We would like to do many activities in groups. In that way we all enjoy what we’re doing more. So does the increase in the productivity of a group depend on the small number of people in that group or the correctness of the team spirit in the group?
The first view can be briefly called the Ringelmann effect which is when individual members of a group become less productive as the size of the group increases. Discovered by Maximilien Ringelmann (1861–1931), this effect shows an inverse relationship between the size of a group and the productivity of that group. This effect argues that as more people participate in a task, each participant will tend to feel that their own effort is not critical, thus lowering their average performance. Tug-of-war races are given as an example of the Ringelmann effect. Because in these races, at first, you think that the more people in your team, the easier you will win, but when the race starts, everyone trusts the people in their own group and starts not pulling with all their strenght. Whereas in small groups, people know that their pulling power is very important. That’s why we could see small groups win in tug-of-wars.
The other view argues that the productivity of a group depends on teamwork, which can be supported by the proverb that ‘If we don’t all row, the boat won’t go.’ Since this is a proverb, it is not clear who said it, but it still establishes a direct proportion between group work and productivity. When we think of a boat, we all think of lots of seats and lots of oars. And teamwork has a very important place in such boats because if even one person does not row, the ship may not sail as the proverb says, but if the group catches the right team spirit they can manage to move the ship, which is a very productive job.
On these two views, although I find it logical that having a large number of people in a group will reduce productivity, I also know that if there is no team spirit in a group, if they do not work as a team, if even one person does not do their part, no matter how few people in that group, they can not produce an efficient job. For example if I am in a team with a lot of people but I love each of them, maybe at the beginning I can think that my own effort is not important but when I catch the team spirit, it increases my performance and with teamwork we can be even better and more productive than the other groups which have less amount of people.
To sum up I find true the both opinions but I think the productivity of something depends more on team spirit and working as a group than the amount of people in the group. So I agree more with the proverb which goes ‘If we don’t all row, the boat won’t go.’
