The Impact of Leadership Behaviors of College Basketball Coaches in Hubei Province on Team Cohesion

Abstract

Study investigated the influence of basketball coaches’ leadership behaviors on team cohesion among university athletes in Hubei Province. A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed and 182 valid responses were collected (response rate = 91%). Two validated instruments, the Leadership Scale for Sports and the Group Environment Questionnaire, were employed, with Cronbach’s α values of 0.874 and 0.853, KMO values of 0.812 and 0.894, and significant Bartlett’s tests (p < 0.01), confirming good reliability and validity. Descriptive results indicated that coaches’ leadership behaviors were at a moderately high level (M = 3.441, SD = 0.646), with democratic behavior rated highest, reward behavior second, and autocratic behavior lowest. Team cohesion was also at a favorable level (M = 3.447, SD = 0.697), with group social integration highest and group social attraction lowest. Correlation analysis revealed that overall leadership behavior was positively associated with team cohesion (r = 0.723, p < 0.01). Specifically, training and instruction, democratic behavior, social support, and reward behavior were positively correlated with cohesion, while autocratic behavior was negatively correlated. Regression analysis further demonstrated that training and instruction (β = 0.240), democratic behavior (β = 0.195), social support (β = 0.171), and reward behavior (β = 0.190) were significant positive predictors of team cohesion, whereas autocratic behavior was a significant negative predictor (β = –0.222). The model explained 55.6% of the variance (R² = 0.556, F = 23.821, p < 0.001). Overall, the findings suggest that positive leadership behaviors enhance team cohesion, while autocratic behavior weakens it, providing empirical evidence and practical implications for coaching and team management in university basketball.