and leisure context, the subject has been researched most extensively within the fields of management, leadership and psychology. Many credible studies exist in academia, with distinct and conflicting narratives emerging on the subject.

On one hand, there are some expert authorities that believe there is insufficient evidence to suggest that team cohesiveness and achievement tend to be positively related. Many more theorists however, conclude that cohesion amongst team members does tend to promote productivity, which can be directly related to positive performance outcomes. On top of all of this, there is also a select body of work that promotes a mixed and inconclusive stance towards the relation of team cohesion and performance. In the final analysis however, whilst evidence exists to suggest that high levels of team cohesion can occasionally detract from performance quality and productivity, and that highly cohesive groups are often more enjoyable to be part of; but potentially less productive, the overwhelming weight of research and personal experience indicates that, in general, a positive correlation exists between cohesion and performance.

The Magnitude of the Cohesion