Group work is a common occurrence in university and in the workplace;however,not all groups work well together and sometimes they are less efficient than working alone.Describe the concept of social loafing and explain three factors that increase its likelihood of occurring.

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The Answer is A good answer should include the following:
Social loafing occurs when an individual puts less effort into working on a task with others.Multiple factors contribute to the likelihood of social loafing including:
(answer should include 3 of the following 4)
Low efficacy beliefs.This occurs if tasks are too difficult or complex,so people don't know where to start.Structure tasks so people know exactly what to do,provide clear deadlines,and give people feedback so they know how well they are doing and how they can improve.
Believing that one's contributions are not important to the group.This occurs if people can't see how their own input matters to the group.Overcome this by helping people understand how group members rely on and affect each other,and assigning tasks to people that they feel are significant or which they've had some say in choosing (if possible).
Not caring about the group's outcome.This occurs when a person is not personally identified with the group,perhaps feeling socially rejected from the group or perceiving the group as unsuccessful or unimportant.Overcome this by making the group's goals and values clear and explicit,encouraging friendships to form,and designing group activities to be fun and socially rewarding.
Feeling like others are not trying very hard.As discussed earlier,people loaf if they feel others are loafing.Overcome this by providing feedback about the progress of group members on their individual tasks;strong groups often have regular meetings where people's progress is discussed and,ideally,celebrated!

Group Work Is a Common Occurrence in University and in the Workplace;however,not