Transformational leadership and group cohesion in sport: Examining the mediating role of interactional justice using a within- and between-team approach

Abstract

The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the mediating role of interactional justice, in the relationship between transformational leadership and cohesion in team sports. Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling was employed to test individual- and group-level models using a sample of 315 athletes from 25 team sports. The results suggest that interactional justice acts as a mediator in the relationship between transformational leadership and cohesion. Nevertheless, results are contingent on the level of analysis (i.e. individual- or group-level) and the specific dimension of interactional justice (i.e. interpersonal or informational justice). Implications for coaches are discussed.