Part 1: Group & Team Dynamics (finishing L20)

• Social Loafing

  • Reduced individual effort when performing as part of a group 
  • Explains motivational losses 
  • Social loafing occurs when: 
  • Identifiability of individual performances is lost within a group performance 
  • Diffusion of responsibility & lack of accountability 
  • Can also occur when task is not perceived to be important 
  • Team doesn’t know each other well
  • Persons contribution to outcome is redundant
  • Perceive team-mates are of higher ability
• Social Loafing

  • Reduced individual effort when performing as part of a group 
  • So…
  • Monitoring individual performances can decrease social loafing 
  • Social Incentives - increases individual effort 
  • Peer pressure from teammates, praise/recognition, social approval, social support 
• Social Loafing

  • Reduced individual effort when performing as part of a group 
  • Explains motivational losses 
  • Bigger team harder to work together
  • Or due to withdrawing effort 
  • Showed majority of faulty due to withdrawing effort (psych of coordination problem)
  • Phenomena is known as social loafing 
  • Explains if why these motivational losses occur
• Social Loafing occurs when: 

  • Identifiability of individual performances is lost within a group performance 
  • Diffusion of responsibility & lack of accountability 
  • Can also occur when task is not perceived to be important
  • Outcome doesn’t matter 
  • Team doesn’t know each other well
  • Not connected, or have respect for them 
  • Persons contribution to outcome is redundant
  • When individual role in team, believe doesn't have impact in overall performance - team will still play well without me 
  • Perceive team-mates are of higher ability
  • Let them take responsibility
• Social Loafing

  • Social loafing occurs when: 
  • Identifiability of individual performances is lost within a group performance 
  • Explain why motivational losses happen 
  • Results in decrease in performance 
  • Key aspect to improve to help reduce faulty processes so team can perform better
• Social Loafing

  • Reduced individual effort when performing as part of a group 
  • So…
  • Monitoring individual performances can decrease social loafing 
  • + team performance 
  • Increases accountability
  • Think individual performance is important for team performance
  • More motivated for your mistakes not to be recorded - for me to be accountable
  • Also if it is being recorded
  • Own personal goals (so you do well as well as just your team)
  • Also decreases social loafing
  • Something you can identify, to identify that your performance was good in that team performance
• Social Loafing

  • So…
  • Social Incentives - increases individual effort 
  • Peer pressure from team-mates, praise/recognition, social approval, social support 
  • To feel more connected to teammates
  • Positive reinforcement to help you perform well 
  • Also decrease social loafing 
  • Social support within the team 
  • Social loafing can occur when others are taking up slack then when won't put in that effort 
  • If increase social support, increase trust in teammates (to perform well + support) - social loafing should decrease
  • So feel motivated to perform at your best
• Social Loafing - Everett et al. (1992) Swim Study - 2 trials

  • Trial 1: Individual lap times were announced (high identifiability) → Individuals swam faster in relays than in individual races 
  • Trial 2: Individual lap times NOT announced (low identifiability) → Individuals swam faster in individual races than in relays 
  • 1 way to overcoming social loafing is to increase identifiability 
  • To make performances accountable

  
• Social Loafing - Everett et al. (1992) Swim Study - 2 trials

  • Trial 1: Individual lap times were announced (high identifiability) → Individuals swam faster in relays than in individual races 
  • Also each time within a relay 
  • All teammates know what my performance was
  • Positive motivational factor to reduce motivational losses/social loafing
  • Trial 2: Individual lap times NOT announced (low identifiability) → Individuals swam faster in individual races than in relays 
  • Don't know individual or individual time within a relay

  
• Practical Implications

  • Individual skill performance shouldn’t be the only factor in team selection 
  • Need to establish specific team & individual goals
  • Need to give performance feedback & reinforcement for team & individual goals
  • Need to give individual recognition - emphasise individuals specific role in team effort (without creating ego oriented motivational climate)
• Practical Implications

  • Individual skill performance shouldn’t be the only factor in team selection 
  • Want team to coordinate & work together (communicate well to achieve team goal & objectives)
  • Need to establish specific team & individual goals
  • So that are motivated to work for team but also yourself 
  • Need to give performance feedback & reinforcement for team & individual goals
  • Establish accountability 
  • For your improvement not just team feedback
• Practical Implications

  • Need to give individual recognition - emphasise individuals specific role in team effort (without creating ego oriented motivational climate)
  • Each individual role in team, in team effort 
  • Why are important for team 
  • Without goal/ego orientation but more task motivation 
  • Not competitive environment against other team members