Social Loafing in Large Teams

What’s the largest team you’ve worked on? How about the smallest team? Were there any differences in motivation, output and quality of work? My guess is yes, there were.

Harvard Business Review recently published an article by Mark de Rond, author of “There is an I in Team: What Elite Athletes and Coaches Really Know about High Performance.” The article’s focus is the social loafing phenomenon. Social loafing is defined by Karau and Williams in their research as, “the reduction in motivation and effort when individuals work collectively compared with when they work individually or coactively.”

You have probably read many articles that tout the benefits of small teams. Yet, what’s the science behind team design? Why can four people on a team be effective, but not six? As the social loafing definition points out, motivation is key. Without rewards or recognition it can be easy to feel as though your contribution isn’t significant or necessary, especially if you have some very dominant personalities on a team.

How can you prevent social loafing from happening on your team? Leaders should identify a few key characteristics and opportunities:

• Be sure to recognize dominant personalities, as well as those that are quieter in group settings. Though not everyone will speak up all the time, set clear deadlines for certain tasks in order to check on progress, using a short conference call or standing meeting to get the status update.
• Many startup companies are using online applications and technologies, such as AgileZen or Yammer, a private social network, to collaborate within a team and prevent social loafing. Of course, with the right group, nothing may beat brainstorming and planning in person around a jumbo sized easel pad.

As much as individual achievement should be applauded, the article seems to overlook one recommendation: encouraging team members to value the group itself and its outcomes. Do your team members have a good relationship? A few team-building activities (structured and unstructured) prior to embarking on a project together might help the entire process and foster effective working relationships.

I also like de Rond’s emphasis on transparency and constructive comments. As long as everyone’s work and contributions are given feedback through a similar process, it has the ability to demonstrate honesty and create a better working atmosphere.

What kind of project were you working on when you were assigned to a large team? Did the leader’s style match the team’s size and personalities? What about when you were on a smaller team? Leave me a comment below.