Athletes’ Perceptions of Role Acceptance in Interdependent Sport Teams

Roles are structural components of groups and represent the patterns of behavior expected of an individual within a specific social context (Biddle, 1979). Literature in sport as well as organizational domains has emphasized the importance of roles in groups characterized by a high degree of task interdependence (Carron & Eys, 2012; Kahn, Wolfe, Quinn, Snoek, & Rosenthal, 1964). In other words, in interdependent groups where performance is the main goal, the differentiation and specialization of role responsibilities is crucial to team effectiveness (Wageman, Fisher, & Hackman, 2009). Kahn et al. (1964) developed a theoretical framework to examine the nature of how role expectations are transmitted in a group setting. Underscoring the importance of roles in sport, researchers have embraced this framework to examine a number of aspects related to the generation, communication, and execution of role responsibilities in interdependent teams. For example, how well an athlete understands his/her role responsibilities (i.e., role clarity) is positively linked with perceptions of group cohesion, leadership behaviors, and individual role performance outcomes (e.g., Beauchamp, Bray, Eys, & Carron, 2002; Beauchamp, Bray, Eys, & Carron, 2005; Bosselut, McLaren, Eys, & Heuze, 2012). However, though ensuring athletes understand their role responsibilities is important, athletes who choose not to subsequently accept the responsibilities/expectations defined for them will likely eradicate any positive outcomes of clear role communication processes (Benson, Surya, & Eys). As such, scholars have posited that accepting one's role is a fundamental process related to the performance of role responsibilities and, ultimately, the group (Canon & Eys, 2012)-a sentiment that is echoed in the popular media as the following quote illustrates: When you're talking about winning at the highest level, individual needs for minutes and touches, if that stuff comes into the equation, then you got guys who aren't about the right things ... Anybody who presents themselves with that kind of selfishness isn't deserving of being in a Mavericks' uniform. This isn't going to be about role definition. It's going to be about role acceptance. (Rick Carlisle, head coach for the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks; Sefko, 2010, para. 5).