Exploring the Effect of Distance: An Experimental Investigation of Virtual Collaboration, Social Loafing, and Group Decisions

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Blaskovich
Keyword(s):  
Group Work ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Social Loafing ◽  
Virtual Collaboration ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Virtual Groups ◽  
Impact Theory ◽  
Group Members

Contemporary businesses are rapidly embracing virtual collaboration as a flexible, cheaper, and more efficient method for conducting group work. Past research has shown, however, that virtual groups operate quite differently than face-to-face groups. In this study, Social Impact Theory provides a framework to investigate whether virtual collaboration heightens social loafing—the tendency for individuals to contribute less than full effort to a group. The theory predicts that member distance, inherent in virtual collaboration, increases the propensity of group members to loaf, and decreases group performance. Two hundred seventy-nine participants assigned to face-to-face or virtual groups completed a business resources allocation task. Results suggest that virtual collaboration negatively affects group performance and that social loafing behavior may partially explain this result. The findings imply that organizations should carefully consider whether virtual collaboration can be seamlessly substituted for face-to-face group interaction.

scholarly journals Member Reactions to Social Loafers When Doing Group-Based Assignments: A Group Processes Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Reginard Milinga ◽  
Ezelina Angetile Kibonde ◽  
Venance Paul Mallya ◽  
Monica Asagwile Mwakifuna
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Group Processes ◽  
Social Loafing ◽  
Continuous Assessment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Solid Foundation

Understanding how student teachers undertake their group work may provide solid foundation for developing essential skills required for the 21st Century teachers, and subsequently help improve group-based assessment in higher education. However, social loafing has been found to interfere with this assessment mode. This article reports on undergraduate student teachers’ reactions to social loafers when working on group assignments as part of their continuous assessment. It focuses on how they go about doing their group work and react to the social loafers. The data were collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews from 18 purposefully and conveniently selected participants. The findings have indicated procedures that students observe in doing their group assignments such as formulation of own group norms and rules, and holding of meetings for the work being determined by the nature of the assignments, and their submission deadlines. Additionally, it has been found that group members employ humanitarian, punitive and threatening approaches as they react to social loafers. The article concludes that proper planning for students’ group assignments is important and; both instructors and students should play their roles accordingly to overcome the problem of social loafing when the use of group-based assessments is indispensable within higher education contexts.

scholarly journals Engaging students of Engineering & Technology in positive Group Dynamics using randomly generated Instant Virtual Group (IVG) quizzes

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 10-43
Author(s):  
Muhammad Yousif Jamro
Keyword(s):  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Engineering Technology ◽  
Entire Class ◽  
Virtual Groups ◽  
Assessment Activity ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Group Member

A quiz template is developed keeping in mind the group dynamics to engage and encourage group work activities among E&T undergraduates. The Microsoft® Excel VBA programming was used to create random instant virtual groups (IVGs) and to select random questions. Although the IVG quiz selects group members randomly, yet the programming enables “controlled” reoccurrence keeping the entire class in alert state (i.e. allowing previous members from other groups to reappear and regroup). During the quiz, a small group cooperatively engaged working towards solution and at the end of each quiz question each group member is peer assessed by entire class following pre-set rules of engagement. At the end of quiz, the analyses are auto-plotted showing individual and group contributions flagging out, the best, good and the poor performers. The developed quiz workbook can be easily adopted for the reuse in any group assessment activity by simply changing the attendance list and question bank. The quiz template was used in piloting an epistemological study of various taught modules at different programme levels in various pathways of MEng-BEng and MSc Engineering programmes. The results of a survey analysing the effectiveness of such IVG quizzes using Chi-square test predicted an overall 71% net positive student’s responses with an average above 59% for various programme levels. Furthermore, the data analysis suggested that Level 4 and MSc cohorts comparatively need more tutor support in their group work as they have limited exposure to group dynamics. The significance of eye-contact and positioning of peers in-classroom randomised IVGs were also studied, which revealed that increasing separation between peers and their obscured locations obstructing their eye-contacts show adverse effects on group homotopy recommending maximum five members in an IVG creating effective cooperative communication. The random IVG quiz is tutor centred activity and mainly designed engaging students in-class active learning, and is suitable for small to medium class size of 30-35, nonetheless, large cohort size can be supported by splitting in batches.

