Team Work, Group Efficiency and Performance - Essay Example

? Contents Introduction 3 Organizational Teams and Teamwork 3 Why Team Work? 5 Role/Impact of Management in Team Working Process 7 How Can Group Efficiency Be Achieved and Maintained 10 Conclusion 12 References 13 Introduction Today’s organizations are changing and adapting to the changing dynamic external environment. One of the most important adaptations of organizations is development of a team-based organizational structure. The traditional horizontal hierarchical structure is now being replaced by a team based structure where in organizations has numerous teams working with no more than 10 members. “Contemporary literature suggests that effective team working is essential for group efficiency and performance”. This is true in every sense in today’s business world. This paper is a literature review targeted at analysing the above statement. Organizational Teams and Teamwork The basic definition of a team is a group of people working together in an organization. This definition is too general and does not do justice to the functioning of a team in an organizational setting. In purely organizational sense, team is defined as “a group of workers functioning together as a unit to complete a common goal or purpose” (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor, 2010). It is best defined by West (2012) as “groups of people embedded on organizations, performing tasks that contribute to achieving the organization’s goals”. Teams work towards achieving the overall organizational objective and have the necessary resources, autonomy and authority to achieve those objectives. Team and teamwork in an organizational setting can be best understood by the following explanation by Woods and West (2012). The following is a direct quote by Woods and West (2010) and has been used directly for better understanding: A team is a relatively small group of people working on a clearly defined, challenging task that is most efficiently completed by a group working together rather than individuals working alone or parallel; who have clear, shared, challenging, team level objectives derived directly from the task; who have to work closely and interdependently to achieve these objectives; whose members work in distinct roles within the team (though some roles may be duplicated); and who have the necessary authority, autonomy and resources to enable them to meet the team’s objectives. They are different types of teams in an organization (Griffin & Moorhead, 2011) but they can be grouped into the following types based on their nature: Problem Solving Teams: These are the most common type of teams and in some cases are used temporarily. Problem solving teams brings together employees with different knowledge backgrounds in order to tackle a specific problem. These teams consist of highly talented and skilled individuals who are brought into the team in order to induce and bring about a specific change (Boone & Kurtz, 2011). Self Managed Work Teams: these are teams with groups of employees who have the skills as well as the authority to manage themselves. Many experts in the field argue that the employees in such teams are the most satisfied and motivated. This is because they have greater job control and task variety (Boone & Kurtz, 2011). Cross Functional Teams: Cross functional teams are the latest trends in the business world. Earlier, teams were formed on the basis of specific speciality or functionality. But in today’s dynamic business world this is not enough. Projects are more complex today and need employees with different skill sets and abilities to be working on the same project. Hence, cross functional teams have been formed which consists of individuals with varying skills, expertise and specialities working to achieve a common goal (Robbins, 2009). Virtual Teams: There is no need for teams to be geographically close as developments in communication technology have made it possible for team members to be geographically separated but still work as a single unit. Hence, virtual team is one wherein team members are geographically separated but are still able to work as a cohesive unit by communicating electronically (Robbins, 2009). Teams can also be grouped based on their functionality into the following: strategy and policy teams, production teams, service teams, project and development teams, and action and performing teams. Why Team Work? Contemporary literature suggests that effective team working is essential for group efficiency and performance. This section will discuss in detail why and how effective group work will lead to greater group efficiency and performance. Effective team work is essential as it will unite the employees towards the common organizational goal and result in generating greater productivity for the company. Absence of effective team work in an organization will mean that the management is limiting itself towards the efforts that each individual makes independent of the team towards the organizational goal which will have a far lesser impact as compared to a group’s collective effort. There are various other compelling reasons why effective team work or group work is essential in an organization to improve group efficiency and some of them have been discussed in the following paragraphs. The best way to enact organizational strategy is through having a team based structure. In today’s dynamic business environment, there is a need for organizations to continuously change their structure and strategy. The absence of a team based structure would make it very difficult for organizations to adapt to the changing environment due to hierarchical blocks at every step which slows down the decision making ability of the organization as a whole. On the other hand, having a team based structure would increase the ability of decision making faster as teams not individuals become the work unit. Therefore, team based organization results in flat structures that can respond effectively and quickly to environmental changes (Cohen & Bailey, 1997). Hence, effective team work improves group efficiency and performance of the organization as a whole. Group efficiency and performance increases when the