Social Loafing: It is generally observed in many situations that some persons in a group work hard while others work little, doing less than what they might do if they work alone. This effect is termed by social psychologists as ‘social loafing’. Thus social loafing is the reduction in motivation and effort when individuals work collectively in a group compared to when they work individually or as independent co actors. It is a basic fact of social life. The activities of sports teams, committees, juries etc. are included in the category of social loafing.
Characteristics of Social Loafing
The important characteristics of social loafing are:
1. With the increase in group size, each member feels less and less responsible for the task being performed. Every person wants to decrease effort on it.
2. The Expectancy-Valence theory proposed that people will work hard on a given task only to the extent that
- hard work will lead to better performance (expectancy),
- better performance will be recognised and rewarded (instrumentality) and
- the rewards available are ones they value and desire (valence).
3. Expectancy is the perception that increased effort and consequently leads to better performance. Instrumentality is the belief that good performance will be recognised and rewarded but it may be weaken when people work together in groups.
4. Due to the collective effort, the results are weaker as people work together with others in a group. Social loafing occurs within the framework of the collective effort model. It indicates that when individual works together with others, the relationship between their own effort and performance and rewards is more uncertain than when they work alone.
5. Social loafing is a serious problem that occurs under those conditions in which individuals’ personal contributions can’t be evaluated. Often people find the task boring or uninspiring particularly when they work with others.
6. The social loafing can be reduced by increasing the commitment of group members regarding successful task performance. It can also be minimized by encouraging group cohesiveness.
7. When individuals believe that their contributions to the task are important and unique than those of others, then also social loafing gets reduced.
Social loafing cannot be avoided in task-performance of groups. Although it can be reduced by applying some safe guards built on the basis of the situation.
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