Prerequisites of the Team Work Effectiveness - Essay Example

Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 3 Body 3 Conclusion 7 References 8 Executive Summary Organizations identify the goals and vision which they want to achieve and work in that direction. The effectiveness of the organization and the manner in which it achieves its goals can be identified from the five key areas which are organizational structure; decision making process; people work relation; work system within the organization and the culture which is present in the organization. The essay focuses on the importance of organizational development and the manner in which it aids towards the success of the organization. This has been substantiated through different findings by different scholars and different organizational approaches which has helped to achieve the business objectives (Bayou & De Korvin, 2008). Effectiveness of team work can be gauged from the manner in which cooperation exists between the team members which can be understood through the different techniques. This has been substantiated through an example of Ford Motor Corp and the manner in which different strategies were applied to achieve success. The paper also brings forward the manner in which the economic environment which is the external environment which has an impact on business and the economy at large. The essay also addresses the manner in which structure with which the organization works has an impact on the working culture which the different difficulties which the manager has to face. It is supported the difficulties which exists while working in team both within and outside the organization so that effective mechanism to control it can be addressed (Pech & Slade, 2007). Introduction Different theories and models have identified and stressed on the need of teamwork within organization where each individual member needs to play their part so that the group goals can be achieved effectively. The difficulty arises as most workers don’t carry out the work entrusted to them and are influenced by others to carry out their duties. This increases the need and importance of effective team work so that each and every member focuses on the group goals and desires to achieve the objective which has been provided to them from the managers. The different models and theories have stressed on the need of proper structuring of the organization which is inclined in a manner through which managers and employees work as a team and towards a common goal (Gabor & Mahoney, 2013). This paper discusses the role of team work and the manner in which it would make the working style to be more effective thereby helping the organization to achieve its goals. Body Organization environment is one where the external environment has an impact on the organization and the manner in which it impacts business. The external element for an organization is the external environment where the business is operating. This gets impacted by the team force and the manner in which employees of a team work together. This has thereby forced organizations to hire employees who belong to the same culture so that better harmonization among the employees can be achieved and working in a team becomes better. The macro environment thereby has an impact on the entire operations of the organizations which needs to be controlled (Graham, 2003). Different research and studies carried out to understand the manner in which team effectiveness can be increased brings forward different factors which need to be considered while working in a team. Some of the factors which has an influence on team work are the composition of the group, the degree of motivation and cohesiveness that exist among the team members to achieve even the difficult tasks. This makes it imperative that the managers have to look at certain techniques which includes having clear objectives which the team should achieve, lead the team towards the goal, ensuring smooth discussion among the members, motivating the team and creating an environment where the member are able to contribute to the best of their ability. The contribution of the team member will determine the chances of achieving the goal which increases the role of manager as they need to guide them and create the required path through which the performance level can be improved. Proper relation among the team members and the managers thereby determines the effectiveness which is present among the members. This is quite evident from the working style of Ford Motors which is considered as one of the well organized organization in the US. The structure of the management is such that the policies framed by the top management are passed to the lower levels and the team working at the lower level is committed towards achieving the goals. Since, the objective is well defined it guides the employees to work in a predetermined direction thereby increasing efficiency in the working model. In a similar manner Google uses OKR as a technique to track the objectives and outcome so that the progress of the company can be understood with regards to the measurable objectives which has been identified. This technique helps to identify the expectation with the actual result and provides an opportunity where appropriate steps can be taken at the right juncture so that goals can be easily achieved. Proper team meetings and individual appraisal helps to increase the degree of confidence and provides an opportunity to evaluate the performance so that it can be understood whether the organization is working on the right track. Proper planning and discussion among the team members clears all the doubts and provides an opportunity through which the business can be carried out more efficiently as all the doubts gets cleared and innovative ways to accomplish th task is easily found out. Team work should be considered as a part of effective management and the managers should look at developing informal relations so that collaboration improves and employees are better committed towards the job. Different theories and models have showed the manner in which effectiveness in organization can be improved through team work. Chester Barnard (1886 – 1961) has identified a model in his book “The Function of Executive” where he states that organization effectiveness is achieved only when teams are able to complete their allotted tasks. The theory also stated that organizations have to deal with the hostile external environment which the situation presents but needs to act wisely and should use their internal resources in such a manner that it increases their chances and ability to succeed. The complexity has resulted in development of different theories like systems equilibrium and Inducement- contribution theory. The system equilibrium theory which has been developed by Barnard states that equilibrium needs to be achieved between organization character and the environment, and between the organization and its members (Amboise & Muldowney, 2008). This will try to balance and deal with the environment thereby increasing the chances of success within the organization. The theory of inducement contribution looks at motivating the employees and team members based on their contribution so that they become more oriented towards the job and look to come up with different solutions so that effectiveness can be achieved. Another model which is the bureaucratic models looks at identifying the rational ways through which human capital can be improved. Webbers through his bureaucratic model have focused on ways through which organization can become more effective. The model proposes different requirements which includes properly laid out rules which everyone needs to follow so that the required direction which needs to be worked on can be ascertained. The model also states the need and importance of motivation and training so that employees feel free from the fear of being removed through dismissal (Weber, 2009). The theory is effective but has a limitation that it strictly follows the predetermined rules which at times act as a hindrance in carrying out the different requirements which the business presents. The model of bureaucratic model developed by Webber highlights the importance of job specialization, hierarchy form of authority and formal rules. This will help to ensure that the team works in a coordinated manner and looks at different aspect through which performance can be improved. This will help to address the different issues of team management and will ensure better opportunities through development of better team work. Another theory has been developed by Kurt Lewin which focuses on leadership skills and decision making process. Lewin has developed the force field theory along with other theories. The leadership theory and the effect theory focuses on the different management styles which are democratic, autocratic and laissez faire style. The theory shows that different management styles have different impact on the working culture so organizations based on the need and requirements should select a style which suits them. This will increase the likely chances of achieving the objectives as it will bring the organization together and increase the chances of being successful. The Force Field theory developed by Lewin shows that the activities of people get impacted by the surrounding environment where they work. The theory showed the manner in which the different characters get influenced by the environment which needs to be analyzed. Proper analysis of the different driving forces like employee ambition, individual goals and organization goals will help to formulate proper mechanism which can be directed towards a common goal. This will decrease the risk that the surrounding environment presents and will increase the chances of being successful. The group discussion theory identified by Lewin highlights the need and importance of group discussion so that all issues can be addressed and discussed so that a common idea can be found out and people can look towards working in that direction (Guzzo & Dickson, 1996). This will increase the chances of identifying the mechanism as discussion will help to come to a common conclusion which all employees will be willing to accept. This would thereby help to improve the focus towards a common goal and would help to bring the required effectiveness which a team determines thereby increasing the chances of being successful. Conclusion To conclude it is clearly seen that different ideology and models shows that working in a team is not an easy task but to be successful it is imperative that proper teams are formed and the people are committed towards a common goal. Organization is a complex structure which deals at different levels so forming teams with predetermined goals helps to bring all the people together and increases the chances of being successful. The role of managers and leaders increases as they need to lead by example and have to guide the workforce to work in a team so that the different goals can be achieved in the most effective manner. The process should be matched by having proper motivation process and training process so that the degree of commitment increases and the employees work as a team. The entire working mechanism should be such that it focuses towards marginalizing the differences which exists among the team members and focuses towards working at a common goal so that operational efficiency can be achieved. Read More