Developing and Managing Effective Teams, Managing Diversity in the Workplace - Case Study Example

Name: Institution: Course: Date: Organizational Behaviour: Workplace Report (Developing and Managing Effective Teams, Managing Diversity in the Workplace). Introduction Teams within the workplace have been considered as an important tool in empowering every employee within a given organization. Thus it is through team work that every employee within an organization is able to perform their duties effectively and meet the set goals and objectives of the organization. Management of diversity in the workplace is also a crucial aspect for an organization to achieve its goals and objectives. This is important especially with multi national organizations that operate in a country with diverse cultural and religious background. Hence this paper will discuss the effective management of teams and diversity in the workplace both in theory and practice and find out whether the identified organization puts into practice the theory of effective team management. Creating and Managing Effective Teams in the workplace Various teams within an organization are created for different purposes. Thus the management theory identifies three main distinct types of teams: Organic teams which are formed for the sole purpose of effective management of the organizational structure. Thus these teams are highly supported by the organizational structure. Project teams which are teams within an organization that are created for the implementation of a specific project. The team will ensure the success and effectiveness of a specific project within an organization. Non-organic teams which are formed in a given organization for a specific task. For instance teams created to handle multi-disciplinary issues within an organization. Management is vital in every aspect of life, thus a team must be managed effectively so as to achieve the desired results from the team members. In every the manager plays a crucial role that is professional and practical direction. For efficient team management within an organization, it is imperative that the team leader plays the role of a mentor rather than the boss to his team members. This will facilitate a healthy relation between the superiors and other employees and decisions will not be imposed on the team members. In creating and managing effective teams within the workplace the team leader should ensure that each member of the team freely partakes in the deliberations of the team. This is due to the fact that within a team it is important to make policies that suit all the members for the benefit of the team as a whole. Hence comprehensible and transparent communication is a vital ingredient for an efficient team management. It is also unethical to share professional secrets of the team with others. Thus every team member should uphold the highest degree of confidentiality in regards to the information of the team. Motivation is another important aspect in the formation and management of effective teams. Thus the team members should be motivated on a regular basis in form of performance appraisal, perks, and incentives among other benefits. Hence it is easy to form a team within a workplace but tricky to bind the team members together so as to achieve the set goals and objectives of the team. In order to achieve the goals and objectives of a given organization all members should work together as a team. This is done through inspirational and generating a conducive working environment for the team members in order to meet the expectations of the organization and for the team to be effective. Thus team dynamics are crucial elements required to accomplish the set goals and objectives of a given organization (Mackin, 2007). Managing Effective Teams in practice – AIG Company AIG is a world leading insurance organization with an extensive array of clients in several countries globally. Thus it provides insurance products and services for commercial, institutional and individual clients worldwide. As a part time employee of the organization it was evident that the company does not full put into practice the theory of effective management of teams within the organization. This is due to the fact that AIG as an international organization has an organizational structure that is hierarchical in nature. Thus due to the hierarchical nature of its structure there is division of labour and power and labour within this structure. Hence whenever teams are formed there is a limitation to what the team is able to achieve. This is because the leader of the team is more of the boss than a mentor to the team members. Every activity of the team is set out by the team manager and the team members are not given a chance to make their contributions in regards to the operations of the team. The team leader’s position is elevated in such a way that whatever decision he/she makes is final and in most cases these decisions are imposed on the team leader by the highest hierarchy of the AIG Company. The team members are not engaged in the formulation of the team’s policies as these policies are formulated by the highest hierarchy of the organization and the team members are required to implement the policies of the organization. In some instances the team members are not motivated in any way leading to low morale within the team members. Within the AIG Company low morale has often led to losses being incurred within the organization and employees resigning in search of greener pastures. In order for the AIG as organization to conform to practice of effective team management theory, some crucial changes need to be put into place. The team leader should be given the role of a mentor rather than the boss. Interference from the organization’s structure should be avoided so as to let the teams work independently. This can be done through the team members with the help of their leader being engaged in the formulation of policies to be used by the team. Participation of the team members should be encouraged for the company to fully realize its goals and objectives. The morale of the team members should also be boosted through improved pay perks and other incentives. This will enable the team members to be fully committed in their duties within the company for its success. Managing Diversity in the workplace Diversity in the workplace entails the ability to bring employees collectively from diverse ethnic backgrounds, religions and age into an interconnected and industrious unit within the workplace. This is