The Mediating Effects of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors in Sport between Team Cohesion and Team Effectiveness

Aim: The primary objectives of this research were to (a) validate the new OCB scale in an Asian context by evaluating its criterion and concurrent validity and reliability and (b) examine the mediating relationships between team cohesion and team effectiveness through OCB in sport. This study also compared the proposed relationships between Korea and Hong Kong, as student-athletes' perceptions and attitudes toward their athletic participation and experience may differ based on unique structures and cultural factors in the two countries.
Theoretical Background and Literature Review
Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) are characterized as discretionary individual actions that are not explicitly acknowledged by a formal reward system of an organization but collectively enhance organizational functionality (Organ, 1988). Such voluntary behaviors can be widely observed in the context of sport and have potential influence on team dynamics, performance outcomes, and organizational effectiveness (Aoyagi et al., 2008). Due to this potential influence of OCB in sport, there is a clear need for more research on the concept, including its antecedents and outcomes (Wagstaff et al., 2011). Therefore, our research team made foundational efforts to develop a new OCB scale (Kim et al., 2022) to reflect the unique nature of OCB in intercollegiate sport. The current research serves as a follow-up study intended to expand the OCB scale, initially developed in the United States, by implementing it in two Asian countries (i.e., Korea and Hong Kong) and proposing a conceptual model to analyze the potential relationships between OCB and other performance-related variables in sport.
Research Design, Methodology, and Data Analysis
In the current study, data comprised survey responses from 613 college student-athletes (261 from Korea and 352 from Hong Kong, with 282 males and 331 females) across 25 sports. Validated scales for team cohesion (Carron et al., 1985), team effectiveness (Short et al., 2005), and OCB in sport (Kim et al., 2022) were employed, using a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) to investigate each item. Researchers utilized confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the established model. Construct validity and reliability were assessed following the two-step approach by Anderson and Gerbing (1988). CFA examined the measurement model, while SEM analyzed the research model. Fit indices, such as CFI, TLI, RMSEA, and SRMR, were evaluated, with CFI and TLI values ≥ .9 and RMSEA and SRMR values ≤ .08 indicating acceptable fit. A multi-group analysis was conducted to identify the moderation effects of two countries.
Results and Discussion
The results indicated that both the measurement model [χ^2 = 440.053, df = 74, CFI = .956, TLI = .946, RMSEA = .090 (.082-.098), SRMR = .043] and the hypothesized model [χ^2 = 446.274, df = 75, CFI = .955, TLI = .946, RMSEA = .090 (.082-.098), SRMR = .047] were acceptable. The study revealed that team cohesion significantly influenced OCB (b = .753, p < .01) and that OCB significantly impacted team performance (b = .750, p < .01). Furthermore, the results supported the full mediating effect of OCB between team cohesion and team performance (b = .565, p < .05). However, the multi-group analysis results indicated no significant differences between the Korea and Hong Kong groups.
Conclusion, Contribution, and Implication
The current study contributes to the sport management literature by empirically validating the relevance of OCB in intercollegiate sports in Asia and examining its mediating role in enhancing team effectiveness. The findings highlight the importance of promoting team cohesion for improved performance through OCB. Notably, no significant cultural differences were found between the Korea and Hong Kong groups. Comprehensive practical implications will be discussed to enhance team cohesion and OCB in sport.