...key to the overall organizational effectiveness. This being said even well designed teams can fall prey to the pitfalls and conflict that are present any time you bring people together and our Target Logistics Team is not immune from these problems. We will look at some of these potential problems and suggest solutions that can be employed to reduce their negative impact. Problems that are particular to the Logistics Team are Social Loafing and Free Riding, Groupthink, and Conflict. Social Loafing People in groups often do not work as hard as they do when alone, this is known as social loafing. This can have a negative effect on productivity where the team performance may increase with the size of the team, but the rate of increase in performance is negatively accelerated. Because of the size of our team we are likely to experience the Social Loafing Effect (Figure 1), which is that the greater number of people who work on a group task, the smaller the contribution any one member of the group will make. Within our Logistics Team social loafing is often experienced on the assembly line during the daily unload. It always starts out with everyone contributing relatively evenly, but usually another 2 or 3 guys are splintered on the schedule to come in half an hour after everyone else. Once they join the assembly line the pace often still stays the same. (with more people, it should have been a given that it would have increased) Each Person on the line is talking more, and...
Words: 1628 - Pages: 7
...in their tasks, who share responsibility for outcomes, who see themselves and who are seen by others as an intact social entity embedded in one or more larger social systems..”. The previous definition is pointing out the aspects of teamwork, which appear to be mutual reliance, interdependence and sense of responsibility that members feel when collaborating. Based on the previous theory, numerous benefits of teamwork can be underlined. One of the most important advantages that teamwork brings within an organisation is efficiency. According to Procter and Mueller (2000), it has been debated by supporters that it offers a more productive, creative, satisfying and empowering way of working. The efficiency of teamwork can also be highlighted from the book „Organizational Behaviour” by Daniel King and Scott Lawley, OUP 2013(page 165, Table 6.7), in which benefits like reduced dependency on particular individuals, faster decision making, increased time utilization and task requirements are considered benefits of teamwork. Another major benefit for companies which rely on teamwork is social facilitation (Norman Triplett, 1898). His theory points out that members who work within a group tend to become more productive, possiby due to competition within the group. Furthermore, this benefit can be pointed out by West (2004) which states that teamwork can create social bonds between members, thus giving greater camaraderie. However, Harkins...
Words: 643 - Pages: 3
...SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT BUSM2301 Introduction to Organizational Behavior Learning Contract C SOCIAL LOAFING Course: BUSM 2301. Group Number: 10. Full name: Linh, Dang Binh Phuong. Student ID: s3210262. Words Count: 1,995. TABLE OF CONTENT I. INTRODUCTION 3 II. LEARNING IN ACTIONS - FINDINGS - ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION: 3 1. Observation: 3 2. Apply theories: 4 2.1 - Applied theory of "Specializing the tasks": 4 2.2 - Applied theory of " Establish task importance along with highlight achievement": 5 3. Interview 6 III. CONCLUSION 7 IV. REFERENCE 8 I. INTRODUCTION After doing research and review on Social Loafing at LCB, in this LCC, I would like to present what actions and strategies I have used and applied based on theories about this topic as well as making interviews in order to achieve my learning goal. Moreover, I would like to analyze and evaluate the results of what I have done based on the detail action plan introduced at LCB. Finally, in the conclusion I will point out what I have learnt, how effective my learning contract is and what I should do to improve it in the next time stage. II. LEARNING IN ACTIONS - FINDINGS - ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION: While looking through the Social Loafing literature review (LCB) to get better and thorough understanding about my topic, I decided to take following actions to fulfill my understanding on Social Loafing as well as to reach my desired learning goal. 1. Observation: To me, observation is the very first...
Words: 2054 - Pages: 9
...performing stage they will each be turning in their completed pieces of work and meeting the expectations of their peers. This is where the majority of the group is, minus Mike. At this point the group has all turned in their completed parts of the whole while Mike has turned in hand scratched incomplete notes. Once the team has completed their tasks, they can complete the final stage of adjourning or disbanding the group. If Christine, the team leader, had a clear understanding of these stages, she might have been able to motivate Mike out of his social loafing as well as create a cohesive team with a sense of belonging that could have fostered better performance from all members. The primary problem I see with this case study is the social loafing Mike is exhibiting and that the group is allowing. With one week left before the final product needs to be presented, this issue should have been addressed weeks ago. Mike’s social loafing, or lack of performance because someone else in the group will make up for his shortfall, has been an ongoing issued from the beginning. He has not shown up to meetings, was not able to adjust his schedule to accommodate others, and submits subpar work that he expects Christine to interpret and present...
