Group Performance and Productivity

Task performance or the outcome of some behavioral or intellectual goal is a key function of many groups. Task-performing groups include various decisionmaking groups, sports teams, and work teams. One would expect groups to benefit from their multiple and potentially complementary skills. It is true that the more able or skilled the group or team members are, the better the group is. Yet researchers have shown that there are a number of factors that inhibit productivity in groups. However, groups can also reach high levels of productivity under the right conditions and with the right group member composition.

There is an endless range of tasks that groups could potentially perform. Some of these require a simple addition of effort, whereas others require that each group member fulfill a particular role. On some tasks, the focus may be on quantity or speed of output, and on others, the concern may be with quality of work. Some tasks are mainly cognitive in that they require some degree of ideation, whereas others may be mostly behavioral (e.g., sports or music performance). According to Ivan Steiner, the effectiveness of groups may depend on the nature of the task they are required to perform. Group task performance may often be less than optimal because of two types of process losses that occur in groups: coordination and motivation. When group members work together, they have to coordinate with one another, and this requirement may make it difficult for each member to contribute his or her best effort. Group members may also be less motivated in groups than they would be if they were working by themselves.