Experiences of employees who participate in organisational team sport activities

Abstract

More than a third of an employee’s time is often spent in a stressful environment – the workplace. The stress can be alleviated when employees treat each other with trust and respect and when friendships are forged. Relationships are necessary for effective teamwork in organisations and will not develop without mutual trust and respect. The purpose of this research was to explore the employees’ experiences regarding relationships, trust and respect related to participation in organisational team sport. Improved relationships, trust and respect among employees should enhance the competence in the organisation because the organisation works towards mutual goals. Once the goals of the organisation are aligned, the organisation can move forward through strong leadership. The qualitative exploration study was conducted among 26 employees of two financial organisations that engage in organisational team sport. The data were collected by means of focus group interviews. The results indicated that a strong bond was established between employees in the organisation during organisational team sport. Organisational team sport should be considered as a vehicle for improving cohesion and increasing trust and respect in a workforce, since it enhances friendships among employees. The contributions that organisational team sport makes to an organisation are all requirements for an effective workforce. The findings contribute valuable new knowledge to the literature on the influence of organisational team sport on relationships, trust and respect between employees.