Celebrities and Slackers: A Grounded Theory of the Dynamics of Social Loafing on Student Teams

The purpose of this study was to explore how team members identify the social loafers on their teams and how they explain and manage social loafers' behavior. The participants (n = 49) in the study included members of student teams participating in a service project as a part of their coursewor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of leadership education 2018-04, Vol.17 (2), p.42-59
Main Authors: Boren, Amy E, Morales, Sarahi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attribution Theory
Behavior
Celebrities
Classrooms
Collaboration
Cooperative Learning
Education
Grounded Theory
Group Behavior
Group Dynamics
Interaction
Interviews
Observation
Peer Evaluation
Perceptions
Qualitative Research
Service Learning
Statistical Analysis
Student Attitudes
Student Behavior
Student Journals
Student Responsibility
Students
Teams
Teamwork
Underachievement
Undergraduate Students
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to explore how team members identify the social loafers on their teams and how they explain and manage social loafers' behavior. The participants (n = 49) in the study included members of student teams participating in a service project as a part of their coursework. We collected multiple sources of information: in-depth interviews, reflection journals, peer evaluations, and observations of team members interacting. Using attribution theory and status characteristics theory we describe how team members identify social loafer and explain the causes of their behavior. We also explore how those attributions affect team members' interactions with the social loafers. The status of social loafers in the eyes of their teammates affects teammates' willingness to accommodate or reject the social loafer. We identify strategies used by team members to manage the behavior of social loafers. We conclude with recommendations for practice and future research on social loafing.
ISSN:1552-9045
1552-9045
DOI:10.12806/V17/I2/R3