THE SOCIAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF BASEBALL TEAMS IN THE COMMUNITY

抄録

This survey was conducted in order to clarify the factors affecting the formation and the development of the Japanese kitten baseball clubs in the community. When conducting the survey, specific observational emphases were put on the two main group functions, i.e., maintenance function and performance function, external conditions of the clubs, and various characteristics of the members composed of groups. This investigation was performed consecutively in three years from 1967 to 1969; in the first year, to clarify mainly the social background, in the second year, the social factors affecting the development of teams, and in the third year, the social factors causing the disintegration of baseball teams. The total number of baseball teams surveyed were 149. Conclusions drawn from this survey were as follows; 1. External social conditions were the most important factors affecting the formation, maintenance, and development of the baseball teams in the community. 2. The maintenance and improvement of teams themselves were more complicated and difficult than the formation of the teams. 3. Four factors were found to be necessary for maintaining and developing a team. 4. The most decisive factors concerned with the maintenance and the development of a baseball team in a community seemed to be the social conditions which affected the team's performance function.