Management Teamwork - Essay Example

? Management Executive Summary The project seeks to put forth how people working in teams produce better results in terms of performance and productivity than people working independently and alone. The study begins with an introduction about the subject and speaks elaborately about team work and group work. Team work is considered to be a joint action in which each one’s participation and contribution is required equally. However, the harmonization of each one’s efforts towards a common goal and objective accounts for a major factor for the success of team work. The critical literature puts forth the views, opinions and analysis of various researchers and authors on the subject. The importance of team work have been felt in the US and Australian organizations where researches were conducted and in which the results derived reflected the importance of team work for closing competency gaps existing in organizations. Researchers are also of the opinion that today’s work cultures are greatly influenced by the external conditions because of which employers have been focusing more on their workforce. This has brought greater emphasis on teamwork and group activities. Lastly the practical implications speak about the applicability of team works in the manufacturing, healthcare and information and technology sector. This has been the cause of work breakdown structures which can only be accomplished through group efforts. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 4 Introduction 4 Critical Literature Review 4 Practical Implications 6 Conclusion 7 Reference 9 Bibliography 10 Introduction Team work has emerged as an important and crucial part of the working culture in most organizations. Many organizations have been increasingly looking at the team work skills of candidates during their recruitments. The importance of team work has also emerged because of the fact that recently there has been emergence of numerous products which are complex and which requires multiple skills for their production. A highly complex product can be produced successfully only with the application of appropriate team work. Thus it is increasingly crucial that students and candidates appearing for jobs develop and possess adequate potential for working in teams. Research also tells us that the best way to learn is through social interactions and tasks which involve working in groups and teams. Teamwork is considered to be a joint action undertaken by a group of individuals in which each one might have to undermine his or hers own interests, opinions and views in comparison to the unity and efficiency of the group. However, it must be understood that it also recognizes individual performance and accomplishments. Team work can be most effective only when every individual’s contributions are harmonized and when each of them collectively works towards a common objective. The project seeks to bring forth whether working in teams help to achieve goals and targets more effectively and efficiently as compared to independent working. The report is supported by facts produced by prior research and analysis. This is done by presenting the views of researchers and practitioners on the subject using academic articles and journals. Lastly, the concepts developed and analyzed are applied in practical organizational settings (Avery, Walker & Murphy, 2001, p.116). Critical Literature Review Several researchers have tried to identify the various technical and non technical attributes that a graduate engineer must have in order to work efficiently in an organization. Among the technical skills, in terms of the mathematical tools and techniques, researchers have identified communication and team spirit as few of the primary attributes and measure of his competency to work in an organization. Similar researches conducted in Australia and USA by Evans (1993), have identified team work as an important attribute to close the ‘competency gaps’ prevailing in work activities (Martin, Maytham, Case & Fraser, 2004, p.2). Researchers like Sageev and Romanowski (2001) have identified team work as one of the most crucial skills which contributes towards career success and promotion. They are of the opinion that technical skills and expertise are common for all and can be developed over time; however, the aspect which differentiates one employee from another is his team building and team working skills. Greater concern has been provided to multi-disciplinary teams. This is because the present characteristics of industry functions results in teams which are comprised of individuals having wide varieties of expertise (Martin, Maytham, Case & Fraser, 2004, p.3). However, it has been realized that students do not get the exposure to multi-disciplinary environments in universities which are likely to create competency gaps when they work in organizations. That is why researchers have strongly recommended the provision of such multi-disciplinary team environment in the academic curriculum in universities. Consequently universities have also been trying to introduce such environments in the student’s curriculum in the universities. Meier et al. (2000) and Lang et al. (1999) are of the common opinion that interpersonal skills play a major contribution towards developing team working skills and delivering of high performance at the workplace. Some of the basic attributes identified in this context are listening skills, information sharing skills, ability to adjust and cope with the office dynamics and hassles. According to a research conducted by Martin, et al. (2004), 50% of the participants were of the opinion that team work comprised of a major aspect and part of the job requirements. Out of the entire work they performed in a day, 60 to 80% of the time was spent on team activities in an entire working day. Majority of the participants even emphasized on the fact that engineers can never work alone in the industry. One of the respondents even said that if an employee cannot be a potential team player, he has few chances of surviving in the industry. Some of the respondents highlighted on some of the aspects which affect their working in teams. The current South African workplace is characterised by comprising of people belonging from different racial and cultural backgrounds (Martin, Maytham, Case & Fraser, 2004, p.8). Two of the respondents said that exposure to an environment which is culturally diverse have accounted for a favourable means of preparation for working in diverse teams in future. However, very few of the respondents were found to have unfavourable opinion about team work and diverse team compositions. The presence of too many intelligent people in a team results in the problem of arising at a common consensus and making a decision. Diverse people generally have diverse opinions which are difficult to be integrated and united. It involves undermining some opinion while giving preference to others. This could act as de-motivating factor for some. It could also lead to conflicts and clashes. One of the respondents even said that working with individuals who had more experience could generate problems and difficulties would be likely to arise while challenging their points of view. This is predominantly common for teams comprising of individuals having different levels of seniority and experiences. Challenging the senior members could hurt their egos while disrespecting the views of juniors could de-motivate and frustrate them (Martin, Maytham, Case & Fraser, 2004, p.8). According to Belcher et al. (1974), organizations