The Influence of Real-Time Identifiability and Evaluability Performance Feedback on Group Electronic Brainstorming Performance

Abstract

This study addresses the question of how to mitigate productivity losses in Electronic Brainstorming (EBS) due to social loafing. This article posits that loafing in the context of EBS may occur due to the combined effect of random group composition and anonymity in conjunction with unregulated individual performance behavior, not anonymity per se, and presents real-time, objective performance feedback as a plausible solution to combat social loafing. An automated real-time performance feedback system was incorporated into an existing EBS system and its effect on performance was empirically examined. Consistent with the suggestions of prior loafing research, in a controlled laboratory experiment groups given the identifiability treatment outperformed other treatments. Similarly, groups given the evaluability treatment outperformed other treatments. Furthermore, groups in the Identifiability and Evaluability treatment showed competitiveness among participants, promoting upward social comparison, and in turn outperforming all other groups in terms of idea quality.

Social design feedback: evaluations with users in online ad-hoc groups

“…Research on electronic brainstorming suggests that social loafing is reduced if participants are clearly identifiable as individuals by the use of nicknames or pseudonyms [47], as they were in the setup for social design feedback in this study.…”

Learning With Weblogs: Enhancing Cognitive and Social Knowledge Construction

“…Studies of social dilemmas have shown that free riding is the norm rather than exception in anonymous social groups [33]- [35]. This has been observed repeatedly in GSS research, where anonymous participants contribute less than their fair share to a common task (e.g., group assignment), relying on the effort of others [7], [36], [37].…”

Toward Better Solutions: An Analysis of the Ideation Literature in Light of Bounded Ideation Theory

“…Chen et al [36] entered comments during brainstorming that are believed to come from a team member working at a fast rate. The studies with the electronic feedback graphs (i.e., [34,35]) reported a greater number of unique ideas. The Shepherd et al [34] study did not lead to more high quality ideas [37] and although the Jung et al [35] study reported higher quality scores, the number of high quality ideas was not reported.…”

“…The studies with the electronic feedback graphs (i.e., [34,35]) reported a greater number of unique ideas. The Shepherd et al [34] study did not lead to more high quality ideas [37] and although the Jung et al [35] study reported higher quality scores, the number of high quality ideas was not reported. The Chen et al [36] study did not report a significant increase in either quantity or quality.…”

“…Shepherd et al [34] use an electronic feedback graph to encourage comparisons of a team's productivity against an average group. Jung et al [35] also used an electronic feedback graph, but it allowed individuals to compare their productivity against that of other team members. Chen et al [36] entered comments during brainstorming that are believed to come from a team member working at a fast rate.…”