Words: 898 - Pages: 4
...will discuss social loafing, group development and comparing our class to a team or group. Social loafing occurs when people work less hard in groups than they would individually. An effective team/group according to the text is one that achieves a high level of task performance, member satisfaction and team viability. One of the Keller student mottos: "you get out what you put in" relates to avoiding social loafing in the online community. Ways to social loaf: 1. wait until others post in a discussion to avoid doing any of the initial foot work--then you can just comment on someone else's work and still engage in the discussion. 2. Only read what the professor writes and answer his/her queries and questions, avoiding interacting with the other team members and thereby not really gaining anything through the process of discussion. 3. avoid reading the textbook on a deep and intimate level by cruising around the message board and picking up the application of the material--as you know this is how you will be tested anyhow! The text uses the show Survivor as an example. One contestant who wasn't very physically able is simply to mind the fire overnight, but doesn't and sleeps instead, knowing that one of the others will "cover" for him anyway. Although the tasks gets done, his social loafing jeopardized his role and eventually his respect by the others and he was voted out of the tribe. The text suggests that team leaders can avoid encouraging social loafing by: 1. keeping...
Words: 713 - Pages: 3
...The Forgotten Group Member Group Development Working in a group to achieve a high quality group project can be one of people’s most difficult school experiences. Working in a group is tough because there is often someone who does not pull their own weight. “There are five stages to group development, adjourning, forming, storming, performing, and norming” (John & Wiley pg 166). Christine’s group from the Case Study the Forgotten Group Member is in between the Storming and Norming Stages. The Storming Stage “is dealing with tensions and defining group tasks,” while the Norming Stage is dealing with high emotionality and tension among the group members” (John & Wiley pg. 166). Christine and her group could have had better success in creating a solid group paper if she would have focused more on the forming stage at the beginning of their relationship. The forming stage happens “in the initial entry into the group,” during this stage individuals ask a number of questions as they begin to identify with other group members and with the team itself” (John & Wiley pg 166). Group member Mike was the black sheep of the group. He did not complete his assigned tasks and missed group meetings because of work and personal issues. Christine became frusterated because of his absences and his incomplete work. In the beginning meetings of the group, Christine and other groups members could have asked the questions during the forming stage like “What are the potential barriers...
Words: 973 - Pages: 4
...when its work is accomplished. This stage is especially important for temporary teams, such as task forces, committees, etc.. Members have to be able to convene quickly, do their jobs on a tight schedule, and then adjourn, and be able to reconvene later if needed, which is a long-term test of team success. Reflecting on the case “The forgotten group member” the group is in the storming stage. Mike is considered the class clown of the group and he doesn’t seem to be taking the assignment seriously. Mike had a lot of excuses, such as not wanting to meet before class because he did not like to miss his favorite television show, meeting times conflicted with his work schedule, and that he was having problems with his girlfriend. . Social facilitation theory suggests that working in the presence of others...
Words: 909 - Pages: 4
...| | |Curbing Social Loafing in the Retail Environment | | | | | | Introduction Verizon Wireless is one of the major cell phone companies in the United States. According to its website, it has 73,000 employees and over 1900 retail locations. Its annual revenue in 2012 was $75.9 billion.Verizon Wireless was founded in 2000 by Verizon Communications and Vodafone. This company is very successful in the retail channel. Having worked in this channel with the company for three years and being a customer of the company for eight years has given insight into how important productivity is for continued success. (http://aboutus.verizonwireless.com/company/story/) In 2000, Vodafone AirTouch and Bell Atlantic Corp. received regulatory approval to combine their U.S. wireless assets, Bell Atlantic Mobile and AirTouch Communications. This $90-billion joint venture began operations as Verizon Wireless on April 4, 2000. Verizon quickly grew as it acquired other...
Words: 3829 - Pages: 16
...if not remaking, at least tweaking Apple in his own image. He’s been reshuffling Apple’s corporate structure and changing some of its corporate philosophies, The Wall Street Journal reports. He has, for example announced that Apple will now match employee donations to charities and nonprofits up to $10,000 a year, this is something Steve Jobs always opposed. Tim Cook has already split the business (Apple) into a sales arm and a marketing arm. Mr. Time Cook, as you embark on your journey as new CEO of Apple here are a few things you should look out for when transforming Apple into a Team/group company. * Social Loafing- individuals in the workforce put forth less effort when they work in teams than when they work alone. * Synergy- an effect wherein the total output of a team is greater than the combined outputs of individual members working alone. * Social Facilitation- Tendency for Performance to improve or decline in the presents of others. Transforming a company into groups/ teams has its benefits; however I strongly believe tweaking Apple into a “team” would be the best idea. My recommendation for you moving forward as new CEO would be to make a slow transition with reshuffling or tweaking Apple. The company has done extremely well in the past in surpassing the competition; one wrong decision could have a negative affect towards the company’s...
Words: 280 - Pages: 2
...In the passage “Individuals in Group”, author Carol Tavris demonstrated a psychological theory called “diffusion of responsibility” or “social loafing”. They are the social phenomenon whereby an individual is less likely to take action and responsibility when other peoples are present. In another word, people in a group become lazier and will make less effort compare to the individuals who work alone. Such theory not only appeared in our everyday life, but also can be seen in literature like Orwell’s 1984, specifically, the scene called the Two Minutes Hate. The characters there behave both similar and different to the behaviors as Tavris described. Tavris states in the passage, “Something happens to individuals when they are in a group. They think and act differently than they would on their own”shows the main idea throughout the article. Individuals who are alone will act differently and will take actions sooner than those in a group will. An example Tavris provided in the...
