Abstract
BackgroundThe primary aim of our systematic scoping review was to explore the factors influencing team function and performance across various industries and discuss findings in the context of the high-performance sport support team setting. These outcomes may also be used to inform future research into high-performance teamwork in sport.MethodsA systematic scoping review of literature published in English since 2000 reporting team-based performance outcomes and included a performance metric that was ‘team outcome based’ was conducted using search of the Academic Search Ultimate, Medline, Business Source Ultimate, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Military database (ProQuest) using the terms: ‘team’, ‘function’ OR ‘dysfunction’, ‘Perform*’ OR ‘outcome’.ResultsApplication of the search strategy identified a total of 11,735 articles for title and abstract review. Seventy-three articles were selected for full-text assessment with the aim to extract data for either quantitative or qualitative analysis. Forty-six of the 73 articles met our inclusion criteria; 27 articles were excluded as they did not report a performance metric. Eleven studies explored leadership roles and styles on team performance, three studies associated performance feedback to team performance, and 12 studies explored the relationship between supportive behaviour and performance. Team orientation and adaptability as key figures of team performance outcomes were explored in 20 studies.ConclusionsOur findings identified 4 key variables that were associated with team function and performance across a variety of industries; (i) leadership styles, (ii) supportive team behaviour, (iii) communication, and (iv) performance feedback. High-performance teams wishing to improve performance should examine these factors within their team and its environment. It is widely acknowledged that the dynamics of team function is important for outcomes in high-performance sport, yet there is little evidence to provide guidance. This inequality between real-world need and the available evidence should be addressed in future research.
Highlights
Considering that the success of athlete support teams is often measured by athletic performance outcomes [3], evidence supports the notion that contemporary athlete achievement can be strongly influenced by the function of the athlete support team [4, 5]
Job tenure and performance dissimilarity are associated with lower team performance as broader contextual factors in the social world are potential obstacles to effective team functioning [65, 74]. This systematic scoping review identified four key variables that were associated with team function and performance across a variety of industries; (i) leadership styles [17], (ii) supportive team behaviour [18], (iii) communication, and (iv) performance feedback [20]
Leadership Styles Influence Team Cohesion and Performance In sport, leadership behaviour is not just important for individual players; it is important for the team as a whole as it establishes an interpersonal environment characterised by support, respect, trust and appreciation of staff and players [86], which have a positive influence on team cohesion and performance [86]
Summary
Each team has the potential to rise or fall based on the group of people who share the same passion and goals and are working together to achieve success [1] This narrative is very common in elite sport, an environment that presents considerable health and performance challenges to the athlete and those charged with the responsibility of supporting them [2]. The primary aim of our systematic scoping review was to explore the factors influencing team function and performance across various industries and discuss findings in the context of the high-performance sport support team setting. These outcomes may be used to inform future research into high-performance teamwork in sport
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