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Social Loafing: Just slacking off or a bigger issue?

Future of work
Team photo from Montreux, Switzerland

Think back to your school days; what was your response when you heard the words 'group project'?

Were you filled with dread, knowing you'll be responsible for pulling your group through or were you looking forward to relaxing, knowing someone else will do the work for you? It's frustrating for those who make the effort that everyone receives the same grade for the project.

What if we told you this still happens in the workplace?

If you've ever been part of a group project, you'll know the feeling of social loafing, even if you don't know the name.

It's a social psychology term that describes when some people put less effort when in a group than when working alone. Some employees feel comfortable reducing their effort in a group setting, as they believe others will compensate for their reduced contribution.

It's a common challenge that can put a strain on team cohesion and lead to a disjointed and unhappy workforce.

Group projects and collaboration are a big part of some people's roles, so how do you move past this and make sure everyone feels motivated and empowered to do their best work?

We look at the psychology behind the theory and share strategies for overcoming it, so you and your coworkers can go back to total harmony.

Or close enough anyway.

What is social loafing?

We've mentioned it above, but here it is in more detail.

Social loafing

Social loafing definition:

The term social loafing refers to the idea that individuals put less effort into and do less work on a group project than they do working alone.

The theory is that when individuals feel less accountable for their contributions or believe their effort won't be rewarded or recognised, they have a tendency to relax and do the minimum.

As you can imagine, this harms the team's ability to work together and impacts their productivity when they do.

Social loafing theory

The theory came from research in social psychology that looked at key principles of group dynamics and individual performance.

The theorist: Max Ringelmann.

It was in 1913 when French agricultural engineer Maximilien Ringelmann first brought the term to light. He conducted an experiment where real participants pulled on a rope both individually and in groups of different sizes. He was looking at and measuring the effort people put into pulling the rope, depending on whether they were doing it on their own or as part of a group.

His results found that the participant's effort decreased as the group size increased.

For example, if one person could pull 100 units on their own, two people should pull 200 right? Wrong. In Ringelmann's study, they pulled 186 together.

In a group performance, 8 people should be able to pull 800 but when studied, they could only pull 392, more than 50% less than they should.

More on this below.

What causes social loafing?

In Ringelmann's study, he put social loafing down to two things: coordination losses and motivation losses.

He believed that a lack of reward for their efforts was the main cause, but that lack of motivation was also a factor. Ringelmann found that 'trusting his neighbour to furnish the desired effort' was the reason people didn't have the motivation to put the effort in [SOURCE].

Essentially, with less social pressure to perform and more places to hide, employees don't feel the need to put the effort in.

There are a few other things that can lead to social loafing.

Group size and diffusion of responsibility

Like with Ringelmann's rope-pulling experiment, the larger the group the less effort each person exuded.

Think about it, if you have a group of 10 people working on one project, your ideas and input will be merged with the rest of the group, which makes it feel less significant.

This is what causes a diffusion of responsibility.

Unlike with individual projects where you're solely responsible for the outcome, when working with a group it's unclear who is responsible for what.

This can then inadvertently lead to everyone reducing their input as they rely on their teammates to pick up the workload. This is where clarity is essential.

Lack of clarity and accountability

Without clear expectations, how does anyone know what they need to do? Lack of clarity is one of the key drivers for social loafing, yet one of the easiest things to fix.

Not giving people individual roles in the project causes disengagement and can harm the group's productivity. Set clear guidelines for the project along with roles and responsibilities for each person.

Make sure to delegate responsibilities equally and give deadlines for each piece of work. Yes, you may have to designate one person to manage this if the manager is not available but it'll lead to more effective teamwork and a better project.

Minimal motivation

Motivation plays its own role in social loafing. In situations where people are uninspired or feel there's nothing to gain from their efforts, motivation is nowhere to be seen.

This often happens when the group's performance standards feel unattainable or irrelevant. When teammates expect minimal contribution from their colleagues, they also feel less motivated to put the effort in themselves.

This creates a cycle of minimal effort and frustration as nothing gets done, also known as the social loafing effect.

This is where accountability plays into it. By making each person accountable for their part in the project, they'll be motivated to put the effort in, for the sake of their reputation at the company.

Setting specific and achievable goals can also pick up a lack of motivation.

The impact of social loafing on teams

In some companies, group projects and tasks are essential. But in teams where a lot of workers have social loafing tendencies, they can be anxiety-inducing and detrimental to team cohesion.

That's not all. There are a whole host of impacts social loafing can have on teams.

Effects on team dynamics

Social loafing undermines collaboration. It leads to an unfair and uneven share of work and motivated teammates have to cover those who loaf. This disrupts teamwork and creates friction.

If some teammates feel they're not getting anything out of the group project, they'll likely prioritise individual tasks. This means the collective output is out of balance and reaching the goal is even further out of reach.

Lower morale

One main reason for social loafing is that no one's individual work is recognised when working in a group. It is acknowledged as a group project, so regardless of whether you put your all in or whether you slack off, you'll all receive the same credit.

Team members can then start to feel unsupported which can lead to resentment, and no one wants that.

