<P> The Ringelmann effect is the tendency for individual members of a group to become increasingly less productive as the size of their group increases . This effect , discovered by French agricultural engineer Maximilien Ringelmann ( 1861 -- 1931 ) , illustrates the inverse relationship that exists between the size of a group and the magnitude of group members ' individual contribution to the completion of a task . While studying the relationship between process loss ( i.e. , reductions in performance effectiveness or efficiency ) and group productivity , Ringelmann ( 1913 ) found that having group members work together on a task ( e.g. , pulling a rope ) actually results in significantly less effort than when individual members are acting alone . Furthermore , Ringelmann discovered that as more and more people are added to a group , the group often becomes increasingly inefficient , ultimately violating the notion that group effort and team participation reliably leads to increased effort on behalf of the members . </P>
<P> The Ringelmann effect is the tendency for individual members of a group to become increasingly less productive as the size of their group increases . This effect , discovered by French agricultural engineer Maximilien Ringelmann ( 1861 -- 1931 ) , illustrates the inverse relationship that exists between the size of a group and the magnitude of group members ' individual contribution to the completion of a task . While studying the relationship between process loss ( i.e. , reductions in performance effectiveness or efficiency ) and group productivity , Ringelmann ( 1913 ) found that having group members work together on a task ( e.g. , pulling a rope ) actually results in significantly less effort than when individual members are acting alone . Furthermore , Ringelmann discovered that as more and more people are added to a group , the group often becomes increasingly inefficient , ultimately violating the notion that group effort and team participation reliably leads to increased effort on behalf of the members . </P>
the tendency for individual effort to decline as group size increases refers to
the tendency for individual effort to decline as group size increases refers to
Ringelmann effect
Ringelmann effect