Araştırma Makalesi

Effective Communication as a Mediator between Leadership and Team Cohesion in Football Teams

Cilt: 8 Sayı: 3 28 Eylül 2025
PDF İndir
TR EN

Effective Communication as a Mediator between Leadership and Team Cohesion in Football Teams

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between leadership characteristics, communication skills, and team unity among football team captains. It also investigates the mediating effect of effective communication on the relationship between leadership and team unity . The study involved football players (n = 324) from 19 teams in the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) 2nd League. “Leadership for Sport Scale (LSS)”, “Team Cohesion Inventory” and “Effective Communication Scale in Team Sports” were used to collect the data. In the research, frequency, Cronbach Alpha reliability analysis, Anova, Pearson correlation and regression analysis methods such as frequency, Cronbach Alpha reliability analysis, correlated mediation effect method were used by Andrew F. Hayes using Process v4.2 software. Analysis results showed that athletes' perceptions of leadership, communication, and team unity varied based on certain demographic characteristics. Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between leadership in sports and both effective communication and team unity . Finally, effective communication was found to mediate the relationship between leadership and team unity . Effective communication plays a crucial role in connecting team captains’ leadership characteristics with team unity . Additionally, the development of effective communication and team unity is directly related to the presence of an effective leader. In conclusion, communication skills significantly contribute to team captains' perceptions of leadership style and team unity.

Keywords

Etik Beyan

Ethical Approval Information Ethics Review Board: Republic of Turkey, Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee Date of Ethics Approval Document: 21.05.2021 Approval Number: 111

Kaynakça

  1. Alemdar, U. (2018). Determination of leadership styles that amateur football players want coaches to have and the relationship between organizational identification (Sakarya Provincial Sample) (Master’s thesis). Institute of Educational Sciences, Department of Physical Education and Sports Teaching, Sakarya University.
  2. Alkan, G. (2009). Adaptation of effective communication scale in team sports to Turkish team athletes (Master’s thesis). Mersin University Institute of Health Departments, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Mersin.
  3. Ateş, C., Yıldız, Y., & Yıldız, K. (2018). Investigation of professional basketball and volleyball players' perception of coach communication skill levels and anxiety levels of athletes. Erciyes Communication Journal, 5(3), 40-52. https://doi.org/10.17680/erciyesakademia.331618
  4. Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Psychology Press.
  5. Bayrak, E., & Nacar, E. (2015). Investigation of communication skill levels of coaches working in professional team sports. Journal of Academic Social Research, 3(14), 391-405. https://doi.org/10.16992/ASOS.718
  6. Bedir, D., Agduman, F., Bedir, F., & Erhan, S. E. (2023). The mediator role of communication skill in the relationship between empathy, team cohesion, and competition performance in curlers. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1115402. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1115402
  7. Callow, N., Smith, M. J., Hardy, L., Arthur, C. A., & Hardy, J. (2009). Measurement of transformational leadership and its relationship with team cohesion and performance level. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 21(4), 395–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200903204754
  8. Carron, A., Widmeyer, W., & Brawley, L. (1985). The development of an instrument to assess cohesion in sport teams: The Group Environment Questionnaire. Journal of Sport Psychology, 7(3), 244-266. https://doi.org/10.1123/JSP.7.3.244

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Spor Faaliyetleri Yönetimi

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Erken Görünüm Tarihi

26 Eylül 2025

Yayımlanma Tarihi

28 Eylül 2025

Gönderilme Tarihi

17 Mayıs 2025

Kabul Tarihi

2 Eylül 2025

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2025 Cilt: 8 Sayı: 3

Kaynak Göster

APA
Metin, M., & Eratlı Şirin, Y. (2025). Effective Communication as a Mediator between Leadership and Team Cohesion in Football Teams. Mediterranean Journal of Sport Science, 8(3), 478-489. https://doi.org/10.38021/asbid.1700012

Cited By

  Flag Counter     


27208

Mediterranean Journal of Sport Science (MJSS) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License CC BY-NC 4.0 .


26245 26366