Gulf Air - Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management - Example

Building and Innovative Project Team Report Name: Course: Tutor: Institution: Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary 3 1.0 Introduction 4 2.0 Background Theory Analysis 4 2.1 Team Development 4 2.2 Leadership Approach 5 2.3 Performance Evaluation Measures 6 3.0 Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank CSR Project Case Study 6 3.1 Team Development 7 3.2 Performance Evaluation 7 3.3 CSR Project Leadership 8 4.0 Recommendations 8 4.1 Team Reward 9 4.2 Participative Leadership 10 4.3 Project Partnership 11 5.0 Conclusion 11 References 12 Executive Summary This report offers a review and evaluation of the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) CSR project team management. In this regard, the report reviews the project team management characteristics towards an innovative management approach, listing the challenges as well as recommendations for the team management practice in the future. On one hand, a theoretical model analysis lists the team formation, leadership and performance evaluation factors as key team management efficiency. Moreover, an evaluation of the bank CSR project establishes a reward system challenge as well as a democratic leadership approach challenges, elements the report recommends for change. This is achieved through key recommendations, namely t a participative approach, project partnership, and team members’ rewards approaches respectively. 1.0 Introduction The concept of project management has gained a growing popularity in the last decade, expanding from the traditional manufacturing and design organizations to extend even to the service providing ventures. Moreover, the declaration and objective of increasing innovations in the UAE market led to the additional need for developing innovative teams for market competency and relevance retentions. This report offers an evaluation of innovative project teams’ development for the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. As such, the report discusses on the model and theories for such a team development, offers a case study evaluation of the theory, application, as well as presenting recommendations for increased project teams, management success in the future. 2.0 Background Theory Analysis In order to develop and manage an innovative project team, a number of theories and considerations should be considered. This report analysis explains on the team development styles, management approaches and performance evaluation theories and models. 2.1 Team Development One of the fundamental bases for the development of an innovative project team is in its forming stage. In this regard, the forming stage includes the evaluation of the respective team members for inclusion based on the task needs as well as individual performances. As DeRosa and Lepsinger (2010, p.23) argued, team members selection should be based on an alignment of their skills with the project needs and requirements. In this regard, such an alignment would ensure that the respective team members support the project vision through their skills and abilities. Moreover, Daft (2011, p452) noted that a disjointed team due to poor skills and interest match is a major deterrent to innovative project team successes. Therefore, this analysis establishes that in order to establish and develop a rational and relevant project team base, inclusion of members should be based on their skills, interests and past performance records, as a proactive tool to ensuring harmony and commitment in the proposed project operations. 2.2 Leadership Approach Schein (2010, p.44) described organizational leadership as an approach through which organizational employees and other stakeholders are guided towards the attainment of the set organizational goals and objectives in the long run period. In this regard, there are varied leadership styles and strategies, including the autocratic, democratic, and participative styles among others. In an evaluation of the ideal leadership approach to adopt in organizational, House (2006, p.45) argued that an organizational needs and culture are the key strategies determinants in the development and adoption of a relevant leadership style. In this case, a project management process requires the inclusion and participation of all the employees. In this regard, it is expected that the project managers only serve as guides and facilitators to harmonizing the team ember contributions. Consequently, in order to develop and increase a project team management innovation, the ideal management style would be the participative leadership approach. In this regard, the team members should not only be involved in recommending decision strategies, but also actively involved in the actual decision making process. Thus, such a leadership approach would ensure that the project team members’ innovations and contributions are part of the final decision as a strategic approach to ensuring members’ motivation in the long run period. 2.3 Performance Evaluation Measures An additionally imperative management perspective for the development and retention of innovative project management teams is the development of a rational and relevant performance evaluation strategy. In this case, performance evaluation criteria allow for the evaluation of project team performance and as such their achievements towards the strategic goal attainment. Once a project manager develops a rational performance evaluation tool, the criteria enables the respective team members to evaluate their strengths, and improve on them, as well as weaknesses and as such develop strategies to mitigate and eliminate them. Consequently, this would allow the project teams to develop relevant corrective and proactive strategies to increase performance and innovation in the respective project teams. Thus, this report section analysis lists a threefold model for the evaluation and management of an innovative project team in the changing competitive global market. As such, the model analysis establishes that considerations and management care should be based on the team development and members’ selection criteria, the team leadership approach and style used, as well as the team performance evaluation tools and strategies adopted by the respective ventures. Application of the model requirements would guarantee the development and retention of a productive and innovative project team. 3.0 Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank CSR Project Case Study The Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), established in 1985, and serving as the largest commercial bank in the UAE is an ideal demonstration of innovative team management systems. In this regard, the bank, in a bid to increase its sustainability and competitiveness in the market for the long run period posterity developed the corporate social responsibility (CSR) project program. In this regard, the CSR program was geared towards the development of a market reputation and presence in which it could offer back to the society and stakeholders both internal and external. 3.1 Team Development On one hand, with respect to the project team formation, the bank established an all inclusive approach for the employees. In his regard, the organizational employees were equally involved in the CSR program initiatives through a cross functional team establishment. In this regard, all the bank functions acquired the opportunity to forward their representatives in the CSR project team that developed the practices and framework for the organizational project role out. This led to the rapid experienced success in the project. In this regard, a majority of the organizational employees who were directly involved in the project were supportive and thus reduced resistance. 