Nicola Dimelow's Conference Paper at Higher Education and Research and Scholarship Group Annual Conference 2012

1. Presentation by Nicola Dimelow BSc (Student
researcher and Masters student)

2.  Overview of the pilot study
 Background research
 Aim and research questions
 Method
 Results
 Discussion
 Conclusion

3. University?
Bullying and Group
harassment work
Negative Positive
School Work
experience experience

4.  Positive experiences.
 57 % business students reported group work
was positive. (Burdett, 2003)
generating ideas
social aspect
improved learning ability
reduced workload
better grades

5.  Negative experiences
 43% had negative experiences (Burdett, 2003)
Unequal contribution to the task including "free
riding"(social loafing)
Difficulty in arranging meetings
Lack of support from tutors
 Pauli et al (2008) reported similar findings using
Negative Group Work Experience (NGWE)survey
◦ lack of group commitment
◦ task disorganisation
◦ Storming- including arguments, gossiping and falling
out
◦ Fractionated Group- including isolation

6.  Definition: repeated exposure to negative actions by
one or more people (Olweus, 1993)
 School environment prevalence of 9-32% (Green et
al, 2012)
 Workplace bullying is increasing (Lewis, 2004).
predicted by leadership style (Hoel et al, 2010)
 University
Cyberbullying (Schenk, & Fremouw, 2012)
There are no sex differences in experiences of indirect
aggression or victimization (Leenaars & Rinaldi, 2010)
Little research and non focused specifically at group work.

7.  Definition: when an individual contributes less to
a task than other group members but benefits from
the rewards associated with it.
 A recurrent theme in group work literature
(Myers,2009).
 However, to our knowledge, there has been no
research investigating the reasons for reduced
contribution from the perspective of the perceived
Social Loafer
 It is possible that the individual is avoiding a
negative situation.

8.  Aim: to assess the processes of bullying
behaviour specifically during group work.
 Questions:
 What are SHU students perceptions of group work
experiences?
Are bullying (harassment) behaviours observed in
group work?
To what extent is perceived social loafing (free
loading), associated with group work, a result of
avoidance behaviour to bullying?

9.  All psychology and criminology students at
Sheffield Hallam University were emailed an
invitation to complete the online
questionnaire.
 66 responded (85.9% female) and 58
completed the survey.
 Similar response rate from all levels.

10.  Online Questionnaire(26 questions 2 being
qualitative)including
◦ Demographic data (12 questions)
◦ Group work positive experiences
◦ Group work negative experiences including a
modified version of Negative Group Work
Experience (Pauli,2008)
◦ Observations of bullying and harassment during
group work.
◦ Reasons for reduced contributions to the task
(social loafing/free loading)

11.  General experiences of group work
◦ positive - improved skills
◦ negative- negative behaviours
 Social Loafing

12. Response to comment "my experience of group
work has been positive"
12% 12%
strongly agree
agree
24%
disagree
strongly disagree
52%

13. Positive reports of group work experiences (in
percentages)
100
80
60
40
20
0
worked well improved conflict resolution project management listen to other
together negotiation skills skills peoples views

14. Reported negative experiences during group work (in percentages)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
problems as individuals gossiping not talking bullying or falling out I did most of
deadlines not to each other harrassment the work
approached completing
their share
of the work

15.  Reduced contribution to task:
 28.1% (n=16)admitted to contributing less to
a group assignment
◦ not understanding the task (25%),
◦ preference to working alone (37.5%),
◦ other students being more intelligent (25%),
◦ negative group behaviours (12.5%),
◦ members not listening to ideas (18.8%)
◦ too many other commitments (18.8%)

16. ◦ There was a large minority who had negative
experiences of group work
◦ Group work provides an environment for bullying
behaviours
◦ It could tentatively be argued that some perceived
social loafing is due to perceived bullying
behaviours.

17.  Mainly referred to unequal contribution but
other comments included
left ignored
comments
over
Facebook
anxiety meant I
avoided social
situations
dread having to do
group work in the
future

18.  Group work has many positive aspects
however when tutors are designing the task
they need to
◦ Be available to individuals who are experiencing
difficulties
◦ Set up a code of conduct for collaborative working
◦ Consider if it is fair to have group work tasks that
are assessed

19.  Thank you

20.  Burdett, J. (2003). Making groups work: University students' perceptions. International Educational
Journal,4, 177-191.
 Green, J.G., Dunn, E.C., Johnson, R.M., & Molnar, B.E. (2012). A multilevel investigation of the association
between school context and adolescent nonphysical bullying. Journal of School Violence, 10, 133-149.
 Hoel, H., Glaso, L., Hetland, J., Cooper, C.L., & Einarsen, S. (2010). leadership styles as predictors of self
reported and observed workplace bullying. British Journal of Management, 21, 453-468.
 Lewis, D. (2010). Bullying at work: the impact of shame among university and college lecturers . British Journal of
Guidance and Counselling, 32, 281-299.
 Leenaars, L., & Rinaldi, C.M. (2010). Male and female university students' experiences of indirect
aggression. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 25, 131-148.
 Myers, S.A., et al.(2009). Dealing with slackers in college classroom work groups. College Student
Journal, 43, 592-598.
 Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. oxford, England: Blackwell.
 Pauli, R., Mohiyeddini, C., Bray, D., Michie, F., & Street, B. (2007). Individual differences in negative group work
experiences in collaborative student learning. Educational Psychology: An International Journal of Experimental
Educational Psychology, 28, 47-58.
 Schenk, A. M., & Fremouw, W.J. (2012). Prevalance, psychological impact and coping of cyberbully
victims among college students. Journal of School Violence, 11, 21-37.
 Skogstad, A., Torsheim, T., Einarsen, S., & Hauge, L.J. (2011). testing the work environment hypothesis of
bullying on a group level analysis: Psychological factors as precursors of observed workplace bullying. Applied
Psychology: An International Review, 60, 475-495.