have been making use of automation and advanced manufacturing technologies which has made the individually oriented systems less appropriate and has called for alternative systems. These organizations have also developed group incentive systems for rewarding performance improvement of groups or teams. Organizations have even made transformation in their reward structures for motivating group performances and activities (Hatcher & Ross, 1991, p.2). This is because authors have identified many different forms of goal interdependence. Researchers have identified promotive interdependence as an effective tool for enhancing communication among employees, increasing interpersonal attraction, helpfulness, friendliness, coordination of efforts and labour divisions. It is seen that the process of rewarding group performance has yielded better performance from employees as compared to the results that individual reward structures have yielded (Salas, Bowers & Edens, 2001, p.42). This has mage organizations to increasingly implement plans of gain sharing to reward group efforts. They have also identified a gradual fall in grievances through such systems. It has been realized that individual incentive plans results in poor quality of work which is because they place very high emphasis on output quantity which is associated with piece rates. However, authors have also realized that group work and team efforts can only be effective if they employ greater communications, coordination and other group processes (Hatcher & Ross, 1991, p.4). Practical Implications Evaluation of major teamwork policy initiatives has revealed that teamwork is especially effective in health and medical organizations and the information technology sector. The health sector is such which demands coordinated activities and joint participation from members. It also requires that knowledge and information are shared, exchanged and implemented by all. The notion of introducing teamwork and group work would be effective in enhancing participation of members associated with the medical sector through the sharing the using of new knowledge and information. Organizations have increasingly realized the importance of team work in nursing. Members and nurses have to make important and crucial decisions during certain critical conditions of patients during which teamwork and joint decisions are increasingly called for (Parker, 2008, p.7). In the recent scenario team works have been visibly successful in the information and technology sector. The emphasis of the private sector on teamwork has gained tremendous momentum with the increase in competitive pressures. Moreover, organizations have been altering their management practices due to the same. Structural changes, reorganization and downsizing have resulted in organizations implying greater amount of pressure on their workforce. This also called for greater amount of teamwork and group activities for accomplishing job objectives within the stipulated time (O'Neil, 1997, p.412). Moreover the work structures in the information and technology sector are found to be divided into sub parts and units which require integration and collaboration. The success of the projects largely depends on how efficiently the team members integrate their works together. This requires increased communication in the team as each member must be aware of the others behavioural and communication style. Due to the same reason most of the manufacturing organizations across the world have been emphasizing on teamwork and practices as part of their modern working practices. Organizations have been implementing computer based network systems for keeping all team members connected to each other. However, importance must also be provided to assessment of such team activities. Additionally it is also important that organizations encouraging team work must set common goals and objectives for all and that each one should be guided to achieve that goal. Otherwise there would be least alignment between member activities and this would keep from attaining the organization’s goals (O'Neil, 1997, p.412). Conclusion It is seen that team work and team activities have emerged as an integral part of the work cultures in organizations. In fact some of the major organizations have been looking for the candidates’ abilities to work in groups while recruiting them. This is because the work structures in organizations are such that require high team performance rather than individual performances. The critical aspect of the study was to bring forth whether team work yields better result and productivity than individual performance. Researchers are of the opinion that workers and employees have demonstrated better results and performances when they have performed in groups rather when they have performed independently. This is complemented with the results of the research conducted in USA and Australia, which identified teamwork as an essential requirement for closing competency gaps existing in organizations. The present industrial scenario also reveals that organizations in the manufacturing sector and the information and technology sector have been emphasizing more on team work and participation of employees in group activities and works. Technical educational institutes have been focussing more on developing the interpersonal skills and communication skills of employees to equip them to adapt to the organizational requirements. However, it has been realized that teamwork and team activities can only be successful if organizations can implement proper and effective networking systems which enhances connectivity among employees and allows sharing of ideas, knowledge and information among them. They must also ensure that all employees are guided towards a common objective so as to ensure that their individual works can be integrated and that each team’s efforts are directed towards achieving that common objective. Reference Avery, C. M., Walker, M. A. & Murphy, E. O. (2001). Teamwork is an individual skill: getting your work done when sharing responsibility. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Hatcher, L. & Ross, T. L. (1991). From individual incentives to an organization?wide gainsharing plan: Effects on teamwork and product quality. Journal of Organizational Behavior (1986-1998); May 1991; 12, 1991; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 169. Martin, R., Maytham, B., Case, J. & Fraser, D. (2004). Engineering graduates’ perceptions of how well they were prepared for work in industry. European Journal of Engineering Education Vol. 30, No. 2, May 2005, 167–180. [Pdf]. Available at: http://jm1234567890.fastmail.fm/gac/Engineering%20graduates%27%20perceptions%20of%20how%20well%20they%20were%20prepared%20for%20work%20in%20industry.pdf. [Accessed on September 02, 2011]. O'Neil, H. F. (1997). Workforce readiness: competencies and assessment. Routledge. Parker, G. M. (2008). Team players and team work: new strategies for developing successful collaboration. John Wiley and Sons. Salas, E., Bowers, C. A. & Edens, E. (2001). Improving teamwork in organizations: applications of resource management training. Routledge. Bibliography Murphy, D. J. & Willmott, H. (2010). Organization theory and design. Cengage Learning EMEA. Reid, P. P. (2005). Building a better delivery system: a new engineering/health care partnership. National Academies Press. Travica, B. (1999). New organizational designs: information aspects. Greenwood Publishing Group. West, M. A. (1997). Developing creativity in organizations. Wiley-Blackwell. Read More