Perceived Behaviors of Emergent and Assigned Leaders in Virtual Groups

2008 ◽  
pp. 1096-1110
Author(s):  
Kathryn R. Wickham ◽  
Joseph B. Walther
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Behaviors ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Leadership Theories ◽  
Online Groups ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Virtual Groups ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Group Members ◽  
The Impact

While considerable research has explored perceptions of groups and members in computer-mediated communication (CMC), and leadership behaviors in face-to-face groups, little research has examined how leadership is identified in CMC groups. Contemporary CMC theories alternatively stress the impact of salient, stereotyped roles on CMC groups’ perceptions, or the accretion of exaggerated impressions based on behavioral cues. These perspectives, in turn, coincide with predictions about the predominance of alternative forms of leadership: Assigned versus emergent. This study draws on traditional leadership theories from face-to-face group research and applies them to CMC to examine dynamics related to assigned and emergent leaders in online groups. The results of the study demonstrate that CMC groups may identify more than one leader. When identifying emergent leaders, regardless of whether a leader was assigned or not, group members consider perceived amounts of communication, intelligence, and encouraging and authoritarian behaviors.

Chinese students’ group work performance: does team personality composition matter?

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-309
Author(s):  
Kwok Hung Lau ◽  
Qian Jin
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Chinese Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Team Personality

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate if team personality composition has any effect on group work performance of undergraduate students in China. Design/methodology/approach Using a questionnaire based on the Big-Five framework to collect data on personality traits, this study investigated whether in the Chinese education setting overall effectiveness of university students working in groups was related to the different personalities of the group members. Students of two undergraduate business programs jointly run by an Australian university and a Chinese university in Shanghai participated in the research. Findings The findings reveal that aggregated personality traits have no effect on team effectiveness but homogeneity in emotional stability among group members does have a positive impact on group performance. Based on a comprehensive review of studies concerning the Chinese education approach, it is believed that the outcome of this study may reflect to a certain extent the influence of traditional learning method on how university students interact with team members in group work hence affecting group performance. Research limitations/implications This study has surveyed 166 undergraduate students on their personality traits and performance in group work. A larger sample size can help improve the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications The findings of this study shed light on how group work can be used more effectively in learning through proper assessment task design and guidance from the facilitator. Social implications The outcome of this research also provides insight on how group work in higher education can better prepare students for the Chinese workforce. Originality/value While studies on relationship between personality mix and team effectiveness in business setting are plenty, there is relatively little research on how team personality composition can impact on group performance in education especially in Asian countries. This study is one of the first attempts to supplement the inadequacy in this regard.

The Social Psychology of Online Collaborative Learning

2010 ◽  
pp. 1146-1161
Author(s):  
Donna Ashcraft ◽  
Thomas Treadwell
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Cognitive Distortions ◽  
Social Loafing ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Psychological Phenomena ◽  
Online Tools ◽  
The Social ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Online Group

Many social psychological phenomena that are found in face-to-face group work are also found in online group work (i.e., collaborative learning). In this chapter, we describe some of these more common phenomena, including social loafing, social categorization, and a variety of cognitive distortions. We also describe the stages that groups go through in order to become fully functioning teams. Because some of these experiences are unpleasant for both the instructor and the student, both faculty andstudents sometimes resist the use of collaborativelearning. Furthermore, because of the anonymous nature of online group work, these negative experiences can be magnified. We therefore make recommendations on how best to respond to and resolve them. We specifically draw on our experiences with Collaborative Online Research andLearning (CORAL) in order to demonstrate these phenomena and recommendations. CORAL is a teaching/learning method that integrates two course topics through assignments. Teams of students at two universities must complete together by utilizing video conferencing and other online tools.

