Freeriders in the Workplace

1
Free-riders in the Workplace

• Jun Kobayashi (Seikei U.)
• June 26, 2005
• Joint Conference, Sapporo

2
Outline

• Causes of Free-riding in Workplace?
• Dependent Individual Free-riding
• Independent Team Size, Occupations, Motivations
• Complete Survey in a Japanese Large Firm

3
Background

• Reducing Free-riders Essential for Efficient
  Management
• Japanese Management Mutual Monitoring ? No
  Free-riders???
• Puzzle 20 Contribute, 80 Shirk (Shiroyama)

4
Research Question

• Who and Why Free-rides???

5
Definition

• Free-rider Free-ride on Coworkers
  Contributions
• First Survey in Japan

6
Theoretical Literature

• Public Goods Provision
• Inexcludable? Free-riders
• Olson
• Size?? Free-riders?
• In Organizational Studies
• Shirking, Social Loafing, Withholding efforts

7
Empirical Literature

• George 1992
• Monitored, Involved??Free-riders?
• Vane Dyne LePine 1998
• In-role/Extra-role Contributions Correlate
• Takahashi 1997
• Free-riders?? Energized?

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Research Question Specified

• Yet Effects of Size still Unknown
• In Japan No Direct Measurement of Free-riding
• So Examine Effects of
• Size, Occupations, Motivations
• Using Direct Measures

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Hypotheses

• Size? Free-rider?
• Outside Worker
• (Less Monitored)
• White-collar
• (Less Boundaries)
• Motivations?
• Age, Gender, Rank, Transfer

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• 1. Introduction
• 2. Methods
• 3. Results
• 4. Conclusion

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• Data

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Complete Survey

• July 2004
• Questionnaire, Self-reported, 158 Qs
• Anonymous (sealed envelop)
• All workers at 4 branches, Large Firm
• Full-time, Formal workers
• 1,219 respondents (Response Rate 98.1)

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Profiles

• 1,154 (No Higher Managers)
• 35.7 years old
• Male 89.3
• Lower Managers 12.8
• Inside 54.8
• White-collar 66.2 (47.1 Clerks and 19.1
  Sales), Blue-collar 33.8 (Maintenance)

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• Measures

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Dependent In-role Contribution

• We ask work that you should share in a team.
• How much do your coworkers regard you as doing
  it?
• Much More than expected 6, More 5, Little
  More 4,
• Little Less 3, Less 2, Much Less 1

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Extra-role Contribution

• We ask work that is not assigned but someone
  should do, such as receiving phones.
• How much do your coworkers regard you as doing
  it?
• Much More than expected 6, More 5, Little
  More 4,
• Little Less 3, Less 2, Much Less 1

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Independent Team Size

• With how many people do you do work that you
  should share in a team?

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Motivations

• Average of (a 0.90)
• I enjoy my work
• I thrive on my work
• Yes 5, Somewhat Yes 4
• Neutral 3
• Somewhat No 2, No 1
  

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Statistical Models

• OLS Linear Regression
• Controlling variables plt0.10
• VIF lt1.6

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• 1. Introduction
• 2. Methods
• 3. Results
• 4. Conclusion

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Descriptive Statistics

• In-role Contributors 61.8
• Extra-role Contributors 51.9

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Hypotheses (again)

• Size? Free-rider?
• Outside Worker
• (Less Monitored)
• White-collar
• (Less Boundaries)
• Motivations?
• Age, Gender, Rank, Transfer

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H1 Size
24

• plt.10, .05, .01, .001

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H2 Outside Workers
26
H3 White-collar Workers
27

• plt.10, .05, .01, .001

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H4 Motivations
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• plt.10, .05, .01, .001

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• 1. Introduction
• 2. Methods
• 3. Results
• 4. Conclusion

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Summary of Results
?
Size

Outside
Free-rider

White-collar
-
Motivations
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Conclusion

• No Clear Effects of Size
• Outside workers and White-collar workers
  Free-ride More
• Motivated workers Free-ride Less

33
Future Topics

• Informal Sanctions?
• Organizational Differences?
• B/w Firms, Branches, Workplaces
• Cultural Differences?