Using the Conceptual Framework for Examining Sport Teams to Understand Group Dynamics in Professional Soccer

Inmaculada González-Ponce; Jesús Díaz-García; José C Ponce-Bordón; Ruth Jiménez-Castuera; Miguel A López-Gajardo

doi:10.3390/ijerph192315782

Using the Conceptual Framework for Examining Sport Teams to Understand Group Dynamics in Professional Soccer

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 27;19(23):15782. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192315782.

Authors

Inmaculada González-Ponce¹, Jesús Díaz-García², José C Ponce-Bordón², Ruth Jiménez-Castuera², Miguel A López-Gajardo²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology and Anthropology, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain.
² Department of Didactics of Musical, Plastic and Corporal Expression, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain.

Abstract

(1) Background: The aim of this study is to propose a model of the interactions of group dynamics using the conceptual framework to examine sports teams; (2) Methods: The hypothesized model includes measures of group structure (authentic leadership, perceived justice, coaching competency, role clarity/ambiguity, and role conflict), group cohesion (cohesion and team conflict), and group processes (collective efficacy and transactive memory systems). Participants were 581 professional soccer players (M = 24.51, SD = 3.73; 356 males and 225 females) who completed a multisection questionnaire assessing group dynamics variables; (3) Results: The results show that coach leadership predicts coaching competency and perceived justice, and both competency and justice predict role ambiguity and role conflict. Furthermore, role ambiguity and role conflict predict group cohesion and team conflict, whereas group cohesion and team conflict both predict the transactive memory system. Finally, collective efficacy is predicted by the transactive memory system; (4) Conclusions: The results suggest the importance of coach behavior (leadership, justice, and competency) and group processes to improving team functioning in a professional sports context.

Keywords: execution; group dynamics; resilience; team performance; team sports.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Athletic Performance*
Female
Group Dynamics
Group Processes
Humans
Male
Mentoring*
Soccer*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Junta de Extremadura (Ministry of Economy, Science and Digital Agenda) with the contribution of the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (GR21124) and the Government of Spain (Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, FPU17/03489 and IJC2019-040788-I).