Unit 6 Discussion Forum, University of the People
The size, quality, and strength of a team depends on the individual contributions of each team member. Teamwork is developed, nurtured, and encouraged in all facets of the team activities. Leadership plays a crucial role in moving toward the desired direction.
- Differentiate between a group and a team.
- Research the Ringelmann Effect. How does it contribute to our modern-day understanding of team dynamic?
- Discuss the characteristics of a highly effective team.
- What are some of the barriers to teamwork?
Grade: 8.00/10 (524 words)
There are many definitions of ‘team’ by many researchers.
- “A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose or set of performance goals” (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993).
- A team aims to “work together and accomplish the stated objectives with optimum results as its end goal” (Heathfield, 2018).
- A team is “a group of people who are interdependent for information, resources, and skills and who seek to combine their efforts to achieve a common goal” (Aranda et al., 2000).
In summary, a team is a group of people working together to achieve common goals. On the other hand, a group is a collection of individuals.
①Differentiate between a group and a team.
The most significant difference between a group and a team is whether members are focused on a common goal. As stated above, team members focus on a common goal.
②Research the Ringelmann Effect. How does it contribute to our modern-day understanding of team dynamic?
Max Ringelmann first noted the Ringelman effect in 1913. His research shows individuals’ tendency to put in less effort when working in a group context than alone. It is also called ‘social loafing.’ (Bauer & Erdogan, 2012) People tend to think the group’s productivity equals the sum of the individual’s productivity. However, his research revealed how the size of a group affects productivity. (Breward et al.,2016)
③Discuss the characteristics of a highly effective team.
As Hunt, high levels of task performance, member satisfaction, and team viability are characteristics of a highly effective team.
Task performance: A team achieves its performance goals in the ordinary sense of quantity, quality, and timeliness of work results.
Member satisfaction: Team members are satisfied with their tasks, accomplishments, and interpersonal relationships.
Team viability: Team members are sufficiently satisfied to continue working well together.
(Hunt et al., 2010)
④What are some of the barriers to teamwork?
There are numerous barriers to teamwork: the challenges of start, dominating members, the poor performance of team members, or poorly managed team conflict. (Bauer & Erdogan, 2012)
Recently, I experienced the poor performance of team members. The member had obvious problems regarding the ability to comprehend. For example, When I asked her to do ‘A,’ she did not start it for more than a week. After a week, I reminded her to do the task ‘A,’ and she did ‘B.’ This kind of miscommunication always happened. As Bauer and Erdogan, justice is an important element to make individuals keep working hard for the team. (Bauer & Erdogan, 2012) However, my manager never asked her to improve her behavior, and she never tried to improve her performance. As a result, I lost the motivation to work hard, and I decided to leave the team. My manager asked me not to leave the team many times, but I could not find any benefits to work with her.
From research, we can learn the characteristics of an effective team and barriers to teamwork, and the insights show us how to make effective teams. However, there are always gaps between knowing and doing. Even if we know the way, it is tough to create an outstanding team.
Grade: 8.00/10 (524 words)
References
Bauer, T. & Erdogan, B. (2012)An Introduction to Organizational Behavior. (n.p.). Retrieved from https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/an-introduction-to-organizational-behavior-v1.1/s09-theories-of-motivation.html
Breward, K. E., Judge, T., & Robbins, S. (2016). Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 13e, 2016, Ontario: Pearson Canada Retrieved from https://www.pdfdrive.com/essentials-of-organizational-behaviour-d176364014.html
Heathfield, S. M. (2019, February 5). What is a team? The Balanced Careers. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-a-team-1919226
Hunt, J., Osborn, R., Schermerhorn, J. & Uhl-Bien, M (2010) Organizational Behavior, 11th Edition. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Katzenbach, J.R. & Smith, D.K. (1993, April). The Discipline of Teams. Harvard Business Review, Retrieved from https://hbr.org/1993/03/the-discipline-of-teams-2#:~:text=A%20team%20is%20a%20small,a%20team%20is%20common%20commitment.
Thompson, L., Aranda, E., Robbins, S. P., et al. (2000). Tools for teams – Building effective teams in the workplace (Swenson, C. Ed.). Pearson Custom.
