The Importance Of Team Work Management Essay

The Importance Of Team Work Management Essay The essay begins with an attempt to define the nature of teams and groups and considers the differences between the two. This is followed by a discussion of why teamwork is important to contemporary organisations. After which, the conditions necessary for effective team working is discussed drawing on Tuckman (1965) model of group development. Then a discussion of group processes that lead to ineffective teamwork are considered. Finally, the impact of technology is considered on the effect of teams and the rise of virtual teams before a conclusion is made. Defining Groups and Teams A definition of a team may assume that the team has, or is working towards a common goal (Pynadeth and Tambe, 2002). A team can be defined as groups of people embedded in organisations, performing tasks that contribute to achieving the organisations goals. They share overall work objectives. They have the necessary authority, autonomy and resources to achieve these objectives (West, 2004, p.18). The difference between a group and a team is that members of a team share a common goal they are pursuing collaboratively. Moreover, they can only succeed or fail as a whole, and the members of that team share the benefits and costs of success or failure. In contrast, the members of a (psychological) group may share a number of common features.but each has his or her own individual goals (Buchanan and Hyczynski, 2007, p.379). Importance of Teamwork In a contemporary organisations, what were once competitors are now collaborators, what were once outsiders are now stakeholders, what were once stark boundaries are now fuzzy fences. Organisations have now discovered the value of collaboration, both inside and outside (Brooks, 2006, p.115). Teamwork has been linked to economic advantages, higher output, lower absenteeism and increased employee satisfaction (Steijn, 2001; Brooks, 2006; Buchanan and Hyczynski, 2007). It has also been shown to lead to less stressful work, reduced alienation and improved working relationships (Katzenback and Smith). Effective Team Working Certain conditions are necessary for effective teamwork (Buchanan and Hyczsynski, 2007). Several models of team working have been developed, however Tuckmans Model of Group Development (1965) is one of the most widely used (Murray et al., 2006, Buchanan and Hyczynski, 2007). Tuckman (1965) model depicts four stages of group development, which represents a logical sequence of stages of group development of which every team must go through in order to work as a cohesive and effective team (Tuckman, 1965; Murray et al., 2006). The first stage is forming. Forming is about orientation, socialisation and developing relationships. Discovering what is acceptable behaviour, focusing on objectives. Discovering the nature and boundaries of the task, developing team behaviours The second stage is storming this is about confrontation and conflict and the struggle for power and influence. At this stage the group structure shifts towards hostility and conflict, as members express their individuality and resistance (Murray et al., 2006, p.314). During this stage there is conflict over individuals desires to express their own opinions, which often results in the polarisation of opinions (Buchanan and Hyczynski, 2007). The third stage is norming, in this stage groups develop a cohesive approach, whereby harmonious relations replace conflict and disagreement. During this stage, communication becomes more open and people are more comfortable with expressing their opinions, even if it is different to others without fear of repercussions or thoughts of deviant behaviour (Buchanan and Hyczynski, 2007). Members begin to develop social interactions that enhance the overall performance of the group (Murray et al., 2006). Performing is the final stage of group development, in which teams are finally able to work as a cohesive unit. This is about team collaboration and the focus is on getting the task at hand completed and reaching the shared goals of the team. By this stage, the team should have a thorough understanding of what is required of them, the problems, challenges and issues they face in reaching their goals and will have established norms of behaviour that will facilitate the team in meeting its goals (Tuckman, 1965; Murray et al., 2006). The team which emerges as a result of these group development stages is a mature group, capable and willing to complete the tasks as defined by the organisation (Tuckman, 1965; Murray et al., 2006, Buchanan and Hyczynski, 2007). Arguably, if the team is not able, for whatever reason to complete the stages of group development, then the team will be ineffective (Murray et al., 2006). As a result, this has important implications for managers and team leaders. Group processes and behaviour cannot be separated from the pursuit of effective team working. Therefore, leaders and managers must develop and emotional awareness of the influence of the psychological group on the overall performance of the team (Steijn, 2001; Buchanan and Hyczynski, 2007) Factors which Threaten the Success of the Team Buchanan and Hyczynski (2007) point out that teamwork of all kinds is fraught with tensions, conflicts, obstacles and problems. If these are not managed effectively, rather than surpassing the best members capabilities, the total group output may actually equal less than the weakest members efforts (p.351). This is known as negative synergy. This can be caused by factors such as negative equity, whereby other members of the group underperform so the other person thinks why should I?, shirking of responsibility, negative effort of group reward whereby everyone is rewarded the same regardless of effort and finally, problems of coordination, so people are obstructing others ability to get on with a task (Buchanan and Hyczynski, 20007). Collectively, this phenomenon has come to be known as social loafing (Ingham et al., 1974). In addition to social loafing, problems of group think can have a negative impact on the performance of teams. Whilst the development of group norms and behaviour can be beneficial to the team, in its extreme form this can lead to the problem of group think (Buchanan and Hyczynski, 2007). Group think occurs whereby members of the group fail to critically analyse, test and evaluate problems, issues and challenges which face the group (Murray et al., 2006). This may be caused as a subconscious desire for members to avoid deviating from the prescribed norms of behaviour and group consensus (Buchanan and Hyczynski, 2007). However, this leads to ineffective team working, which is not beneficial to the organisation (West, 2004). Managers and team leaders play a pivotal role in ensuring that the problems of social loafing and group think does not occur. In addition managers should recognise team leaders who may advertently or inadvertently encourage the onset of negative synergy, social loafing and group think and take steps to minimise the impact of their ineffective team leadership. Impact of Technology on Team Functioning Technology plays an increasingly important role on the way in which teams function (Brooks, 2006). This is because organisations are becoming increasingly distributed across geographical boundaries and across industries (Brooks, 2006, p.115). There are many different types of technologies that have emerged which facilitate the development of teamwork both in a virtual and non-virtual teamwork environment. The rise in computer mediated technology, which facilitates communication, planning and organisation, has broken down barriers and can contribute towards making the team more effective (West, 2004; Brooks, 2006). Virtual teams are becoming an increasingly common extension of traditional organisational structures. Brooks (2006) describes the process as the following: virtual organisations, workplaces and teams are becoming increasingly common place. In a virtual team the members primary interaction is through some combination of electronic communications systems, which allows members of the team to cross time, space and cultural boundaries (Brooks, 2006, p.110). The type of technology which facilitates both physical and virtual teams includes the reduction in costs in recent years of portable PCs and consumer electronics and of communications devices. For example, laptops have seen a reduction in price and the majority of modern laptops come with in-built microphones, speakers and web cams for video conferencing. The cost of international calls has reduced and can even be made for free using VOIP (voice over internet protocol) technologies, such as Skype and Google Voice. Conclusion Teamwork is becoming increasingly important in contemporary organisations, and as long as teams are formed, managed and implemented effectively, can provide a source of competitive advantage in terms of increased employee satisfaction, creativity and innovation. However, if teams are assigned to inappropriate tasks, are managed ineffectively or not provided with adequate support, resources and autonomy to carry out their tasks then the effect of teamwork can be counterproductive. Teams are formal groups assigned by management that have shared goals. There is a difference between teams and groups; groups can exist without teams but teams cannot exist without groups. Therefore, the impact of group behaviour and group dynamics will have a significant impact on the overall performance of the team. Therefore, management must be awareness of the presence of groups that create their own norms and personal goals, which may deviate from the objectives of the team. Therefore, teamwork can be i s a complex management area, yet if carried out effectively, the results can be very rewarding.

