Importance of Working in Teams - Case Study Example

Executive Summary The report highlights the manner in which business looks towards team formation but faces difficulties in ensuring team work. It shows that business faces difficulties due to difference in culture, caste and opinion which makes it difficult to form team but if organizations are able to form team it will have a positive impact on productivity and will ensure that the business gains. This thereby requires that the business focus on important areas and develop a process through which the overall productivity of the organization improves. Further being able to ensure proper team work helps to reduce cost and will thereby result in shaping the performance of the organization. Table of Contents Introduction 3 Team Work 3 Importance of working in teams 4 Issues while working in team 5 Theories through which team formation can be carried out 7 Future Ahead 8 Conclusion 9 References 10 Introduction The success of an organization is largely dependent on the manner in which employees work together and pursue a common goal. It is imperative that all people come together and work in groups so that efficiency in the use of resources can be ensured. This helps to reduce wastage and control cost. Though it might seem like a simple exercise where people come together and work in tandem with one another it is actually difficult to ensure that people work together. To be able to gain efficiency and bring effectiveness it is important that the management looks at developing ways and process which will be aimed towards bringing people together so that team work can be established. This paper will look to evaluate both the perspective associated with team work and will highlight the difficulties which people face to bring employees together and the manner in which employees can be brought together to work in groups. The paper will also examine different models and theories which will help in proper team formation and will highlight the process through which team formation can take place. This will thereby help to understand the manner in which overall effectiveness will be gained and the manner in which operational efficiency and effectiveness will be achieved by the business. Team Work Team work is a process where people belonging to different background, culture, religion, skills, knowledge, experience and expertise come together so that the different work can be accomplished in the best possible manner. The reason for working in a team is that it helps to bring operational efficiency and helps to carry out even the most difficult task (Burger & Jerry, 2000). Since, it is not possible for an individual to carry out all the work due to lack of knowledge, skill, expertise and constraint of time and money it becomes imperative that people come together and work as a team. This helps to ensure that the team comprises of different individuals who have different skills and can commonly contribute towards the long term goals of the organization. The process also lead towards bringing the required coordination where people support each other and work in a manner through which the common goals are achieved in the best possible manner (Janet, Donald & Beverly, 2003). The process of team work creates an opportunity where the different resources work together and bring about the required change so that better results can be achieved. Importance of working in teams Organizations continuously strive to develop teams which have people from different knowledge, expertise, experience and domain so that they together can pursue the goals of the organization. While designing teams managers have to give stress towards ensuring that interest of people are also shaped towards common goals so that there is commonality between individuals which will help them to work together as a team (Alexander, Page & Wentling, 2003). There are different benefits which team work provides and organizations give importance to team work because of the following reasons One fundamental importance of team working is that productivity improves (Scaife, 2004). Since different people from different background, knowledge, skills and attributes come together it helps to multiply productivity (McShane, Olekalns & Travaglione, 2010). The process ensures that a work which was carried out by a single individual is carried out by different people with different skills. This helps to improve efficiency and multiplies productivity which thereby helps to improve overall production. Working in team also helps to bring innovation and improve quality. Since, there are different individuals who work together so the team is able to think on different ideas and accept one which will multiply productivity (Scaife, 2004). This helps to come with new and innovative ideas and develops a process through which overall quality improves. The result in that the organization is able to pursue the different work in better ways and ensure better operational gains. Working in a team helps to improve the level of commitment and motivation level of team members. Since, people are able to accomplish even the difficult task it helps to increase their level of motivation (Davidson, Simon, Gottschalk, Hunt, Wood & Griffin, 2006). This helps to make the different members more efficient which will thereby ensure that even the difficult task will be carried out in the most effective manner. This process will lead towards bringing more and more people together and will thereby have a positive impact on the overall performance. The process of working in team also helps to improve operational efficiency. Since no individual member can complete all the work which is assigned to them so having different people with different skills will provide an opportunity to accomplish the difficult task (Katz, 1974). This will lead towards reducing cost and wastage which will thereby transform into operational gains and efficiency for the business (Hunt, 2006). Thus, there are different gains which the business is able to witness due to teamwork which has thereby made organization give more importance and relevance to working togerher in team. Issues while working in team Organizations want that people within the organization work together and look towards accomplishing the common goals. Despite the different gains which teamwork provides it is witnessed that organization experiences certain difficulties in making people work together as a team. Some of the issues which the organization has to deal with while looking to work in a team are as One of the issues which a team has to face is conflict among the team members. Since the different members within the group come from different background, culture and caste so coming to a common decision becomes difficult. This at times results in conflict among the members as each person looks to present their own views which contradict with one another. Brodie (2011) highlights that; when conflict is effectively utilized it can result to achieving better results and enhancing creativity among the team members. This is one of the most serious issues which teamwork results in and needs to be solved in a positive manner so that better results are achieved. Disengagement is another challenge that faces team working. This occurs when certain members of the team are holding back in taking part in team activities or they do not want to contribute their opinions to the task (Brodie, 2011). This impacts the overall productivity as lack of efforts from the employee’s results in negative synergy which thereby has an impact on productivity. The other issue which teamwork results in is