essential for an organization’s capability to manage and exploit its diverse workplace effectively. Thus managing workplace diversity should be a concern of every manager and employee since most organizations are diverse in nature. Managing workplace diversity commences during the hiring and promotion processes. An organization should ensure that hiring and promotions is done on the basis of performance while putting into place the organization’s human resource policies. Thus managing a diverse organization has a basis on strong policies of equality within the organization. When these policies are put into place the organization implements diversity measures of its employees effectively. During hiring of employees their qualifications should be rated as opposed to age or any other categorization. When diverse and competent personnel are employed, the organization will be able to manage diversity within the workplace effectively. During creation of teams within an organization diversity should be encouraged for its effectiveness to be achieved and also promoting the diverse nature of the organization. Complaints regarding nepotism and favoritism should be handled seriously by the organization’s management. Thus a definitive process should be put into place for investigating and dealing with these issues whenever they arise in an organizational setting. In order to promote the diverse nature of employees within an organization, frequent trainings should be encouraged for the entire staff for the benefits of a diverse workplace. Discussions and meetings on how the organization can manage workplace diversity should be encouraged by the management. These meetings and discussions will also enable the employees to communicate with each other freely and air out their various views concerning the organization. Thus a conducive working environment should be created within a given organization so as to ensure that each employee performs their duties as expected and in case of dissatisfactions the employees are able to reach the management easily. When organizations are able to manage diversity effectively in the workplace the goals and objectives of the organization are achieved and the employees enjoy a conducive working environment within the organization. Thus it is crucial for any organization especially those operating globally to put measures and strategies into place so as to manage diversity effectively in the workplace. This is due to the fact that when these organizations operate in different nations/states they encounter diversity in terms of religion and ethnic background. It is important for an organization to manage diversity effectively for the benefit of the entire organization. Diversity in the workplace implies that employees from different religions and ethnic backgrounds are in a position to interact and work together so as to achieve the goals and objectives of a given organization. In situations whereby diversity in the workplace is not managed effectively conflicts between employees is bound to arise thus jeopardizing the operations of the entire organization. It is important to manage diversity effectively in the workplace for the benefit of the organization. Training of managers on effective management of diversity in the workplace becomes crucial. This training will empower the manager with skill that will enable them handle employees from diverse cultures effectively. Individual employees should also be empowered with the necessary skill on how to interact and work with other employees from different cultural and religions background so as to avoid conflicting situations in the workplace (Barak, 2010). Managing Diversity in the workplace – AIG Company AIG as an organization has its operations globally. Thus due to its nature of operations managing diversity in the workplace is crucial. However, as a part time employee within the organization this is not always the case. Many employees are discriminated during the hiring and promotion processes. This is done on the basis of cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. In some cases it is evident that the host country does not receive any priority especially in senior managerial posts. This leads to lack of trust among the host country leading to the organization to incur losses in its operations. Discrimination in the workplace also leads to conflicts since a large number of employees are dissatisfied and feel discriminated upon. Thus AIG has a company should manage and explore diversity effectively. This can be done through avoiding favoritism and nepotism during the hiring and promotion processes. Every employee should be treated with equality that they deserve so as to avoid conflicts in the workplace. Whenever the organization sets up its operations in a certain country, the host country should be given priority in the employment process so as for them to feel as part of the company and support its initiatives. For this reason AIG should put up strategies and policies in each country of operations so that diversity in the workplace is effectively managed. Frequent training of managers should be conducted and mangers inducted on the host country’s cultural, ethnic and religions background to avoid conflict in the workplace. Employees should also be empowered with necessary skills on how to interact with each other and respect each others views as a result of their diversity. In doing so AIG will be in a position to effectively manage its diverse nature of its employees as its operations spread globally. The goals and objectives of the company will also be realized if the above changes are put into place efficiently. Conclusion Managing effective teams and diversity in the workplace are crucial aspects for any given organization to achieve its goals and objectives. Thus it is the role of the managers to put strategies and policies into place so as to ensure that the theories are put into practice. As illustrated with an example of AIG which is a multinational organization with its operations spreading globally, most organization do not put theory into practice in their daily operations. Hence changes need to be done especially in the organizational structure, policies and strategies so as to manage effective teams and diversity in the workplace. Reference Barak, E. M., (2010), Managing Diversity: Towards a Globally Inclusive Workplace, 2nd Ed, New York. Mackin, D., (2007), The Team Building Tool Kit: Tips, Tactics and Rules for Effective Teams. Appendix AIG Organizational Structure Read More