Abstract
Social loafing, the act of withholding effort in teams, has been identified as an important problem in virtual teams. A lack of social control and the inability to observe or trust that others are fulfilling their commitments are often cited as major causes of social loafing in virtual teams where there is geographic dispersion and a reliance on electronic communications. Yet, more research is needed to better understand such claims. The goal of this study was to examine the impact of control and trust on social loafing in virtual teams. To accomplish this, we proposed and empirically tested a multi-level research model that explains the relationships among team controls, trust, social loafing, and team performance. We tested the model with 272 information technology employees in 39 virtual teams. Results indicate that control and trust reduce social loafing separately and also jointly.
Highlights
Distance teamwork has moved from a novel concept to a common work arrangement
Interact. 2020, 4, 39 performance in virtual teams?” To answer this research question we proposed a multi-level model based on behavior-output control theory (BOCT) that examines the impact of team monitoring on individual-level trust and social loafing
Social loafing is an important problem for virtual teams
Summary
The ability to bring together needed expertise to address complex problems regardless of geographic dispersion is often cited as a key benefit of virtual teams [1,2] Members of these teams are geographically dispersed and rely on electronic communications [3,4,5]. The act of withholding effort in teams, is often cited as one of the major challenges of working in virtual teams [8]. Ringelmann [18] was the first scholar to identify this phenomenon He studied rope-pulling teams and noticed that as more individuals were added to the team individual members exerted less effort. This phenomenon was originally labeled the “Ringelmann effect” [18]. The losses associated with social loafing are significant because organizations are employing teams more rather than less [15]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