Words: 714 - Pages: 3
...The purpose of this study is to determine which type of group works better at a creative brainstorming task. This study will also test the social inhibition theory. This theory states that people will perform tasks worse in the presence of others than performing the task alone. For example if someone is taking a guitar class they might be able to perform the song perfectly when they are practicing alone, but once they are performing the song in front of the instructor they will most likely perform the song with several mistakes. A study done at University of South Alabama, researchers looked at the effects of social inhibition with regards to novice golfers. The researchers had a group of 20 golfers make 20 putts in front of five strangers...
Words: 451 - Pages: 2
...chapter’s review and the authors’ core position about social loafing. Then the next part will express my evaluation of this position and give my own ideas. At last, it will talk about how effective group work could boost an organization’s performance. Discussion Chapter’s Review Prior chapter 10 introduces some group characteristics which could help the group work. Those characteristics include a group’s composition, function, the ways that a group controls its members and the socialization process status. However, a question comes: how to using the right kinds of characteristics and behavior tools to improve work group’s effectiveness? Chapter 11 addressed this question. The chapter builds on this foundation and examine why and which characteristics could make the group work more effective than individuals working alone. In chapter 11 there are at least five topics. The first is about how to minimize process loses and achieve process gain. The second one describes a problem in group motivation: social loafing. The third one explains three kinds of task interdependence. They are pooled interdependence, sequential interdependence, and reciprocal interdependence. The fourth one is about group cohesiveness. Finally, the fifth one offers four important types of work groups, which are top management team, self-managed work teams, research and development (R&D) teams, and virtual teams. Core position of the author about social loafing In a group, every employee’s...
Words: 1643 - Pages: 7
...used as a working example in the essay which aims to discuss what makes an effective delivery team and enables productive teamwork in an IT service company (described in the previous section). Team and Teamwork Team (Together Everyone Achieves More). A team can be said to be comprising of a group of people linked in a common purpose. Team for some is a four lettered word which at times is used too much or too less. The business definition of teamwork relates to the collective decision making processes that lead to goal oriented relationships formed between all participants. Generally, what is required from teams are the integration of work from the people involved, the generation of motives and solutions to the problem concentrated on, high involvement, team leadership and continuous encouragement. In an interview with J. Richard Hackman by Daine Coutu published in Harvard Business Review, May 2009, the discussion reveals that teams and teamwork may not always work. Problems with co-ordination, keeping motivation going, social loafing, competing with other teams erode the benefit of collaboration that team and team working bring. Types of Teams Although there are various types of team, teams can be broadly classified into the following: A) Self-managed teams B) Problem solving teams C) Virtual teams D) Cross functional team Self-managed teams are where members work together for a common...
Words: 1989 - Pages: 8
...postmodernism b. Functionalism, feminism, and conflict c. Functionalism, conflict, and social learning d. Functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interactionism 2. True/False Norms provide guidance so that we can align our actions with those of others when situations are unclear or ambiguous. a. true b. false 3. Which sociologist proposed that forming a triad by adding one person to a dyad is far more consequential that adding one person to any other size group? a. John James b. George Simmel c. George Herbert Mead d. Muzafer Sherif 4. Procedures that people employ in making social life and society intelligible to themselves and others is the definition of: a. groupthink b. dyad c. social loafing d. ethnomethodology 5. A classic study by social scientist ___________ showed us how sociology can reveal new levels of social reality. a. Elliot Liebow b. C. Wright Mills c. Auguste Comte d. Herbert Spencer 6. Who is commonly credited with being the “founder of sociology”? a. Elliot Liebow b. C. Wright Mills c. Auguste Comte d. Herbert Spencer 7. The definition of socialization is: a. actions through which people observe, interpret, evaluate, communicate with, and attempt to control themselves. b. the set of concepts we use in defining who we are. c. a process of social interaction by which people acquire the knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviors essential for...
Words: 792 - Pages: 4
...In this report, I will reflect on what I’ve learnt in the course ‘Learning and Communicating Online’ and in particular, I’ll discuss what I have learnt about finding, using and evaluating online sources for academic communication. I’ll also discuss how my ideas of using online sources of information have developed during the course and how the development of an informational resource has helped me understand how to evaluate the credibility of online sources in an academic environment. I will also reflect on the advantages and limitations of working collaboratively in an online community. Firstly, researching a topic through the use of different online resources including informational websites and social media platforms helped me understand not only ‘how I learn’ but also that you can learn different things from different resources. During the course I researched information on MyLink, Holden’s infotainment system. The online resources I used to help with my research included: YouTube, GM Holden website, Reddit, Wikipedia and CarAdvice.com.au. Researching through Wikipedia helped me learn about Piaget’s Constructivist Theory (Atherton, JS 2010) which suggests that when we learn, we build on prior knowledge which is called ‘Assimilation’ and when we change our perceptions or alter our pre-existing knowledge when we learn new information this is called ‘Accommodation.’ From learning this, I knew that I was learning through what Piaget called ‘Assimilation’ where I was able to...
Words: 1642 - Pages: 7
