TOEFL Speaking Task 3

Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. This phenomenon occurs because individuals feel less accountable for the outcome and believe their contributions are less noticeable in a group setting. Social loafing can reduce overall group productivity and is more likely to occur when tasks are simple and group members’ individual performances are not evaluated. Researchers have identified strategies to minimize social loafing, such as making each member’s contribution identifiable and increasing the perceived importance of the task.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a company I consulted with. The marketing team had to brainstorm ideas for a new ad campaign. They held a meeting, and each of the five members was asked to share ideas. But after a few minutes, only two people were talking. The others just sat quietly, assuming someone else would come up with something. The manager noticed this. So, in the next session, she changed the approach. She asked each member to write down three ideas individually before the meeting. Then, during the meeting, each person had to present their ideas to the group, and the manager wrote everyone’s name next to their contributions on a whiteboard. Suddenly, everyone participated. One quiet member, who had never spoken up before, proposed a brilliant concept that became the basis of the final campaign. By making each person’s effort visible and accountable, the group’s overall creativity and productivity increased significantly.