A Systematic Literature Review: The Influence of Basketball Coaches’ Leadership Styles on Team Outcomes

Xinyi Zhang

doi:10.6918/IJOSSER.202604_9(4).0014

Authors

Xinyi Zhang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6918/IJOSSER.202604_9(4).0014

Keywords:

Basketball coach, Leadership style, Team cohesion, Athlete well-being, Team performance

Abstract

Basketball coaches’ leadership styles strongly influence team climate, athlete well-being, and competitive performance. This systematic review synthesized evidence from Scopus, Web of Science, and CNKI (2015–2025) following PRISMA and PEO frameworks, with 15 studies included for qualitative analysis. We aimed to clarify the diversity of coaching leadership styles and their differential impacts on team cohesion, recognition, and satisfaction. Results show that leadership styles significantly predict team cohesion, athlete motivation, psychological well-being, and performance. Democratic and transformational leadership effectively enhance team cohesion and athlete development, whereas authoritarian leadership is associated with poor long-term outcomes. Situational factors such as competitive level and sport type moderate leadership effectiveness. Limitations include small or region-specific samples and reliance on self-reported data. Future research should explore cross-cultural and longitudinal mechanisms to improve generalizability. This review provides evidence-based insights for coaching practice and leadership training.

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