Reciprocal relationships between teamwork execution, emergent states, and perceived team performance: a longitudinal study

The purpose of this study was to analyze the reciprocal relationships between teamwork execution (i.e., communication, cooperation, and coordination), emergent states (i.e., group cohesion and collective efficacy), and perceived team performance among sport teams over the course of a competitive season. We also examined whether (a) emergent states mediated the relationship between teamwork execution and perceived team performance, and (b) teamwork execution mediated the relationship between emergent states and perceived team performance. We adopted a longitudinal design, taking measures of each variable near the beginning, middle, and end of teams' seasons. Participants included 657 athletes (104 teams), aged 16-43 years (M = 23.56, SD = 5.72; 71% men), and from a range of team sports and competitive levels. Structural equation models showed teamwork execution was positively and reciprocally related to collective efficacy as well as task cohesion (but not social cohesion). Teamwork execution also predicted perceived team performance over time but a reciprocal effect was not evident. Finally, task cohesion and collective efficacy mediated the longitudinal association between teamwork execution and perceived team performance; however, teamwork execution did not mediate the relationship between those emergent states and perceived team performance. These findings provide initial evidence of longitudinal relationships between teamwork execution, two emergent states, and perceived performance. It appears particularly important that coaches and practitioners focus on developing teamwork execution from the outset of their team's season as this appears to translate over time into greater task cohesion and collective efficacy and, in turn, team performance.