Eugene Chan
Dr. Eugene Chan is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). He holds a PhD in Marketing from the University of Toronto, an MA in Social Psychology from the University of Chicago, and an AB in Honors Psychology from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Chan's research delves into consumer behavior and decision-making, exploring how factors such as political ideology, food packaging, and moral foundations influence consumer choices. He has published over 50 papers in top-tier journals, garnering more than 6,000 citations, and boasts an h-index of 25 and an i10-index of 43.
Dr. Chan’s notable contributions include examining the role of political ideology on consumer decisions, strategies to combat obesity through food packaging, and the psychological underpinnings of compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has received numerous accolades, including the 2023 TRSM Research Recognition Award and the 2019 ANZMAC Emerging Researcher Award.
Dr. Chan serves as an Associate Editor for the Australasian Marketing Journal and has secured significant grants, including a SSHRC grant and a Natural Science Foundation of China Grant. His administrative roles at TMU include Acting Chair of the Marketing Management Department and Academic Co-ordinator for the Chang School’s strategic marketing certificate.
Do Online Collaborative Learning Tools Facilitate Social Loafing for Group Projects?
The research project aims to investigate whether online collaborative learning (OCL) tools, such as Zoom and Google Docs, facilitate social loafing in group projects among higher education students. Social loafing refers to reduced individual effort in group work due to perceived lowered accountability. Previous studies have highlighted both benefits and challenges of OCL tools, but there is limited understanding of their impact on group projects.
The proposed research includes three studies: a qualitative study to explore students' experiences with OCL tools in group projects, a quantitative survey to identify factors contributing to social loafing, and an experimental study testing the effectiveness of an accountability pledge to reduce social loafing. By interviewing 50 students, surveying 200 students, and testing an intervention with 100 students, the research aims to generalize previous findings, identify mechanisms behind social loafing, and propose practical strategies for educators. This comprehensive approach seeks to enhance the effectiveness of OCL tools in group projects while mitigating the tendency for social loafing.