Influence Of Team Cohesion on Performance Outcomes in Team Sports
Abstract
This study examines the Influence of team cohesion on performance outcomes in team sports, exploring the intricate dynamics between interpersonal relationships , shared goals and collective efficacy. The population of this study comprised of all the players at different level of Sports of Punjab University Lahore, Pakistan. The total number of registered players of University of Punjab is round about 350 respectively. So, it is difficult for the researcher to contact the whole population, to overcome this problem, the researcher selected 110 players as sample of the study by using available sampling technique. For the collection of data, the researcher developed a self-designed the questionnaire with Likert scale. The developed scale was gone through the process of validity and reliability. The researcher personally distribute the questionnaire and collect back after getting it filled by the respondents. Ethical approval was taken from the department of Sports Sciences and Physical Education, University of the Punjab Lahore Pakistan. The collected data was analyzed by using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS, version-26) and thus suitable statistical tools were applied according to parametric data. On the basis of data analysis and findings, the researcher arrived at conclusion that team cohesion is a significant driver of both team performance and individual contribution in sports settings. With 42% and 38% of variance explained in the respective simple regression models, and 50% in the full hierarchical model, cohesion emerges as a practically important variable.
Task cohesion is a stronger predictor of performance than social cohesion, as goal-focused unity more directly influences outcomes than interpersonal liking. Its effects vary by subgroup, with younger, more experienced athletes in interdependent sports like basketball and football benefiting the most. Overall, strengthening task cohesion can significantly enhance team performance and athletes’ sense of contribution, even at moderate cohesion levels.