Perceived Behaviors of Emergent and Assigned Leaders in Virtual Groups

2009 ◽  
pp. 50-64
Author(s):  
Kathryn R. Wickham ◽  
Joseph B. Walther
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Behaviors ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Leadership Theories ◽  
Online Groups ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Virtual Groups ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Group Members ◽  
The Impact

While considerable research has explored perceptions of groups and members in computer-mediated communication (CMC), and leadership behaviors in face-to-face groups, little research has examined how leadership is identified in CMC groups. Contemporary CMC theories alternatively stress the impact of salient, stereotyped roles on CMC groups’ perceptions, or the accretion of exaggerated impressions based on behavioral cues. These perspectives, in turn, coincide with predictions about the predominance of alternative forms of leadership: Assigned versus emergent. This study draws on traditional leadership theories from face-to-face group research and applies them to CMC to examine dynamics related to assigned and emergent leaders in online groups. The results of the study demonstrate that CMC groups may identify more than one leader. When identifying emergent leaders, regardless of whether a leader was assigned or not, group members consider perceived amounts of communication, intelligence, and encouraging and authoritarian behaviors.

Leadership Status, Gender, Group Size, and Emotion in Face-to-Face Groups

1998 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 617-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey W. Lucas ◽  
Michael J. Lovaglia
Keyword(s):  
Women Leaders ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Positive Emotion ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
High Status ◽  
Group Leaders ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Status Differences

In two experiments, we investigated the emotional reactions of group members in typical face-to-face interaction on different tasks. Results from both experiments supported the proposition that high-status group leaders would report more positive emotional reactions to group work than would non-leaders. We also found that women reported more positive emotion than men. Unexpectedly, we also found that women leaders were rated more likable than other group members while men leaders were not. As expected, leaders were rated as more competent and willing to contribute than were other group members. Less expected was the finding that women leaders were rated as competent and as willing to contribute as men leaders. While women leaders were not rated less competent than men leaders, members of groups led by a woman rated group performance lower than did members of groups led by a man. Group size did not affect the degree of positive emotion of group members or ratings of leaders, perhaps because differences in size among groups were small. Of methodological interest, experimentally induced status differences maintained themselves through several weeks of group interaction.

The Social Psychology of Online Collaborative Learning

2008 ◽  
pp. 140-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Ashcraft ◽  
Thomas Treadwell
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Cognitive Distortions ◽  
Social Loafing ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Psychological Phenomena ◽  
Online Tools ◽  
The Social ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Online Group

Many social psychological phenomena that are found in face-to-face group work are also found in online group work (i.e., collaborative learning). In this chapter, we describe some of these more common phenomena, including social loafing, social categorization, and a variety of cognitive distortions. We also describe the stages that groups go through in order to become fully functioning teams. Because some of these experiences are unpleasant for both the instructor and the student, both faculty and students sometimes resist the use of collaborative learning. Furthermore, because of the anonymous nature of online group work, these negative experiences can be magnified. We therefore make recommendations on how best to respond to and resolve them. We specifically draw on our experiences with Collaborative Online Research and Learning (CORAL) in order to demonstrate these phenomena and recommendations. CORAL is a teaching/learning method that integrates two course topics through assignments. Teams of students at two universities must complete together by utilizing video conferencing and other online tools.

Peer Assessment as a Facilitating and Assessment Strategy in Online and Face-to-Face Classes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 36-48
Author(s):  
Sang Joon Lee ◽  
Kyungbin Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Group Work ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Peer Assessment ◽  
Group Project ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Assessment Strategy ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Individual Contributions ◽  
Group Members

Although group work has shown positive effects on student learning, it has been challenging to encourage students to actively engage in group work and assess individual contributions to group projects, particularly in online courses. Peer assessment is a peer evaluation method in which each student assesses group members on how well they did on a group project thereby facilitating students' participation in the group project. The purpose of this study was to examine how students perceived peer assessment as a facilitating and assessment strategy and whether their perceptions were different between online and face-to-face classes. The findings showed both face-to-face and online students perceived that peer assessment was not only a good way to facilitate students' participations and contributions, but it was also a reliable way to assess students' contributions to a group project.

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