The Impact of Balanced Scorecard on Team Dynamics - Essay Example

Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses of Dissertation E Introduction The dissertation explores the influence of balanced scorecard implementation onthe team dynamics at a hygiene product manufacturing facility in the UK. The dissertation uses a qualitative approach to conduct the research for the subject and the findings are analyzed under an interpretivistic paradigm. In specific terms, the dissertation presents the findings about how the implementation of the balanced scorecard down to the team level has influenced commitment, communication and competition/cooperation within two production teams at the facility (Jun, 2014). This report analyzes the dissertation and discusses the important strengths and weaknesses in order to assess its integrity and relevance for the subject and topic the dissertation aims to address. The strengths and weaknesses are presented in order of progression as they appear in the complete dissertation. Strengths of the Dissertation One of the main strengths of the dissertation is that it includes a comprehensive introduction and literature review, which serves to orient the reader properly with regard to the topic of the dissertation and the direction of the research that is conducted. The introduction presents an introduction to the Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget and sets up the context for the balanced scorecard in the light of organizational management efforts towards scientific management, human relations approach, team-based structures, and so on towards balanced scorecards (Jun, 2014). The literature review also covers the essential seminal works or performance management systems including those by Taylor, Maslow, Herzberg, etc. as well as recent research by Fiske, Chan & Mak, and Clenhall among several others (Jun, 2014). In this way, the dissertation provides the reader with all the information necessary to appreciate the historical and intellectual context of the research. Another important strength of the dissertation is that it uses the triangulation approach which is necessary given that the research is conducted under the qualitative paradigm. Because the qualitative paradigm does not conform to the ideals of positivism and rational objectivity, the findings of the research are open to attack on various grounds such as absence of rigor or subjective interpretations of data. In order to overcome these weaknesses, the research adopts a triangulation approach that combines the semi-structured interview, case study, and participant observation methods (Jun, 2014). In this way, the research attempts to overcome the weaknesses of one approach with the strengths of the other. This is an effective approach as it imparts credibility to the data interpretation and helps to make the conclusion logical and acceptable. The dissertation also benefits from a clear research question that explicitly identifies the problem and delineates the scope of the research carried out to resolve the research problem. The research question specifically identifies the targeted aspect of organizational management, i.e. team dynamics that will be explored in relation to the balanced scorecard system. In addition, it also narrows down to the three areas of team dynamics that are to be analyzed for the research. These include competition and cooperation within the team, the quality of team communication, and the degree of commitment towards team objectives and performance shared by team members (Jun, 2014). Thus, the specific research question sets a clear direction for the research. The credibility of the dissertation benefits from a convincing conclusion that is derived from logical reasoning and sound interpretation of data findings. It consolidates the preceding analysis of the balanced scorecard to build the ground for interpreting the findings from the interviews. These data are then verified by the findings from participant observation. Most importantly, the conclusion places the balanced scorecard approach in the correct perspective and describes it as a means to an end rather than an end in itself, which is a misconception held in many organizations that embrace the balanced scorecard approach enthusiastically but fail to use it for strategic advantage. The conclusion illuminates the entire context of the balanced scorecard philosophy by identifying its role in the overall performance management system. Thus it emphasizes the need to focus on the complete system instead of remaining obsessed with a particular approach (Jun, 2014). Weaknesses of the Dissertation Despite a number of strengths, the dissertation suffers from some weaknesses which compromise its validity and reliability. One of the most pressing concerns is the generalizability of the study. The dissertation is based on a qualitative study that was conducted with a sample of 6 participants. This is an extremely small sample which does not even reflect the size of the population in the Prudhoe Mill facility which employs 423 people (Jun, 2014). It is therefore extremely difficult to generalize the findings of the study to the wider population of manufacturing facilities, assembly line teams, or organizations in general because the sample size is not sufficiently representative. In order for the results to be generalizable, the study sample should reflect the population in terms of size, diversity, skill set, etc. which is unfortunately lacking in the dissertation study. The second weakness of the dissertation is that the findings relating to the impact of balanced scorecard on commitment is discussed in a superficial manner. As acknowledged in the dissertation, the boundaries between pure commitment and other positive psychological attitudes towards the team are not explicit (Jun, 2014). This makes it difficult for the researcher to articulate what is meant by the concept commitment. This situation is complicated by the fact that the research is conducted using the grounded theory approach where the researcher needs to undertake a process of open coding, selective coding and so on to arrive at specific themes. The fuzziness associated with the concept of commitment makes this particularly challenging for the researcher and this is reflected in the dissertation. Conclusion This report attempted to analyze the dissertation on the impact of balanced scorecard on team dynamics and thus determine whether measurement is essential for effective management of team productivity. The analysis covered every aspect of the dissertation and not just the research study at its core. Among the strengths are the effective and comprehensive introduction and literature review which orient the reader towards the lucid research question. However, the main weaknesses of a small sample size and difficulty of articulating the commitment aspect limit the generalizability of the study. References Jun, E. T. Y. (2014). What gets measured gets managed: Understanding how team behaviours are influenced by the Balanced Scorecard. A case study of SCA Hygiene Products UK. Dissertation presented at Newcastle University Business School. Read More