Low employee motivation decreases individual input and kills group productivity. Generally, group motivation losses are a result of the Free-Rider effect, Social Loafing, and the Sucker Effect. Free-riding means individuals work less because their colleagues will complete the task for them; Social Loafing occurs when team members cannot be identified, meaning there are no rewards or punishments for individuals. 

This affects hardworking team members, who give up or lower the quality of their work in frustration - this is known as the “sucker effect”, as employees try to dodge becoming a “sucker” for other people. They see no benefit from their hard work, only the physical and psychological toll of doing the work for free riders.

Revenue is directly correlated to the motivation and engagement of employees. When employees perceive no benefit to hard work, they become less productive. To incentivize them requires a comprehensive strategy that includes peer accountability, the identification and evaluation of individuals’ work by both peers and management, competition, and reward. Research shows that assigning individual goals better incentivizes employees than group goals, and employees need to feel the system of reward and punishment for those slacking.

This research is instrumental in the design of effective social performance management software, a combination of integrated social technology and performance management software. Online forums, chats, and discussion groups allow for instant sharing and updates, with simple tagging and tracking as used in social media chats. Instant, visual progress reports and charts keep managers updated on who is doing what and how effectively. These measures tap into the psychological management tool known as Social Discipline, in which people comply to rules based on a mixture of responsibility and social influence. One of the key features to this compliance is the public making, tracking, and delivery of promises.

Samewave provides all the essentials - and extras - needed to boost motivation, increase transparency, and push revenue through the leverage of social discipline and user-friendly social performance management software. By publicly making and tracking promises in Samewave, coupled with automatic, visual progress reports and chat streams, teams can effortlessly share information, keep each other accountable to commitments, and securely share documents and data. It is suitable for anywhere between 5 and 10,000+ users.

-

Download the white paper below to learn more:

Download