Advantages and disadvantages to Teamwork and Groups
Teamwork has become a fundamental aspect of the modern business world. Teamwork can be defined as “work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole”.http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teamwork
Any set of people that have common characteristics but having no formal leaders, like friends or colleagues, are groups, while particular groups linked by organizational purposes, for instance, certain departments, business units or people involved into a common project could be described as teams.
Teams could be also seen as structured groups, especially in organizational context, where larger teams could have an hierarchical structure.As the business world becomes more innovative and competitive, many companies are beginning to recognize the importance of teamwork in order to achieve tasks more effectively. It had been once believed that productivity would be best achieved when individuals focus on a sole primary task that is assigned to them by a superior (or manager). This would create a hierarchical structure where one member of an organization would be responsible for the delegation of tasks to a group of employees.
Many studies have been performed throughout the last decade and the results have helped influence the teamwork we see in today’s business world.===============================================
From 1927 to 1932, Professor Mayo, psychologist, industrial researcher and organizational theorist, conducted the Hawthorne experiment in order to understand the influence of physical and environmental factors relative to the psychological factors and how they affect productivity.
The initial experiment was designed to account for the changes in physical elements at the workplace; but the study resulted in a belief that helped to show how workers found heightened motivation when they felt they were connected to a team. Specifically, Mayo identified that a person might temporarily change his or her behavior to adjust to a specific situation inside an organization.
For today’s business, Hawthorne effect brought the importance of understanding that people are essentially social beings, whose relationships are important in overall business context.==============================================
Teams are now being built by companies as a form of sub-organization assigned as a unit to control and execute a project on their own. Groups and teamwork are used across many different organizations to increase performance, employee unity and company culture. Team members use teamwork to bounce ideas off of one another before deciding on a path for a project. This helps to identify new opportunities, and builds more effective problem solving, greater productivity and a more effective use of resources. These high performance cross-functional teams are being made up of individuals with varied skill sets and backgrounds and creates an environment where different approaches and perspectives can be applied to the task at hand. http://www.team-building-bonanza.com/history-of-teamwork.htmlAs organizations begin to operate on a large scale, teamwork is becoming crucial in order to maintain effective performance.==============================================
Teams or groups in an organization may come from different departments or the same ones. Some types of teams found in organizations include virtual teams, …
