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

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.

Basketball coaches; Leadership behavior; Team cohesion

1. Adiloğulları, İ. (2025). Exploring the interplay of coach behaviours, team resilience, and collective efficacy in young athletes. Frontiers in Psychology. Advance online publication. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Liu, R. (2025). How coach leadership behavior influences athletes’ performance, relationship, and fatigue. Frontiers in Psychology. Advance online publication. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Oh, Y. (2023). Communication and team cohesion: A transformational leadership perspective. SAGE Open, 13(3). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Schei, G. S. (2023). Identity leadership and cohesion in elite sport. Social Sciences, 12(8), Article 106. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Zhao, Z. (2025). Athlete participation, engagement, collective self-esteem, and team cohesion among adolescent soccer players. Behavioral Sciences, 15(2), Article 155. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Lam, E. T. C., Drcar, S. S. J., & Song, X. (2021). Predominant coaching leadership behaviors of high school head basketball coaches: A pilot study. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 9(11), 219–243. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Adiloğulları, İ., & Yıldız, M. (2025). Supportive coaching behavior as a predictor of team resilience and efficacy in youth sport. Journal of Sports Sciences, in press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Wang, L. (2024). The impact of team cohesion on athlete engagement in college basketball. Frontiers in Psychology. Advance online publication. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Oh, Y. (2023). Transformational leadership, social norms, and cohesion in individual vs. team sport athletes. International Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, in press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Cotterill, S. T. (2022). Athlete leadership development within teams. Sports, 10(4), 1–11. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Choi, J. N., & Vinokur, A. D. (2025). Transformational leadership and coach–team relations in sport contexts. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, in press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Fehr, C. (2022). Team cohesion strategies for success. Physical Education & Health Journal. April issue. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Solakumur, A. (2022). The effect of coaches’ leadership behaviors on athletes’ emotion regulation strategies. Sport Journal, in press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Bourgeais, Q., Charrier, R., Sanlaville, E., & Seifert, L. (2025). Temporal passing network in basketball: The effect of time pressure on team organization dynamics. arXiv preprint. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Schei, G. S. (2023). Identity leadership and task cohesion in elite sports. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 67, Article 102153. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study