Staffing theory

Staffing theory^[1] is a social psychology theory that explores the effects of behavior settings being either understaffed or overstaffed. Understaffing refers to the idea that there are not enough people for what the behavior setting promotes, whereas overstaffing is an overabundance of people. The term staffing theory was previously known as "manning theory," but was renamed.

Staffing theory focused on the idea that when there are fewer people available for a number of behavior settings, there is pressure on individuals to take on responsibilities. A behavior setting is a physical location, temporally or physically bound, that influences the behavior of the people within it. The concept of staffing theory comes from research done by Barker & Gump entitled Big School, Small School.^[2] Synomorphy, which is the degree of fit between a behavior setting and the individuals within it, is an important concept for understanding Staffing Theory. When a place is high in synomorphy, the number of people and the types of tasks being performed match what the behavior setting provides, and the individuals can achieve maximum productivity.^[3]