Advantages and Disadvantages of Teamwork - Assignment Example

Advantages and Disadvantages of Teamwork Plus (Oakland, 2004; Kaslow, 1986) Minus (Morrison and Morrison, 1998) Interesting 1. Variety of complex processes and problems that need to be tackled can be dealt with 2. Incorporates multitude of opinions, viewpoints and expertise 3. Satisfying to team members; boosts morale-this releases creativity and energy. 4. Promotes feeling of participation in the process of management and problem solving 5. Team recommendations given more weightage than individual suggestions 6. Working in teams often leads to improvement in efficiency, given the fact that when people are planning a variety of activities together on the basis of cooperation, they are able to identify methods of improvement in the context of work organization Too much requisite time and energy Wastage of resources Procrastination in decision making Competition between teams within the organization Embarrassment and marginalization of certain people because of inability to compete and work under stress Difficulty in tracking accountability. It is always tough to figure out where blame lies in the case of a problem, blame games are a common occurrence in this scenario Overrides the advantages of a hierarchical approach Can produce high levels of stress Relies on compliance Can create disproportionate ill feeling toward perceived slackers 1. No defined concept of what teamwork would necessarily entail-bureaucratic perception of teamwork would lead to problems; each one has to have a clear understanding of teamwork in the particular given context 2. There is a focus on removing independence in favor of interdependence; whether or not this is a trade-off for individual excellence in favor of average merit is a debate that is a grey area. 3. Many a times teamwork could enable groups to exert undue influence in a given organization. This might work to the overall good of the organization, but in the form of power concentration with few individuals. Good of bad is debatable Outline The first theme that one finds inherent in a discussion on teamwork is that work in teams is a reality of everyday life whether it. The idea in most cases is backed by the perception that work is done better, faster and more efficiently when it is done by a team as opposed to a solo performance. It is the complexity of tasks in the modern world that necessitates teamwork given the fact that the only really efficient way to tackle process management and improvement is through the use of some form of teamwork which has many advantages over allowing individuals to work separately. Team work essentially promotes feeling of participation and stands for furthering of recommendations of teamwork rather than individual goals. These do have problems of procrastination and is inherent in competition which could be destriuctive at times. Thesis Statement: The concept of teamwork is not one that could be defined in extreme empirical terms and there would always be bureaucratic perception of teamwork, leading up to problems. There is a focus on removing independence in favor of interdependence; whether or not this is a trade-off for individual excellence in favor of average merit is a debate that is a grey area. Many a times teamwork could enable groups to exert undue influence in a given organization. This might work to the overall good of the organization, but in the form of power concentration with few individuals. Good of bad is debatable Conclusion: The final conclusion we draw here is that it is a balance that is required and not a complete reliance on teamwork, given the fact that teamwork though useful has its disadvantages as well. Essay The basic functioning ideology that govern the process of teamwork promotion is that of the advent of the one way mirror to the discovery of the telescope that allows for two different perspectives to be taken simultaneously-that of the participant in a process and that an observer of an commentator on that process. The idea essentially is that seeing things differently makes it possible that one thinks differently as well. The idea essentially is the meeting of the double or multiple process and comparisons from which new possibilities for discerning relationships between variable patterns could evolve. This is the basic function of teams and teamwork. Teamwork has been defined in a variety of ways. There are those that think of team work in the more normative sense of the term, define the concept as the act f two or more people working together towards a common goal, sharing their tome, talents and knowledge and using method acceptable to all team participants, yet others assign an almost mystical quality to the concept defining it in terms of it being a quasi formal attempt to do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Cosgrippe and Dailey, 1998). Teamwork is also to be understood in terms of it being working together to satisfy, improve and emergence the growth of individuals and thus of society. Conditions that have been slated as being necessary for the efficient incorporation of team work based tasks have been cooperation, common goals and unity of purpose, concerted and harmonious action, defined responsibilities, assigned tasks, consensus, awareness of others’ concerns, conscious action, interaction, satisfaction, helping relationships, spirit of equality, equal sharing and democratic action. In understanding the advantages and the disadvantages of teamwork, one has to be able to necessarily first outline the prerequisites of team work. It is first and foremost essential that the team is made of secure, committed individuals, given the fact that in most teams members that are jealous and insecure would do more hand than good. The various members of a team, although necessarily sharing certain similar basic assumptions and working along the lines of certain well defined pre determined paths would also bring to bear a kaleidoscope of contrasting an overlapping perceptions and interpretations in regard to each case and each process of problem solving within a given context. From this potential richness can evolve perspectives and ideas for intervening that could be reflective of the depth of understanding not easily available to a single therapist. Each member may also be able to punctuate events in a different way leading potentially to a more distinct analysis, whereas a single person might more easily be persuaded into a particular perspective or punctuation and thus unwittingly to join the game without end. This could be particular tricky in the instance of a problem that is particularly complex. A team on the other hand would have several ideating forces and thus have access to several points of view and several manners of perception thereby creating multiple avenues for problem solving. In addition to offering varied perspectives and greater levels of objectivity, working as a tem can also lead to increased inventiveness and creativity. Ideas can be “thrown around”, argued about, built on or modified; free association and pout of the blue ideas can be shared and utilized; seemingly irrelevant ideas could at times lead to discussions and into new and sometime more productive directions. Where the problems of teamwork are concerned, one has to understand the fact that most of these problems stem from the fact that requisite effect teamwork comes preloaded with prerequisites of its own in terms of the fact that it needs members to be cooperative and supportive. They also have to have the ability to put others before themselves, a feat that is not easily achievable. There is always a danger within a team that a wrong opinion get pushed through just because it has majority support, thereby making the role of the individual pitifully small, having reverse effects in terms of promoting participation and motivation by leaving the individual out and removing the drive for excellence. In conclusion therefore on can reiterate the fact that team work is at most times a mixed blessing. The notion should be the ability to strike a balance given the fact that it is a balanced team that replaces the goal of absolute efficiency with a target of working toward realistic, achievable targets within the awareness of the fact that being members of team would bring with it a set of problems specific to themselves. Reference: Oakland, J. S, (2004). Oakland on quality management. ButterWorth Heinanman. Pp381-385 Kaslow, F. W, (1986). Supervision and training: models, dilemmas, and challenges. Routledge. pp105-107 Morrison, K, and Morrison, K. R. B, (1998). Management theories for educational change. Sage Publications. pp185-187 Cosgrippe, H. A, and Dailey, R. T, (1998). Teamwork in Problem Solving. Retrieved April 15, 2010, < http://www.joe.org/joe/1969summer/1969-2-a2.pdf> Read More