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06:48
The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior
Published on: January 19, 2019
Withholding inputs in team contexts: member composition, interaction processes, evaluation structure, and social
Kenneth H Price1, David A Harrison, Joanne H Gavin
1Department of Management, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA. price@uta.edu
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|November 15, 2006
Summary
Social loafing in student teams is reduced when members perceive fairness in decision-making. Team identifiability can lessen social loafing, especially when members feel indispensable.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Team Dynamics
Background:
- Social loafing, a reduction in individual effort within a group, is a common challenge in collaborative settings.
- Understanding the factors influencing social loafing is crucial for enhancing team productivity and member engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of member composition, team interaction processes, and evaluation structures on social loafing in student project teams.
- To examine the moderating role of identifiability on the relationship between dispensability, fairness, and social loafing.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of student project teams over 3-4 months.
- Assessment of member composition (relational dissimilarity, knowledge, skills, and abilities - KSAs).
- Measurement of team interaction processes (perceived dispensability, fairness) and evaluation structure (identifiability).
Main Results:
- Perceptions of fairness were negatively associated with social loafing.
- Team identifiability moderated the effect of dispensability on loafing.
- Relational dissimilarity positively related to dispensability and negatively to fairness; KSAs negatively related to dispensability.
Conclusions:
- Promoting perceived fairness and ensuring identifiability are key strategies to mitigate social loafing.
- Team member composition influences perceptions of dispensability and fairness, indirectly affecting loafing behavior.
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