 | Term | Definition |
| |
group performance (group productivity) |
the quantity or quality of the outcomes produced, or the time required for task completion |
| |
efficiency |
the ratio of inputs to outputs; how much time and resources it takes a group to produce or achieve something |
| |
effectiveness |
the radio of outputs to goals or expectations; whether the group met or exceede expectations or goals |
| |
workflow interdependence |
the extent to which the behavior of one member influences the performance of others and members must cooperate to perform the task |
| |
process loss |
loss of productivity that results from motivational or coordination losses |
| |
coordination losses |
process losses that occur when group members do not optimally synchronize their efforts |
| |
motivational losses |
process losses that occur when members reduce their efforts because they do not value the group or goal or do not think their efforts matter |
| |
actual productivity |
a group's potential productivity minus process losses (AP = PP - PL); what they actually accomplish compared to what they could have |
| |
process gain |
when group work increases productivity because it causes members to work harder or more efficiently |
| |
participative decision making |
the involvement of group members in the setting of goals or making of decisions |
| |
feedback cycle |
a cycle in which group members set success criteria, perform, compare the performance with criteria, and set new goals or procedures, before begining again |
| |
social loafing |
the tendancy for individuals to reduce their effort on group tasks, especially common when individual efforts cannot be indentified or are not identified |
| |
free rider effects |
when some members are "free riders" benefiting from others' efforts, usually because they believe that their own efforts are dispensable |
| |
sucker effect |
when group members who previously compensated for loafing members reduce their efforts because they are tired of being taken advantage of |
| |
social dilemma |
when so many members act selfishly that the group and its members are harmed and productivity is negatively affected |
| |
collective effort model |
suggests that social loafers slack because they do not think their efforts will increase group performance, increase rewards, or lead to valued outcomes, so they slack |
| |
expectancy |
in expectancy-valence theor, a belief that increased effort will lead to increased performance |
| |
instrumentality |
in expectancy-valence theory, a belief that increased performance will be rewarded and recognized |
| |
valence |
in expectancy-valence theory, whether the rewards or outcomes from increased performance are valued |
| |
group coordination |
the ways in which group members synchronize their actions in order to successfully complete the group task; who does what, when, where, and how |
| |
tacit coordination |
occurs when members do not specifically discuss how they are going to accomplish the task and operate according to their assumptions |
| |
explicit coordination |
occurs when members discuss how they will coordinate their actions and make conscious their plans for executing tasks |
| |
performance plans |
specific descriptions of time-and-function-linked series of actions designed to lead to a specific goal or outcome; who will do what, when, where, and how |
| |
pre-plans |
job descriptions, policies, schedules, and standard operating procedures |
| |
in-process planning |
ongoing planning that occurs during the group's work; important when tasks are difficult and variable |
| |
agenda |
a written list of specific meeting goals and objectives |
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