Group productivity, social loafing and the Ringelmann effect

Overview

Steiner's model with potential productivity and faulty processes, coordination and motivational losses, the Ringelmann effect, social loafing and its causes, identifying contributions and giving specific roles.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is Steiner's model of group productivity?

   Model answer

   Steiner's model states that actual productivity equals potential productivity minus losses due to faulty processes.

2. 2

   What is meant by potential productivity?

   Model answer

   Potential productivity is the best a group could achieve with its members' ability and resources. A team of talented players has high potential.

3. 3

   What are faulty processes in a group?

   Model answer

   Faulty processes are problems that stop a group reaching its potential. They are coordination losses and motivational losses.

4. 4

   What are coordination losses?

   Model answer

   Coordination losses are failures in timing and teamwork. Mistimed runs or dropped relay batons are examples.

5. 5

   What are motivational losses?

   Model answer

   Motivational losses are reductions in individual effort within a group. Members try less hard than they would alone.

6. 6

   What is the Ringelmann effect?

   Model answer

   The Ringelmann effect is the drop in average individual effort as group size increases. Ringelmann found this in rope-pulling experiments.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.