Social Loafing

   

Social Loafing

   
     "Okay everyone, I am going to put you within a group to complete the next assignment." These words can be some of the most dreaded words ever spoken. Most people either love or hate group work. You either hate it because you're the one left holding the shovel, or you love it because you're planning to hand the shovel to your friend. If the later speaks to you, you're whats called a "social loafer".
   
     Social Loafing is when a person exerts less effort on a task if they are working in a group setting, then they would if they were working alone. I have to admit, I have been guilty of this before. It is very easy to convince yourself, "Oh, they have this handled. I need to finish the other work I have."
   
     Lots of research has been conducted regarding social loafing, and if you are in leadership, I am sure you are truly wondering a good method for resolving this issue among your employees. While we will probably never be able to completely eliminate social loafing, there are multiple ways to reduce this happening within our groups.

     Creating smaller groups is one possible solution. When people are put into smaller groups, they are able to see where they should fit into the group. A member of the group could identify that there are more jobs than there are people, therefore one person should not have to carry all of the weight.
     
     Creating individual accountability is another way to minimize social loafing. When a person has something to lose (possibly just their social standing) by not completely the task that has their name as a responsible party on it, they are more inclined to complete the task set before them.

     Social Loafing is a definite problem within schools and workplaces, but there are ways to minimize it's effects on your offices group projects.

Works Cited:

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-social-loafing-2795883