Social Loafing Free Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Social Loafing. Answer: Introduction This topic presents an overview on Social Loafing and perceptions of students on group assignments. The biggest issue which was found was the allocation of grades by the members of the group. Students had the perception of receiving the same grades in the group assignment despite the effort (LaBeouf, Griffith and Roberts, 2016). It was noticed that both the faculty and students had a hitch in working on group assignments in online and distance learning assignments because of time zone differences and fewer interactions between the students. Hence the main objective of the whole research on social loafing is to raise practical issues by both faculty and students while assigning and working on group assignments (LaBeouf, Griffith and Roberts, 2016). The aim should be to overcome the weaknesses and analysing the benefits of the group task and improving the student's performance on such assessments. Social Loafingis the phenomenon that describes that every person exerts less effort to achieve a goal when working as a group rather than individually. This is why it is seen that groups are at times less productive than the individual performance (Jassawalla, Sashittal and Sashittal, 2009). Research shows that there is some level of social loafing within every group, whether adaptive or non-adaptive. Research on social loafing was started with a rope pulling experiment of Ringlemann. Ringlemann effect shows the inverse relationship between the size of the team and the work done. In his rope pulling experiment, it was noticed that when the number of people was increased there was a decrease in the group performance. In another experiment where he provided motive power for a flour mill, he showed that as and when more men were added each man started to depend on another man to finish the desired effort (Jassawalla, Sashittal and Sashittal, 2009). The main cause of social loafing comes from a feeling of an individual that his/her effort will not matter in the group effort. Literature Review Review of literature shows various case studies on general topics of group work and assessment. The Benefits of group work have been defined both in general and specific contexts. Major benefits are: Students can gain an insight into group academics. Tackling comprehensive assignments. Developing interpersonal skills. Exchanging each other's point of view. Identification and analysis of a problem, if any in the task assigned. Enhances motivation and increases the level of achievement in comparison to individual work. Increases thought process (Jassawalla, Sashittal and Sashittal, 2009). Educational reformer and American Psychologist John Dewey believed that the group work is a learning process is a key element in the education rather than just the resulting knowledge set (Jassawalla, Sashittal and Sashittal, 2009). Hence various researchers have concluded that group work is very beneficial and relevant across vocational and academic settings. Causes of Social Loafing: Equitable Contribution: Team members feel that every individual in the group is not putting as much effort as required and with this feeling each and every individual puts in less effort which ultimately results into low performance from the task (LaBeouf, Griffith and Roberts, 2016). Lessened contingency between input and outcome: In large group sizes individuals feel lost in the crowd and feel less motivated. They contribute less as they feel that in the group their effort will not be recognized in comparison to the individual performance (Aggarwal and O'Brien, 2008). They feel they are losing their uniqueness, individuality, and the recognition through their contribution. Lack of Evaluation: Less self awareness is shown working in the group environment (LaBeouf, Griffith and Roberts, 2016). Sub-maximal goal setting: Team members feel that there is a set level which the group needs to achieve hence they feel that can work less rather than the desired effort. Unequal distribution of compensation: In every workplace compensation comes in monetary terms and promotions and in academics, it comes in the form of positive feedback and grades (Aggarwal and O'Brien, 2008). In the group task individuals start feeling that the compensation has not been equally distributed amongst the group members and hence they start withdrawing their individual efforts. Non- Cohesive group: It is important to have high quality relationships and strong bonds amongst the team members, if this is lacking social loafing will be more because the individuals will not be concerned about letting down each other's image (Aggarwal and O'Brien, 2008). Preventing Social Loafing: In order to limit the effects of social loafing a team leader should be selected and he/she should follow a set of guidelines to initiate team members efforts in achieving the goal. Few guidelines are mentioned below: Develop rules of conduct: Ground rules should be set at the beginning to prevent loafing and will help all the team members to achieve the set objectives and performance goals (Mello, 2000). Create appropriate group sizes: Do not create large groups where people feel lost in the crowd resulting in less motivation. Establish individual accountability: Expectation from each individual should be set at the beginning so to avoid being held for poor work done. Write a team contract: To avoid confusion and miscommunication it is good to write a team contract including important pieces of information such as group expectations, individual responsibilities, methods of discipline and forms of group communication (Mello, 2000). If every member will have their set of responsibilities he/she will not hold any other member for his/her portion of responsibility. Highlight Achievements: The team accomplishments should be highlighted in the eyes of the management (Mello, 2000). The meetings should be done and closed by highlighting their success. Establish task importance: Team members should be given the opportunity to show their willingness to finish the task within the given timeframe. Conclusion A major finding from the above study is that most of the students do not want to engage themselves in the group assignments (Reid and Wilson, 2005). A certain majority of people also feels that working in a group enhances teamwork and develops communication skills. A lot of communication strategies have been involved for working on group and individual assignments while seeking input and support from peers. Social loafing is a transmittable and culminating behaviour (Teng and Luo, 2014). Those who have found the chance to participate in social loafing will always want to repeat it. Hence, to avoid this similar action the faculty and instructors should create a positive approach and develop the required skills and knowledge (Teng and Luo, 2014). Most importantly they should strive to create positive group learning experiences while achieving group goals. References Aggarwal, P. and O'Brien, C. (2008). Social Loafing on Group Projects: Structural Antecedents and Effect on Student Satisfaction.Journal of Marketing Education, 30(3), pp.255-264. Jassawalla, A., Sashittal, H. and Sashittal, A. (2009). Students' Perceptions of Social Loafing: Its Antecedents and Consequences in Undergraduate Business Classroom Teams.Academy of Management Learning Education, 8(1), pp.42-54. LaBeouf, J., Griffith, J. and Roberts, D. (2016). Faculty and Student Issues with Group Work: What is Problematic with College Group Assignments and Why?.Journal of Education and Human Development, 5(1). Mello, J. (2000). Commentary on Cheating Goes Hi-Tech: Combating Academic Dishonesty While Developing Assignments That Enhance Student Learning.Journal of Management Education, 24(6), pp.741-744. Reid, K. and Wilson, G. (2005). Learning by doing.ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 37(1), p.272. Schindler, S. and Reese, G. (2017). Social Loafing in the Refugee Crisis: Information about Existing Initiatives Decreases Willingness to Help.Societies, 7(2), p.13. Teng, C. and Luo, Y. (2014). Effects of Perceived Social Loafing, Social Interdependence, and Group Affective Tone on Students Group Learning Performance.The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 24(1), pp.259-269.