Sociological issues for optimizing behavior and performance

Sociological issues for optimizing behavior and performance

Team work, player – coach interactions, and group dynamics play an important role in the success of teams and groups.

Group
Group is a unit composed of two or more individuals who came into contact for a special purpose (mills 1997).
Or
Group is collection of individuals who are in cooperative, interdependent with one another.

Group process:
Group process is a complex movement involving the constantly changing and shifting of roles.
Greater unity, disunity, group production, lower group production, an activity in relation to group goals ,feeling of morale , decreasing morale, wellbeing on the part of members, , conflicts, cooperation frustrations, happiness ,and all these things happen in group process.
In the group, group may influence individuals or individual may influence group.
Several groups at a time , family , peers , playmates , teammates etc. affect the persons attitudes , values ,habits , ideology and sentiments .
Athlete is a part of group or team and he must confirms to certain policies and adjust to the teammates and coaches.
At same time he must maintain his own individuality and independence.
A sport is an important ingredient (part) in supportive set up. The sharing of victory and defeat has a supportive influence and encourage better understanding.
In order to make coaching and training effective, the coach must understand the following factors.
Interactions
It usually takes in the form of cooperation, competition, conflict, accommodation and assimilation
Exchange of Ideas
Sport groups practice together, plan for the training & competition, and discuss the related matters for the smooth functions of groups.
Suggestions from the coach or management, advice from elder players are important for group production.
Conflict:
Coaches and others working with team try their utmost to develop cohesion and complete harmony within in the group by resolving the conflict among the team members.



Collective goal:
Involving entire group in goal setting activities results in a form of psychological contracting (psychological agreement).
That increases commitment to team goals.
Group conformity:
Group expects a certain type of behavior from their members and this behavior is determined by the group.
Individual has to conform to these norms and work for the group goals.
A coach major role is to integrate the group into a smooth working unit by being firm.
Assimilation:
Assimilation is the process where by persons and groups adopting the culture of other group in which they come to live, by adopting its attitudes, values, patterns of thinking and behaving in short its way of life.
Accommodation:
It is the altering of negative interaction with positive interaction between individuals and groups in order to avoid conflict and promote coexistence and adjusting oneself to the new environment.
Sympathy
Sympathy is to feel as others player feel.
To be effective member of the group, one should be sympathetic ties.
This will enhance the group productivity.

Structure of the group:
Every group develops its own structure, which begins to emerge even at the group’s first meeting.
Group structure depends largely on the interactions of its members-how they perceive one another and what they expect of themselves and each other.
For a group of individuals to become an effective team, certain structural characteristics must develop.
Two of the most important are group roles and group norms.
Group roles
A role consists of the set behaviors required or expected of the person occupying a certain position in a group.
E.g. coach or teacher has specific roles within their professions and within the society.
As coach you are expected to perform such behaviors as teaching, organizing practices. Etc.
Similarly, head athletic trainers are expected to perform such behaviors as assigning and evaluating trainees

Formal roles:
These are dictated by nature of the organizations. Athletic director, coach and captain are like examples of specific roles.
Informal roles:
These develop from interaction among group members.
E.g. Mediator who solves problems among teammates.
Role clarity:
We can improve a team’s effectiveness by making sure players understand and accept their roles.
Unclear roles hurt a team’s performance.
Open communication clarifies every ones role.
Role acceptance:
Coaches can help players accept their roles by minimizing the status differences among roles and emphasizing that the success of team depends on each individual’s contribution.
Group norms:
A norm is a level of performance, pattern of behavior.
Those groups members are have to adhere to the norms.
Each norm carries specific expectations and behavior that group members are supposed to adhere to.
Norm for productivity
A group will establish level or rate of performance called the norm for productivity.
Norms for productivity, attendance, preparedness for both practice and competitions have to be followed by every athlete
Anything falling below or above this level is not supported by the group.
Group dynamics
Group dynamic refers to the forces operating in a group and changes that take place within groups.
A team will progress through four stages in its development. These stages are forming, storming, norming and performing
Forming:
This is the initial forming stage, the process of team selection.
Once the team is selected it becomes essential for the coach to clarify and explain each player’s role and responsibilities. Program standards, purpose, and mission of the program should also be clearly communicated.
During this stage team goals and individual goals are formulated.
Storming:
In this stage conflict must be addressed and dealt with previously established program standards and group norms. If not dealt with in this manner, conflicts and disagreements can rapidly decrease team morale and cohesion.
Once the conflict is resolved, the group or individuals involved recommits to the programme standards and team goals.
Norming :
In this stage each member in the group fulfils the responsibilities of his or her assigned roles. Team work becomes evident in this stage as team members openly support and encourage each other.
Performing:
At this stage, accepted roles are maintained as the team artistically, creatively and effectively accomplishes its goals.













Creating an effective team climate.

