Social Loafing A Field Investigation

Journal of Management 2004 30(2) 285–304

Social Loafing: A Field Investigation
Robert C. Liden∗
Department of Managerial Studies, MC 243, University of Illinois at Chicago,
601 S. Morgan, Chicago, IL 60607-7123, USA

Sandy J. Wayne
Department of Managerial Studies, MC 243, University of Illinois at Chicago,
601 S. Morgan, Chicago, IL 60607-7123, USA

Renata A. Jaworski
Department of Managerial Studies, MC 243, University of Illinois at Chicago,
601 S. Morgan, Chicago, IL 60607-7123, USA

Nathan Bennett
DuPree College of Management, Georgia Institute of Technology,
755 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0520, USA
Received 1 May 2002; received in revised form 1 November 2002; accepted 3 February 2003

Social loafing was investigated by testing a multilevel model among 23 intact work groups comprised of 168 employees representing two organizations. Results demonstrated that as hypothesized at the individual level, increases in task interdependence and decreases in task visibility and distributive justice were associated with greater occurrence of social loafing. At the group level, increased group size and decreased cohesiveness were related to increased levels of social loafing. Of particular interest was the finding that group member perceptions of perceived coworker loafing was associated with reduced social loafing, opposite of our predictions. We suggested that this unexpected finding may provide evidence of a social compensation effect.
© 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extensive research has focused on the productivity levels of individuals in workplace settings. Coinciding with the increased prevalence of individuals working in groups (Cohen
& Bailey, 1997), more research attention has been devoted to group productivity and group productivity loss (Ilgen, 1999). A widely accepted explanation for productivity losses has been the social loafing phenomenon (George, 1992). Social loafing is based on the de-individuation that can occur when people work in

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