Document Type : Original Research
Authors
1
Master's degree, Shahrood University of Technology
2
Faculty Member, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Shahrood University of Technology
3
PhD, Shahrood University of Technology
4
Assistant Professor, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the impact of transformational leadership on football players’ performance, with team cohesion serving as a mediating variable. The research was descriptive–correlational, applied in purpose, and cross-sectional in time. Conducted in the field, the study employed the Athlete Performance Questionnaire (Charbonneau et al., 2001), the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire (Boyle et al., 2019), and the Team Cohesion Questionnaire (Carron et al., 1985). The validity of the questionnaires was confirmed by 10 expert faculty members, and reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, with all variables exceeding the acceptable threshold of 0.7. The population included football players from clubs in North Khorasan Province, with 324 participants selected through Klein’s (2000) sample size determination method and convenience sampling.
Hypothesis testing revealed that transformational leadership had a direct and significant effect on player performance (path coefficient = 0.174, t = 2.842, p = 0.005). It also exerted a strong positive effect on team cohesion (path coefficient = 0.662, t = 17.757, p = 0.000), which in turn directly influenced player performance (path coefficient = 0.449, t = 8.408, p = 0.000). Furthermore, transformational leadership indirectly affected player performance through team cohesion (path coefficient = 0.297, p = 0.000), highlighting team cohesion as a key mediating factor in translating leadership effects into performance outcomes.
Based on these findings, it is recommended that football clubs and federations implement programs to develop transformational leadership skills and facilitate team-building activities, such as group camps and collaborative projects. These interventions are expected to enhance team cohesion, cooperation, and mutual trust among players, ultimately leading to improved individual and overall team performance. Strengthening both leadership capacity and team dynamics can therefore serve as a strategic approach to achieving higher performance standards in football teams.
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