Social Loafing in Technology-Supported Teams |
| |
Authors: | James Suleiman Richard T Watson |
| |
Affiliation: | (1) Management Information Systems, University of Southern Maine School of Business, Portland, ME 04038, USA;(2) J. Rex Fuqua Distinguished Chair for Internet Strategy, University of Georgia Terry College of Business, Athens, GA 30602-6273, USA |
| |
Abstract: | This study examines the occurrence of social loafing in technology-supported teams along with methods for diminishing loafing.
A controlled laboratory experiment with a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial design is used. The independent variables – feedback, anonymity,
and group size – are manipulated experimentally. It was expected that social loafing – a widely observed phenomenon – would
indeed occur in technology supported teams. It was also expected that the traditional means of reducing social loafing (i.e.,
identifiability and feedback) within physical work environments would also have similar effects within technology-supported
work environments. As expected, social loafing is found to occur in teams operating in a technology-driven realm. An unexpected
finding is that social loafing is measurable only when participants are provided self-feedback. While other forms of feedback
have a positive influence on productivity, they fail to reduce this phenomenon, and identifiability of group members is found
to have no observable effect on social loafing.
Computer Supported Cooperative Work. |
| |
Keywords: | computer supported cooperative work free riding productivity social loafing technology-supported teams |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|