A French agricultural engineer named Maximillian Ringlemann conducted an experiment in 1913. The experiment required a rope that was supposed to be pulled by each person. Then he instructed them to tug on the rope collectively. He saw that when people pulled in groups, they exerted less effort than when they pulled alone. And after all, “the Ringlemann effect”, also called social loafing, was discovered. It speaks of the propensity for individual output to decline as group size rises.
Some may believe that groups that include more people are more likely to obtain better results and be more productive. However, this is not what I support. According to my own experiences, fewer people often come up with more influential ideas because they take their jobs more seriously. This is mainly caused by the fact that bigger groups often mean less responsibility to most people. It is simpler to continue doing nothing when no one is observing what you are or are not doing, and this idea actively demonstrates the loss of an individual sense of responsibility. Another reason that causes social loafing is individuals thinking that their contribution will not be valuable enough because there are many other people working towards the same goal. So, we can easily say that the reason why bigger groups are not as productive is that people think that their impact will neither be much worth nor recognizable.
Keep in mind that the Ringelmann effect is manageable and being able to come up with better results in bigger groups is possible. Although I agree with the Ringelmann effect, I still think that with the right alterations, bigger groups can also get moving. An important step that can be taken to prevent social loafing is giving each member the task accordingly to their interests. This way, members will for sure be more eager to participate. Other approaches include instilling a sense of dependence in people, as though the project’s success depended on them, as well as establishing measurable short- and long-term goals for each participant. It is also important for each member to have their own ideas and be able to speak up about them. This way, members will feel free and deem that others heed what they have to say.
To summarize everything that has been mentioned so far, I agree with the Ringlemann effect. I believe that finding an ideal number of participants should be the main goal for obtaining better results in a group. Because most of the time, fewer people who have a sense of responsibility are easier to work with. And social loafing in general is an obstacle to cooperation but knowing how to deal with it is crucial to contribute to the efficiency of the work.