This negativity damages group morale and creates an environment of disappointment. Then when another group project comes around, the employees who initially put all the effort in will resort to social loafing.

It becomes a vicious cycle and gets harder for people to put effort into these group projects.

Less productive

By having social loafers in the group, productivity naturally decreases because there are fewer contributions and it's up to one, or a few people to do the work on behalf of the group.

In larger teams, this is heightened because individual accountability fades.

This impacts not just the group project but individual work as well. If there are a few people who are doing the majority of the work for the project, their individual work is put on the back burner.

They're more likely to get burned out and see their productivity and performance levels fall in the process.

Higher turnover rates

This follows nicely from our last point on burnout. If your employees feel burned out and stressed, they'll start to feel unhappy in their roles and may leave.

This means one less great employee at your organization, higher turnover rates and attrition rates and an unhappy workforce.

Having to replace that employee and start the search for a replacement is both a financial and morale cost. The group project will struggle even more to get off the ground if that happens.

Social loafing examples

Social loafing can become an issue in various group settings and projects. When people feel like their contribution isn't welcomed or needed, they loaf. See if you're guilty of any of these or have experienced them in your workplace.

In the workplace

Social loafing shows up in many different ways.

Here are some examples of what it can look like in the workplace:

  • Group presentations where certain members rely on others to complete the majority of the work
  • Meetings with multiple participants where some attendees disengage, multitask or don't contribute
  • Large project teams where individuals reduce their effort due to unclear and diffused responsibility
  • Brainstorming sessions where only a few participants share their ideas
  • Email chains with numerous recipients where responses become delayed or absent
  • Department-wide initiatives where accountability becomes unclear
  • Team documents with shared editing responsibilities showing uneven contributions

Tips for how to reduce social loafing and spark more effort at work

We've touched on it above but social loafing needs to be managed so it doesn't get out of hand. Here are our tips for how to reduce it.

Individual accountability and task clarity

Assign specific roles and responsibilities to team members so they feel accountable for their part in the project. Find a way to track performance so it is clear who has contributed what.

This will help with motivation and recognition as well. Make sure to assign clear tasks, with defined objectives and expectations. With no ambiguity, it'll be easier to manage and social loafers will struggle to hide.

Create transparency in the distribution of tasks as well through project management tools and task boards. Have regular check-ins, where everyone takes turns to host.

This way your team are involved in the process and more engaged in the project.

Encouraging collaboration and team loyalty

When you start working on the project, set specific checkpoints along the way. Have them for key dates and deadlines in the project but also a chance to celebrate achievements.

For example, every quarter, ask your group members to vote for the colleagues they think have excelled, kept the group aligned or gone above and beyond.

Use this feedback to acknowledge and recognise those who are putting individual effort into the group, for the benefit of the project.

If your teammates feel their work will be recognised and celebrated, they'll be more likely to contribute their brilliant ideas.

Another idea is to create opportunities for skill sharing between team members. This helps boost collaboration and loyalty to teammates.

You could also create mentor-mentee relationships as well to support professional growth. This would help those feeling lost or unmotivated to feel part of a team.

Effective communication and team building

As we've mentioned, having clear and regular team meetings will help boost communication.

We'd recommend using synchronous and asynchronous communication when sharing information to help your team collaborate effectively.

Establish protocols for sharing updates and addressing challenges and have templates to make it easier.

Whatever roadblocks your team usually runs into with large group projects that lead to social loafing, find a solution and move past it as best you can.

The idea is to not create any opportunities where social loafing can happen and to keep everyone involved and showing commitment to the project and the company.

If your team don't feel well connected, create moments to build that. In our opinion, nothing brings a team together like a company retreat.

You can host workshops on communication, work on team-building and use it to recognise and celebrate employees.

If you're looking for a venue for your next company get-together, here at Basejam, we can help with that.

These venues are ideal for team-building:

Immerse together in the magic of nature at this rural eco-paradise in Norfolk →

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Beautiful mountain cabins in the Austrian Alps with onsite coworking space →

Located at the entrance of the Gesรคuse National Park, this coworking campus is surrounded by rugged limestone peaks, green forests, alpine pastures, and fantastic panoramas of the white-water rivers. This venue has been designed specifically for company retreats, offering indoor and outdoor workspaces perfect for collaborating.

Mystical Welsh castle in nature-filled estate with an outdoor lake →

This historical, nature-filled estate is home to a workshop school, a farm shop, bakery and deli, a pub, a nature trail, and a medieval castle ๐Ÿฐ On site, groups can partake in activities such as wild swimming, open-fire cooking classes, foraging expeditions and abseiling as well as being the perfect spot for beautiful hikes.

Conclusion

Understanding and addressing social loafing is crucial for creating high-performing teams, who can effectively collaborate without (or with minimal) fallout. But it's up to you to create an environment where employees don't want to loaf and feel engaged and motivated to contribute. By setting up clear accountability, delegating responsibilities and tracking individual contributions, you'll significantly reduce it happening.

Remember that prevention is better than cure. Taking proactive steps to build a more cohesive team who have clarity on their roles and have accountability for their tasks in group projects, will help to minimise social loafing in the future. Make your employees feel valued and supported and they'll be motivated to contribute their best ideas.

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