silo. This is when the team members view issues using their own varied viewpoints and not looking to consult others or accept advice from others (Brodie, 2011). This has an impact on the manner employees contribute towards the goal as the process results in impacting the employees’ contribution towards the goal. This aspect makes it difficult for organizations to ensure proper team participation but the management has to look towards participation from all members so that better results can be achieved. The other issue which the process of team work highlights is the dominance of certain members within the group (Brodie, 2011). There are situations where certain members look to dominate the team meetings and dictate their own terms. This has an impact on the motivation level of other employees and is not willing to contribute towards the goal of the organization. As a result the entire benefit which team work was expected to bring is not received and the performance gets impacted. In addition to it organizations face issue as making people together in a group is difficult. Since different people from different background, knowledge, skills and attributes come together so ensuring that a process which looks towards all members contributing towards the goal becomes difficult. The situation requires that the management looks at reducing the differences and bringing all people together so that they are able to contribute towards a common purpose. Theories through which team formation can be carried out The different theories which will help organization to determine the manner in which team formation will take place are as Belbin’s Team Test The behaviour of individuals has an impact and shapes the manner in which team members contribute toward a common goal. Belbin Test is a tool which will facilitate the manner in which work is carried out in a project team and how can different responsibilities be assigned to different members in the project team The test looks to examine the different skills of the employees based on ten parameters based on which the different direction through which the employee contributes towards the goal can be found out (Belbin & Meredith, 1983). This process will assist in team formation as it will determine the manner in which each member needs to contribute and will help to assign different roles to individuals. The process will also lead towards reducing conflicts and develop a process through which better team formation will become possible. Using the test will also help the management in identifying the different dimensions and parameters based on which team formation is carried out and will thereby help to formulate strategy through which overall productivity will multiply. Tuckman Group Development Model The Tuckman model for development is another tool which will help in team formation and will determine the different process through which the objectives of the team will be achieved. This will help to transform the behaviour of individuals and will bring a consolidated effort through which the goals will be better realized. The tool starts with forming where different members come together to work as a team and then moves towards storming where team members are assigned different roles and here Beblin Model can help to define the roles which moves to norming where members get accustomed to their roles and perform their individual roles and finally ends by adjourning which happens when the final task is accomplished (Atherton, 2003). This is also the mechanism which is adopted while forming team and looks to determine the manner in which the team formation needs to be carried out. The overall process will help to reduce the difficulties which the team faces and will help to develop the required mechanism through which the overall results will improve. This will also help to ensure that the process looks towards reducing the gap and will thereby have a positive impact on the performance of the organization. Acceptance Theory of Authority: This theory states that people within the group have to accept authority of the concerned person and act in a manner which has been determined. This will help to bring better coordination and ensure that all the team members are able to carry out the different roles and responsibilities which have been assigned to them Need for Management Theory: This theory suggests that managerial ability is necessary for the success of organization. This means that a set of rules, principles and procedures need to be followed by all members within the group so that they are able to contribute towards the long term goals which will help the team positively. Division of Work: This states that the work needs to be divided among the team members based on their abilities. This will ensure proper coordination from each team member and will help the entire organization to deliver superior performance in the required areas Discipline: This is basically determining the manner in which the organization will work so that better relations can be fostered among the team members. This process will help to reduce the differences and will provide an opportunity where people will be able to act in a responsible manner and carry out the different work which have been assigned to them Future Ahead The management and the organization has to deal with issues while looking towards team formation but it is important that team work is established within the organization so that the goals can be achieved (Hailey, Farndale, and Truss, 2005). Despite the different issues which the management has to face while looking for team work steps have to be taken which will look towards successful team formation. The organization has to develop strategies which look at having individuals with different skills in a team. This will help to ensure that the overall momentum is developed towards identifying the different dimensions through which better results will be achieved (Hunt, 2010). Having proper team work will improve the manner in which the different resources are used and will lead towards ensuring that the goals can be achieved in a better way. Organizations as a result will be able to gain as it will provide the different dimensions through which the overall business prospective will improve. Conclusion The paper thereby highlights the manner in which different strategies need to be taken by the business so that better effectiveness can be achieved. The paper highlights that the business faces difficulties in ensuring team work but the business needs to look towards having strategies through which will help to develop team. It is imperative that the business look towards having proper teams which look to work towards a common goal so that the business objectives will be achieved. In addition to it the different models also shows the manner in which team formation can be carried out so that the business is able to achieve efficiency and operational gains are achieved. This will have an impact on the long term performance and ensure that the overall productivity will improve. References Atherton J, (2003). “Tuckman’s model of group development”, Group development, UK, retrieved on April13, 2015 from http://www.dmu.ac.uk/~jamesa/teaching/group_development.htm Alexander, A., Page, V. & Wentling, T. (2003). Motivation & barriers to participation in virtual knowledge sharing. MCB UP Ltd, 7 (1), 123-127 Burger, T. & Jerry, M. (2000). Personality. 5th edition. Belmont, Thomson Learning Belbin & Meredith, (1983). The Belbin Self Team. A self perception inventory, Heinemann, London Brodie, D.(2011). 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