Advantages and Disadvantages of Teamwork - Essay Example

Individual Reflection Name Date Course Individual Reflection Introduction Teamwork is an important process and it plays an essential role in determining how different tasks can be performed. Most tasks require teamwork for the accomplishment of goals and objectives. The success of the team is dependent on the relationship between the team members. Communication between the team members is also important in determining the success of the team (DeChurch, 2010). Communication is a significant tool that ensures that all the team members have information regarding the operations of the team. Different theories have been put in place for the purposes of describing the team operations. The main teamwork theories include the Belbin theory, Tuchman 4 stage and team development process. The success of the team is also dependant on how organized the team is. Our team had the task of carrying out a research on organizational development concepts. The team was successful due to the utilization of the theories and an effective communication process that was put in place. The team was also able to accomplish its main goals and objectives. The paper is thus a reflection of the performance of the team and how the concepts of teamwork were utilized. Discussion Advantages of teamwork The group had a team leader and my main role was coordinating activities of the group. However each of the group members had a duty to perform and hence contributing to the success of the team. Each team member had unique abilities and qualities which played an essential role in ensuring that the team was successful. One of the major benefits of teamwork as witnessed in our group is the unique knowledge and skills that each of the team member had. This played an important role in ensuring that the team members learn from each other. The productivity of the team was improved due to the unique qualities that each of the team member had and thus impacting positively on the overall knowledge of the group. The Belbin theory was applied in the team and this ensured that each of the team members had a role to play. The roles that each of the team members impacted positively on the knowledge sharing process within the team. The teamwork process also played an essential role in encouraging a healthy competition among the members. The concepts of teamwork therefore played a vital role in ensuring g that the goals and objectives were attained. On the other hand, it is also important to note that each of the team members was eager to offer their skills and knowledge for the purposes of ensuring that the team is able to achieve its goals and objectives. The teamwork theories also play an essential role in ensuring that the operation of the team is successful (LePine, 2012). The problem solving process was also simplified due to the teamwork. This is because each of the team members had unique skills which played an essential role during the decision making process and hence solving the problems easily. On the other hand, it is also important to note consultations were encouraged among the team members for the purposes of solving problems. Each of the contribution of the team member was treated equally and no idea was dismissed without the group analyzing it. The problem solving process of the team was thus enhanced due to teamwork. The teamwork process also played an important role in ensuring that a good relationship is developed among the team members. Increased level of bonding was witnessed in the team which encouraged the members to work closely with each other. The level of consultations was also enhanced due to the good relationship that was developed among the team me members. However, it is important to note that the bonding was a gradual process as the members were not used to each other during the initial stages. The theory of Tuchman 4 stage development played an essential role in ensuring that a good relationship is establish among the team members. The team was also able to accomplish its tasks faster due to the concepts of teamwork. This is because of the allocation of different tasks to each of the group member. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the activities performed within the team may take long incase it is only performed by an individual (Egido, 2014). The efficiency of the operations within the team was increased due to teamwork. This is because of sharing ideas and responsibilities. The teamwork development theory that was applied in the team played an essential role in ensuring that the team was able to meet its goals and objectives. The increased efficiency within the team was thus useful to the team in ensuring that the required tasks were accomplished within the required time. During the operations of the team, it was possible to determine the strength and weaknesses of each of the team member. This played an essential role in ensuring that each of the team members is assisted on their areas of weaknesses. The team members were also able to assists each other in different areas and hence impacting positively on the operations of the team. The team was thus successful due to the benefits of group work. The teamwork concepts plays an essential role in ensuring that the members are able to complement on the weaknesses of each other and hence improving on the performance of the team. The team was able to solve complex tasks due to working as a team. Complex tasks may present difficulties to the individuals working on their own as compares to a group (Bravo, 2014). However, it is also important to note that our team was able to accomplish its tasks due to an efficient communication process that was put in place. The operations of a team are also dependant on how well the activities are coordinated. Disadvantages Although the group was able to accomplish its tasks, a few disadvantages of groupwork were noted. During the initial stages of the team, social loafing was witnessed. Some of the team members were giving less output as compared to when they usually work individually. This was experienced in the initial stages of the group as some of the group members had not understood the concepts of groupwork. On the other hand, it is also important to note that some of the team members had the mentality that the other members will perform the different tasks and hence resulting to social loafing. This had negative impacts on the group and it slowed down its operations during the initial stages. The social loafing problem also resulted to low motivation among some of the group members which impacted negatively on its operations. Social loafing in the initial stages of the group had negative impacts on the common goals of the team. The teamwork process also experienced some minimal conflicts. This is because of the differences among the team members in terms of opinions. Such differences may impact negatively on the progress of the team (Hopwood, 2014). However, the group was able to address the problem by developing common goals and house rules which was useful in guiding the conduct of the members. On the other hand, the group was also able to solve potential conflicts by enhancing the communication process within the team. Conflicts within a team may also impact negatively on the relationship between the members (Akarasriworn, 2013). In the initial stages, some of the members were not used to working in teams and they preferred working on their own. This also impacted negatively on the progress of the team during the initial stages. Some of the members were reluctant to participate as they were not used to the teamwork processes. Unequal participation of the members is one of the problems that were experienced in the team due to the low levels of experience of some members on how a team operates. The unequal participation was also as a result of some members being used to work on their own. Unequal participation is one of the main problems associated with groupwork (West, 2012). This has the potential of affecting the morale of the other team members who are actively participating in the process. The group was however able to overcome the problem by coming up with motivational strategies that encouraged participation of the group members. Some form of diversity was also evident within the team as the members had some differences. The diversity also contributed to some misunderstanding among the team members. Diversity within a group may affect the operations of the group in terms of coordination of activities among the group members (Cropanzano, 2011). This has the potential of causing long term effects on the group and hence affecting the goals and objectives of the group. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that teamwork has both advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage that impacted positively on the performance of the team involved the ability to share knowledge. Each of the team members had unique knowledge and skills that impacted positively on the teamwork processes. It is evident that the team as able to succeed due to the ability of the team to come up with an efficient communication process. On the other hand, problem solving process is simplified by through the use of the teamwork concepts. The productivity was also improved due to the teamwork process. However, despite the advantages, the team experienced some challenges. Unequal participation among the team members was one of the disadvantages that the group was exposed to. Diversity is also a problem that is faced during teamwork and it has the potential of impacting negatively on the operations of the team. However, it is evident that the teamwork plays an essential role in ensuring that the members develop a good relationship with each other. References DeChurch, L. (2010). The cognitive underpinnings of effective teamwork: a meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(1), 32. LePine, J. (2012). A configural theory of team processes: Accounting for the structure of task work and teamwork. Academy of Management Review, amr-2011. Egido, C. (2014). Intellectual teamwork: Social and technological foundations of cooperative work. Psychology Press. Bravo, R., (2014). Processes and outcomes in student teamwork. An empirical study in a marketing subject. Studies in Higher Education, (ahead-of-print), 1-19. Hopwood, N. (2014). Teamwork Processes. In Doing Ethnography in Teams (pp. 39-67). Springer International Publishing. West, M. A. (2012). Effective teamwork: Practical lessons from organizational research. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Cropanzano, R., (2011). Peer justice and teamwork process. Group & Organization Management, 36(5), 567-596. Akarasriworn, C. (2013). Collaboration factors, teamwork satisfaction, and student attitudes toward online collaborative learning. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(3), 922-929. Read More