group is able to develop and deliver products and services at a fast pace and in a cost efficient manner. This is possible only when the members of a team work in tandem as this will increase their speed and efficiency as compared to the members of a team working independently. Members of a team working in parallel are more productive and effective as compared to members of a team working serially (West, 2012). Effective team work leads to better decision making as when members of a team take part in decision making ideas and decisions are questioned leading to wider perspectives and views on how to improve the products and services offered to the client. Working individually limits the ability of questioning and analysing the various elements of a situation. The numerous perspectives of different team members on issues such as producing, packaging, promoting, etc., leads to an informed decision. Hence, effective team work leads to high quality innovation and decision making resulting in greater group efficiency and performance (van Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007). Group efficiency and performance increases when innovation is promoted. Effective team working promotes innovation as it results in cross-fertilization of ideas. Team building is all about bringing different members with different skills, abilities knowledge, background, etc together to work on a common team task. As different team members work together the sharing of knowledge and perspectives challenges opinions and assumptions leading to exploration of improved and new ideas. Therefore, irrespective of nature of the organization effective team work always leads to higher levels of innovation and hence improves group efficiency and performance (Sacramento, Chang & West, 2006). Team working leads to better learning and effective knowledge transfer across organization. When team members work together, they learn from each other and acquire greater knowledge when compared to working individually. When a member of a team leaves or quits his/her job, the loss is minimal in an effective team working as one as compared to a team where individuals work individually or independently (West, 2012). Role/Impact of Management in Team Working Process Management plays a crucial role in the team working process. The role and the impact that management has on the team working process can be best understood by analysing the different stages of a team development process. Any team once formed takes time to start working as a cohesive unit. The different members of a team need to time to understand their roles and responsibilities, build relationship with other member of the team, delegate duties and develop other attributes of an effective. It is here that the management plays a crucial role to facilitate the above. Following are the five stages of development that a team passes through before it matures: Forming: This is the first step in team building. The complete responsibility lies with the management. It is the management that has to select the different team member of the team keeping in mind the required skills sets and abilities that the tasks demand. Once the team has been selected, the management has to ensure that the team members are introduced to each other and start to develop a social dynamic. Initially the team members are in the wild about their roles and responsibilities as well as that of their team members (Schneider, 2003). The initiative lies with the management here wherein it needs to put down the ground rules of the team along with acceptable behaviours. The faster the management will be able to facilitate this stage sooner the team starts performing at its optimum. With time, group dynamics will emerge and team members will feel more comfortable with each other. This is the most critical stage and if the management falters here, the whole process will go in vain. Storming: This is the next stage, wherein the actual objectives and goals of the team start to develop. The interaction between team members at this stage can be volatile as there will be exchange of ideas and plans and broader agenda is setup. The role of the management here is to facilitate the communication and ensure that the team goals and objectives are in line with the organizational objectives and goals (Egolf, 2001). The leadership role within the team is still undefined at this stage and hence the management must be on the lookout for individuals with leadership qualities. It is the primary responsibility of the management to nurture leadership within the team. The management at this stage will not actively take part but passively look into how the team is shaping up and will interfere only when it is absolutely necessary. Norming: This is the stage where the team start to stabilise as the team members are now acquainted with each other are aware of their and their team member’s roles and responsibilities within the team (Schneider, 2003). There will be sense of unity within the group. By this stage management must identify the internal leader (apart from the one already chosen during the initial team formation). There is a possibility that the team can back to the storming stage if any conflicts arise and it is the responsibility of the management to ensure that any conflicts if arise are resolved in an appropriate manner without disturbing the group cohesion achieved. By this stage the management will assume a mentoring role. Performing: This is the stage when the team starts working to its full potential. The team is now completely focused on achieving the team goals and objectives and is less focused towards team development or building issues (Egolf, 2001). The management in this stage has no active role to play with respect to team building or performance of tasks. The role of the management here is to monitor the various activities and ensure that there are no blocks or potholes that will jeopardise the team harmony that is achieved. Management at this stage will indulge in activities that are targeted at employee motivation, evaluation, assessment etc that are going to create a positive working atmosphere. Adjourning: This is the final stage where the team is disbanded as the project is