3.2 Performance Evaluation In addition, the bank executive management offered the CSR project, a performance evaluation mechanism. In this regard, the executive management sets annual CSR project targets and subsequently evaluates the project performance towards the targets set annually. N this regard, the venture evaluates the target achievements based on the reputation and consumer review on the organizational practices. In this case, as a motivation and transparency feature in the project execution, the bank management prepares annual CSR project reports enumerating the achieved activities as well as future targets (“ADCB”, 2015, “CSR report 2010”). The adoption of this performance evaluation approach has played a significant role in increasing the bank CSR project success which can be illustrated with the growing contribution and positive reviews since its inception in 2007. However, this evaluation report on the ADCB CSR project establishes that the venture performance evaluation approach on the team has minimal motivational effects on the involved employees. In this case, the bank executive offers no incentives or rewards in connection to successful performances by the involved employees, and thus minimal and low motivational effects in the long run period. 3.3 CSR Project Leadership In addition, this analysis report establishes that the ADCB project management approach failed with respect to the leadership element. In this regard, the bank management does not provide a participative approach to the employees in the project. Instead, the management offers a democratic approach through which, although the employees are entitled to offer decision recommendations and alternatives, they are not involved in the actual decision making process (“ADCB”’2015, “CSR”). As such, the bank executive management has the sole mandate and responsibility to make the CSR project decisions. Consequently, this has reduced the project’s innovativeness ability as the strategic implementation decisions are based on the limited bounded rationality approach by the bank managers. As such, this case study evaluation of the ADCB CSR project, despite its performances and improvements over the years has its share of innovative project team management challenge that should be mitigated for future development and posterity. 4.0 Recommendations Based on an evaluation of the innovative project team management theory, principles as well as the ADCB CSR team management case study, it is evident that there are weaknesses and challenges. As such, this report section offers strategic recommendations through which to improve the project team management systems in the bank. The proposed recommendations aim at increasing the team innovation and efficiency towards developing a more competent CSR project for the bank in the future. Thus, among the offered recommendations is team members reward system, participative leadership approach, and use of market partnerships. 4.1 Team Reward An evaluation of the ADCB CSR project team management illustrates the presence of an ideal performance evaluation strategy, where actual results are evaluated against the set organizational annual CSR targets. However, the analysis establishes a major challenge in the lack of a reward system. Armstrong (2002, p.25) discussed the concept of employee reward in organizations and its implications. In this regard, while focusing on both the financial rewards such as salaries, and the non-financial rewards such as recognition and promotions, stated that the process increases the workforce motivation. Consequently, this facilitates the development of increased organizational employee performance and overall productivity. Therefore, this report recommends that the bank management should incorporate a reward system for its contributing project team members. As such, the rewards, both financial and non-financial should be advanced to team members with innovative and unique ideas that revolutionize and impact on the CSR project. Moreover, the management should award team members who performance and exceed the set performance targets developed on an annual basis. Consequently, as Aswathappa (2005, p.350) argued, the adoption of such a reward system would facilitate increased CSR project innovation as the employees would be motivated to generate and share new innovative CSR project ideas, a move that would increase the project team competitiveness and efficiency in the future. 4.2 Participative Leadership A further evaluation on the bank CSR project establishes that the management has applied a democratic leadership approach where the employees, who constitute the project team members, are free to offer their innovative ideas, but have no control over the final decision. Consequently, this has reduced the project’s ability to adopt innovative ideas and practices as the decision making process is controlled by the bank management, who are often inclined towards the organizational financial benefits of the project. Consequently, this has reduced the project team innovation ability and risk taking ability. As such, in order to counter and mitigate the project challenges this report advocates for the adoption of a participative leadership approach. Ghuman and Aswathappa (2010, p.399) discussed that under a participative leadership approach the respective members and followers have the absolute control and influence in the decision making, as they are directly involved in the process of alternatives evaluation as well as the actual decision making process. Therefore, the adoption of the participative leadership approach would increase the project team members’ participation and as such the possibility for increased team management and operational change. Through increased inclusion and contribution in the decision making process, the team members’ contribution, commitment and devotion would be enhanced, thus reducing project decisions and strategies resistance. Consequently, as Chelladurai (2006, p.207) noted, the application of the participative leadership approach would promote and increase the overall team management and decision making quality. 4.3 Project Partnership Although the project is a CSR initiative aimed at supporting the UAE community, it has only enrolled and incorporated the internal stakeholders, the employees, as the main team members. Therefore, this illustrates that the organizational project initiatives are based on the internal organizational perception. Therefore, based on this understanding, this report recommends that the current bank CSR project team should be reconstituted and the external stakeholders included. Through such an inclusion, innovation in the team management would be improved and enhanced through perception diversity incorporation through a blend of both the internal and external stakeholders in the project team. 5.0 Conclusion In summary, this evaluation report develops a critical evaluation of the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) CSR project management. In this case, citing a lack of a reward system and an irrelevant leadership approach, the report recommends a leadership change as well as advancing of rewards to the team members as innovation practice stimulation. References ADCB, 2015, Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2010. [Online] Available at < http://adcb.com/Images/ADCB_CSR_2010_tcm9-5577.pdf > [Accessed February 18, 2015]. ADCB, 2015, Corporate Social Responsibility, Author. [Online] Available at < http://adcb.com/about/csr/overview.asp > [Accessed February 18, 2015] Armstrong, M., 2002, Employee reward. 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