Team climate develops from how players perceive the interrelationships among the group members. The player’s positive perceptions and evaluations that set the team climate.
Social support
Mutual support and respect Increases in feelings of team cohesion and team climate.
The different types of social support are as follows.
Provide appraisal, information, reassurance, and companionship.
Reduce uncertainty during times of stress
Aid in mental and physical recovery and improve communication skills.
Proximity:
People are more likely bond when they are near each other. Close contact with teammates promotes interaction, which in turn can hasten the group’s development.
Distinctiveness
When group feels distinct, its feelings of unity and openness increase. In sport, distinctiveness is traditionally achieved through team uniforms and mottoes, special initiation rites, or special privileges by making team members feel unique and distinct from other teams, a coach helps develop and mold a team concept.
Fairness
An important component of team climate is trust, and at the core of trust is athlete’ perceptions that they are being treated fairly. Athletes should feel that their play, effort, and contributions to the team’s success are evaluated objectively and evenly. The fairness with which a coach treats athletes influences their level of commitment, motivation, and satisfaction
Similarity
Similarity among the team members in commitments, attitudes, aspirations, and goals is important to developing a positive team climate










Group cohesion;
Talents win games but team work wins championship
(Carron 1982) defined group cohesion as a dynamic process which is reflected in the tendency for a group to stick together and remain united in the pursuit of goals and objectives. Athletic teams may exhibit two specific dimensions of cohesiveness
Task cohesion:
Involves members of specific group working together to achieve a specific and identifiable task.
Social cohesion:
Concerns whether members of team like each other and enjoy others company.
Guidelines for building team cohesion.
What leaders have to do?
Communicate effectively
Leaders need to create an environment where every one is comfortable to express their thoughts and feelings.
Explain individual roles in team success.
Coach should clearly outline individual roles to team members.


Set challenging group goals.
Setting specific, challenging goals has a positive impact on individual and group performance
Encourage group identity
By ordering team jackets and scheduling social functions a coach can encourage team identity.
Avoid formation of social cliques
Coach should quickly determine why they are forming and should take the steps to break social cliques up.
Avoid excessive turnover
It is important to make newcomers feel welcome and part of these groups as well.
Conducting periodic team meetings
Coach should conduct periodic meetings to allow positive and negative feelings to resolve internal conflict
Know the team climate
Coach or leader should identify the group members who have high interpersonal prestige and status in the group. They can be linked for communication for group unity.
Know something about group members
Coach should know simple things about every player, such as knowing and remembering birth day or grade in the class so that athlete fells care form the coach
What group members have to do?
Get to know members of the group
The better the team members to know each other, the easier it is to accept individual differences. Individuals should take time to get to know their teammates, especially the new members in the group.
Help group members whenever possible.
Helping each other creates team spirit and brings team members closer.
Give group members positive reinforcement
Supporting teammates, instead of being negative critical, goes a long way toward building trust and support. Team members should be especially sensitive, positive, and constructive when a teammate is going through adversity. The helps support given to this player also helps team.
Communicate honestly and openly with the coach or leader.
Team members should communicate with the coach openly and honestly. The every one understands each other, the better the chances for team success and harmony.
Reduce conflict immediately
If a team member has a complaint or a conflict with the coach or a teammate, he should take initiative to resolve the problem.

Give 100% effort at all times.
Working hard especially in practice, helps bring the team together.

Currons model identifies four antecedents or factors affecting the development of cohesion in sport and exercise settings.
Currons model identifies four antecedents or factors affecting the development of cohesion in sport and exercise settings

Environmental factors
Environmental factors like, size of the group, proximity, distinctiveness, social support, and family member’s eligibility requirements influence the coaches and athletes decision to stick with the team but also the type and extent of cohesiveness.
Personal factors
Demographic attributes (age, similarity, and gender), cognitions and motives (responsibility, anxiety), and behavior adherence, social loafing) influences the team cohesion.
These are the individual characteristics of the team members
Leadership factors:
This includes the leadership style; clear, consistent, unambiguous communication from coaches, decision style and the personality of the coach influences the team cohesion.
Team factors:
Team factors refer to group productivity norms, desire for group success, group roles, group position, and team stability and strong desire for group success exhibit high levels of group cohesion.


















LEADERSHIP SKILLS:

Definition:
Leadership is the action of an individual to influence others towards setting goals achieving goals.

• Leadership is develops the social and psychological environment, what we call it as team culture.
• Leadership charts a course, to give others direction by having vision.
• leadership involves of selecting, motivating, rewarding, retaining, and unifying members of the team – players
• Excellent leaders give them team vision, and know how to translate this vision into reality.
• Coaches in their leadership roles, seek to develop an environment where by each every athlete has the maximum opportunity to achieve team success
• Leadership emphasizes interpersonal relationships and direct impact on motivation
• Leaders establish open lines of communication, clear goals and objectives.




Four components of effective leadership:

















I. Leader’s qualities:

Empathy:
• Recognizing the need to empathetic
• Taking the time to understand the members of the team
• Taking action based upon this understanding to help the team members.
Other qualities:
• Leaders tend to act like leaders.
• They are not only problem solvers, even they are problem finders.
• Leader should develop trust in others.
• Leader should have self control.
• Leader should work always hard to develop and to improve his skills.
• They should respect others.
• They should be responsible for team activities.
• They should be flexible and pragmatic.
II. Leadership style
Autocratic style: -

• Win centered,
• Command style
• And task oriented
Democratic style: -
• Athlete – Centered,
• Cooperative style,
• People oriented.

III. Situational Factors:
• Different situations required different leadership functions.
• When leaders required quick actions, decision must make quickly at this times Autocratic leaders hip style is required.
• Team sports required task oriented leaders.
• Highly successful athletes prefer coaches who are more athlete oriented, who will provide emotional support and work with athlete
IV Follower’s Characteristics
When the followers not warm and receptive to direction, leaders are most likely to use an Autocratic style