A study of leadership and team cohesion of Division I taekwondo scholarship athletes in Taiwan

The research investigated the relationship between perceived leadership behaviors and team-cohesion of 50 elite collegiate male and 39 female Taiwanese Taekwondo athletes. Athletes completed two sets of questionnaires: the Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS) and the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). The statistical methods for data analyses included descriptive analysis, t-test, linear regression, ONE WAY ANOVA and multiple variance analysis. Following findings were concluded: (1) Males: The student-athlete preferred scores higher than student-athlete perceived scores for training instruction, social support and positive feedback. The student-athlete preferred scores were lower than player-perceived scores for democratic behavior. However, the full scholarship student-athlete scores were lower than partial scholarship for ATGS (Individual Attraction to Group-Social). (2) Females: The average preferred scores were higher than the perceived scores in training instruction and positive feedback. The preferred score in democratic behavior was lower than the perceived score. Athletes with scholarships actually had lower perceived scores in four of five leadership categorical variables than those of non-scholarship athletes. Partial-scholarship athletes' scores in democratic behavior and social support were significantly lower. However, full-scholarship athletes had the highest score in training instruction. In general, athletes with scholarships had higher scores in Group Integration variables. (3) Males and females: There was statistical significance between male and female student-athlete's leadership dimensions. There was statistical significance between male and female leadership dimensions related to full scholarship. There was statistically between male and female Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) dimensions related to full scholarship. The partial scholarship male scores were higher than female scores for training instruction. There were no scholarship male scores higher than female scores for Group Integration-Task. In conclusion, the researcher would encourage coaches to provide more teaching instructions, positive feedback and social support. Female student-athletes prefer more democratic behavior in leadership style. Yet male student-athletes prefer more autocratic leadership style from their coaches. Because scholarship-athletes exhibited lower scores toward several leadership behaviors, coaches would have to carefully monitor those student-athletes' motivation and satisfaction.