Ethical Dilemma: Is Social Loafing Unethical?
As we discussed in this chapter, social loafing is one potential downside of working in groups. Research suggests that regardless of the type of task—from games of Tug of War to working on a group projects—research suggests that when working in a group, most individuals contribute less than if they were working on their own. Sometimes, these people are labeled shirkers, because they don’t fulfill their responsibilities as group members. Other times, social loafing is overlooked, and the industrious employees do the work alone to meet the group’s performance goals. Either way, social loafing is an ethical dilemma.
Whether in class projects or in jobs we’ve held, most of us have experienced social loafing in groups. We may even have been guilty ourselves. Although limiting group size, holding individuals responsible for their contributions, setting group goals, and rewarding both individual and group performance might help reduce the occurrence of social loafing, in many cases people just try to work around shirkers rather than motivate them to perform at higher levels.
Managers must determine what level of social loafing for groups and for individual employees will be tolerated in terms of nonproductive meetings, performance expectations, and counterproductive work behaviors. Employees must decide what limits to social loafing they will impose on themselves and what tolerance they have for social loafers in their workgroups.
Questions
1. Do group members have an ethical responsibility to report shirkers to leadership? If you were working on a group project for a class and a group member was loafing, would you communicate this information to the instructor? Why or why not? Your answer should be at least one paragraph (4 sentences).
[10 points]
2. Do you think social loafing is always shirking (failing to live up to your responsibilities)? Are there times when shirking is ethical or even justified? Your answer should be at least one paragraph (4 sentences).
[10 points]
3. Social loafing has been found to be higher in individualist nations than in other countries. Do you think this means we should tolerate shirking on the part of U.S. students and workers to a greater degree than if someone else does it? Your answer should be at least one paragraph (4 sentences).
[10 points]
4. Read “Extrinsic and Intrinsic Origins of Perceived Social Loafing in Organizations,”
Academy of Management Journal 3 (1992), pp. 191–202. After reading the article, design a plan of action to prevent and discourage social loafing at UNT Dallas. Your answer should be at least two paragraphs (4 sentences each).
[10 points]
5. Additional information:
a. Please make sure that to number your answers. (
I will deduct up to 30 points for answers that are not numbered.).
Beyond the parameters above, you may show your own self-expression, initiative, and creativity to the content and style of your answers.
