Shane Dermott is a manager at a software design firm that develops software programs for clients using multiple teams of specialists. One of his most successful teams has been performing very well for years and so it came as a surprise to Shane when he noticed a sharp drop in the team's performance. He decided to speak with the team individually and find a solution. After interviewing all 7 team members, he determined that one of the team members performed routine administrative tasks that were hardly visible to any of the other team members and understood that this was a case of social loafing which demotivated the entire group. Which of the following would most likely improve the performance of the employee who was social loafing?
A) encouraging him to work more independently
B) making him individually responsible for definite and crucial tasks
C) empowering him to make decisions autonomously
D) providing him with administrative training
E) giving him additional assignments to complete

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Making the employee individually responsible for definite and crucial tasks would give them a sense of accountability and motivation to contribute more to the team's success, which would ultimately improve their performance. Encouraging independence or autonomy may not be effective in this case since the issue is social loafing, which involves a lack of effort and contribution to the group. Providing administrative training or giving additional assignments may not address the root cause of the issue and may not lead to a significant improvement in performance.

Shane Dermott Is a Manager at a Software Design Firm