Monday, March 15, 2010

Chapter 10: Social Networking and Social Loafing

In this chapter, social factors of working with other people are discussed. In today's business world, working with others is inevitable, and having social connections is vital in creating success. Due to competition, applicants and employees must engage in social networking. Social networking is an interdependence between individuals who share common interests, goals, etc. Through social networking, individuals can gain recognition and expand his or her own name in order to reach a job or create a connection. Today, it's harder to apply for a job due to the competition, and through social networking, your application can be put on the top of the pile in order to get recognized faster. There are many ways to network with people; however, social networking should not be a one way relationship that helps a person get a job. The individual must maintain a relationship with others in order to sustain a meaningful, helpful connection.

On the other hand, another social aspect discussed was social loafing. Social loafing is exhibited when a person chooses to put less effort as the group size increases. It is definitely important to make sure group work is split among members, and the tasks given must be covered by each member having no one be passive. Group work is always present in business environments, and it is important to work together in order to increase production and increase success. Having a member put forth less effort can bring a group down due to having to carry the less-effective member's load that was not met. No individual should be granted less work than another in order to effectively create good group work.

I feel that social loafing does bring a group down from experience; it creates more work on those who already are working enough. I work retail, and if a fellow associate doesn't follow instructions or take care of tasks correctly, at the end of the day, those who close the store are left with correcting the mistakes. It's important to make sure to encourage individuals to work effectively and equally. It is also important to create connections with those you work with or who you'd like to work with in order to expand your name and create helpful relationships.

1 comment:

  1. This is so true. No one likes to feel that they need to be responsible for another group member's part of a project. Everyone needs to step up and take responsibility. When one person fails to put as much effort as their team members into the outcome of a project, then there is resentment towards that person and when another steps up to fulfill the their duty as well as their own, then that person feels like everyone else isn't working hard enough either because they are doing the most work. This causes an imbalance in the team and can even make the person who takes on the extra workload act as a 'leader' in the group. It is like stocks. The more you own, the more say you have in the company. In a team if you are taking on more work than the others (because one person is falling down on the job) that person automatically has more say in how the group is run and the project is completed.

    ReplyDelete