completed and the goals and objectives that were set are achieved. The responsibility now falls back on the management to dissolve the team and reassign the team members to other projects. This stage is of not primary important with respect to the context of this paper, but it does highlight the role that management plays in the whole team working process. It is clear from the above discussion about the role that the management plays in different stages of the team development process. Management has a vital role to play in team building and working. The management must be consistently monitoring the activities of a team and ensure that they are in inline with overall organizational goals and objectives. Training and development is another important responsibility of the management. Employee’s skills and abilities must be continuously developed to meet changing demands of the external environment. Hence, team members must be trained on new technologies and skills that will give them a competitive advantage. If the management does not play an active role, then the teams will not be accountable for their actions and this means that their efficiency and performance will go down considerably. Resolving problems, acquiring necessary resources, continuous improvement, monitoring and mentoring, etc are the various aspects of team work or group work in which management has a very important role to play (Brown & Harvey, 2006). Apart from the top management, the leaders in the form of team managers and team leaders will assume management role and vital for achieving greater group efficiency and performance. They are the last leg of management and the point of communication between top management and the team members. They influence various aspects of the team such as knowledge sharing, efficacy, empowerment, creativity, coordination, commitment, potency, etc (West, 2012). How Can Group Efficiency Be Achieved and Maintained Group efficiency can be achieved by building strong teams and team building is no easy task. In order for groups to evolve into a cohesive unit, there is a lot of effort needed from the management and it is a continuous process (Cummings & Worley 2008). The top management of an organization plays a vital role in team building but the immediate responsibility is over the manager or supervisor leading the team and he/she will play the role of a team builder. The most important attribute of a team that will go a long way in building an effective team is mutual trust and respect for one another among the team members. A team is no different than an individual as it develops its own identity and character and the team builder needs to nurture and maintain it. Greater group efficiency results from the following: Motivated team members working towards achieving a common goal (Bidgoli, 2010) Transparent and effective communication among the group members (Quick, 1992) Increased creativity and productivity among the team members Greater commitment and job satisfaction of the employees Diversity among the group, i.e. diverse co-workers (Dyer & Dyer, 2010) Collaborative, cooperative and problem solving climate/environment in the group (Dainty, Moore & Murray 2006) Clear and well defined objectives Employee friendly and productivity oriented policies and procedures Therefore, in order to achieve greater group efficiency, team building or group building must focus on achieving the above. Some strategies are discussed in the following paragraphs that can be adopted in order to achieve greater group efficiency and maintain it. Intrinsically Interesting Tasks: Teams work at their best when they are provided with tasks that are intrinsically challenging, motivating, interesting and enjoyable. Teams lose focus and commitment when they are asked to perform routine tasks. Extended focus and commitment is only possible when the tasks are interesting and enjoyable. In order to have higher motivation and commitment from the employees and at the same time greater cooperation among each other, tasks must be interesting and challenging. By designing interesting and challenging tasks, greater efficiency and higher performance can be extracted from the groups. Greater Responsibility and Recognition: Team member must be entrusted with responsibility and allowed to overcome their own obstacles. At the same time, their role in the team and importance of their work must be clearly defined so that they know their worth. When each team member know their value and what they mean to the team’s outcome, they are bound to take up individual responsibility towards achieving the goal. Greater the clarity among the roles and responsibilities of team members in a team, greater is the efficiency and productivity. Training and Development: The members of the team must be continuously trained and developed to stay update with the technology. Training and development also incorporate learning of social skills that will help them to work in a team setting and develop good working relationships with different team members (Olmstead, 2002). Clearly Defined Goals and Objectives: The team goals and objectives must be clearly defined and so that the employees know exactly what they are trying to achieve. It must be put in the best possible way and also in way that it can be measured and evaluated (Olmstead, 2002). Diverse Workforce: A diverse workforce is very important in order to have greater innovation and creativity in a team. The team members must be chosen from diverse backgrounds with different skills and abilities. A diverse team will be more innovative, creative and productive than a single dimensional team. Conclusion This paper has successfully analysed the literature on how effective team work leads to greater group efficiency and performance. The paper is discussed the meaning of term team in an organizational setting and has explained the different types of teams. Also it has discussed the role that management plays in effective team working and in turn in improving group efficiency and performance. The paper is concluded by suggesting some strategies that can be used to improve group efficiency and performance in an organizational setting. 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