European Journal of Education Studies ISSN: 2501 - 1111 ISSN-L: 2501 - 1111 Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/edu Volume 3 │ Issue 12 │ 2017 doi: 10.5281/zenodo.1129356 COMMITMENT TO TEAM GOALS IN SPORT: ADAPTATION OF GOAL COMMITMENT SCALE TO SPORT FIELD Ender Şenel1i Mevlüt Yildiz1 Kemal Tamer2 1 Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Turkey 2 Gazi University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Turkey Abstract: The aim of this study was to revise Goal Commitment Scale, developed by Hollenbeck, Williams and Klein (1989) with 9 items, revised by Klein, Wesson, Hollenbeck and Wright to items and adapted to Turkish by Şenel and Yıldız to measure commitment to team goals and analyze validation and reliability in a sample including athletes. The Turkish version of the 5-item Goal Commitment Scale was revised by taking expert opinion to measure commitment to team goals. The Revised form was sent to at least 2-year licensed athletes on the Internet, and data was collected from 400 athletes. The data were examined and 25 improper data were excluded. Collected data were analyzed in SPSS by using Exploratory Factor Analysis and in AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structure) program by using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Results showed that the revised commitment scale that measures commitment to team goals could be used for samples including athletes. Keywords: goal commitment, team goals, scale development 1. Introduction A goal is a purpose or object that an individual spends effort to reach (Locke, 1969). Commitment is defined as maintaining spending effort to reach an original goal and stresses unwillingness to give up the goal or reduce the original goal (Campion & Lord, Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. © 2015 – 2017 Open Access Publishing Group 384 Ender Şenel, Mevl(t Yildiz, Kemal Tamer COMMITMENT TO TEAM GOALS IN SPORT: ADAPTATION OF GOAL COMMITMENT SCALE TO SPORT FIELD 1982). Goal commitment, in the definition of Locke et al. (1981), refers to determination to reach a goal. In the goal theory, goal commitment is defined as an important condition because a goal has no effect if commitment does not exist (Latham, Erez & Locke, 1988). The goal setting theory hypothesizes that goals are instant regulators for behaviors. This theory was developed as a structure to predict, explore, and influence motivation of an individual in the work place. According to this theory, a certain high-level goal provides opportunity for higher performance when compared to circumstances in which easier and uncertain goals (i.e. do your best) or no goal exist. Moreover, this highlights determined goal commitment principle; in short, the higher the goal the higher the performance. Finally, variables such as feedback or knowledge of results, motives, participating decision making process and competition influence the worker performance to the extent that only certain higher goals are set and committed (Latham, Ganegoda & Locke, 2011). Locke (1968), in the beginning, proposed that goal commitment had moderator role in the relationship between goal difficulty and performance. In fact, positive relationship between difficulty and performance was observed among individuals committed to a goal. Klein et al. (1999) suggested that the major result of goal commitment was that it moderated the relationship between goal difficulty and performance. Klein and Wright (1994) lay emphasis on goal commitment by stressing that committed individuals display higher performance than others when everyone has difficult goals in the same degree. Hollenbeck and Klein (1987) examined 109 goal-setting studies and revealed that few studies measured the goal commitment. The only study to measure goal commitment is the translation of Goal Commitment Scale to Turkish by Şenel and Yıldız in Turkish literature. Limited studies based on or included goal-setting theory have been found (Arslan and Göksoy, and Çarıkçı, ; Ataman, ; Altınışık, ; Yılmaz and Turgut, 2016; Zeynel ) and only Mavisu (2010) included the goal commitment concept in goal-setting process. Goal commitment has direct impact on performance (Sue-Chan and Ong, 2002; Klein and Mulvey, 1995; Locke et al., 1981). It is important to have a tool to assess commitment to team goals in sport, which is more likely to contribute to performance like any other psychological factors. In this regard, Goal Commitment Scale was adapted to Turkish students studying in the field of physical education and sport Şenel and Yıldız, . Goal Commitment Scale has items and assesses goal commitment level of participants. The aim of this study was to revise Goal Commitment Scale in European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 12 │ 2017 385 Ender Şenel, Mevl(t Yildiz, Kemal Tamer COMMITMENT TO TEAM GOALS IN SPORT: ADAPTATION OF GOAL COMMITMENT SCALE TO SPORT FIELD accordance with the sport field, test the validity and reliability of the revised version of the scale, and assesses commitment of individual and team athletes to their team goals. For viewing / downloading the full article, please access the following link: https://oapub.org/edu/index.php/ejes/article/view/1319 European Journal of Education Studies - Volume 3 │ Issue 12 │ 2017 386