Irises of Vincent van Gogh Essay

â€Å"Irises† was made by Vincent new wave Gogh in 1889. It is an oil on canvas with dimensions of 28† by 36 5/8. † It is a representational art that exhibits a bouquet of flags and a background of marigolds in a signifier of impressionist manner picture. the topic non dead set or twisted as to demo a signifier of sentiment from the creative person. The picture. as it depicts a garden-like clump of flowers. may be categorized under the subject of landscapes as it displays a scenery without animate beings or people. Van Gogh. in making â€Å"Irises. † chiefly used contour lines. From the picture. we would be able to see the blades of grasses environing the flowers every bit good as the thin roots and the petals of the flags itself with darker sunglassess run alonging the borders. The marigold background. nevertheless. and the piece of dirt that shows itself beneath the grass were done in a more streamlined gesture lines. However. though the borders of the flags. the grass. and the roots were defined. the lines are seen to be more implied than existent as the creative person did non precisely lined the borders with a crisp black but alternatively outlined the parts by utilizing a darker shadiness of colour. The definite lines emphasized a feeling of certainty on the picture. It created a constricted and serious temper. congratulating the construct of purdah for the lone white flag in a clump of blue. The forms in the picture are all natural and the colourss used nowadayss elusive contrast. Lighting seems to be natural as good. coming from the upper right corner of the picture and distributing out. as there’s no bright colour painted straight on the canvas. The place of the blue flags and the blades of grass make the minimum visible radiation seeable ; the agreement rocking some of that light towards the white flag positioned at the left side. With the blooms laid out in such a form. the visible radiation has been stronger on the bluish flags. However. it absolutely suits the artist’s thought. We could see from the illustration how the bluish flags got more of the limelight but they are tilting towards the white flag. In a manner. it may picture how van Gogh felt during the clip he was doing it ; he was in an refuge where people don’t really pay him much attending. But someway. their presence and his province feel like a strong force gushing and stamp downing him. Merely primary and secondary colourss were used for the picture. Made up with bluish. yellow. green and white. â€Å"Irises† is a symphonic music of subdued tones. While the colourss fundamentally described the capable affair. the blunt contrast between the blue flags and the white one emphasized how van Gogh views the difference between other people and himself. The bluish 1s. though they’re voluminous are all the same. They held no particular features. But the white flag is really different. Aside from being painted in another colour. the flag besides symbolizes pureness. The healthy white somehow depicts sedateness and chaste unlike the corrupt character of the bluish flags. Without an existent contact one would be able to find the velvety touch of the picture. sing the portion of the grasses and the marigolds. But for the flags. Vincent new wave Gogh chose to utilize impasto as to make a 3d-like dimension for the blooms. The technique non merely enables the spectator to about experience the weight of the blooms but it besides further back up the pulling force of the white flag. as we are able to see the bluish 1s lean their brawny petals towards the way of the white one ; researching farther the load new wave Gogh felt coming from the people environing him at that clip. Having used impasto on the piece. â€Å"Irises† someway hold a three dimensional feel. Indeed. with the invention of new wave Gogh. this painting transcends the traditional and acquired a more dramatic aura. With this manner. a spectator would be able to experience the only purdah of the white flag and farther sense the apathetic emotion of the bluish 1s. Looking more observingly. we may think how the creative person finished this piece. The piece is glazed and this is strongly apparent in the usage of beds of colourss and particularly the application of impasto. though the flags and marigolds seemed to be drawn above a light green base. Expanding out our examination. we’ll be able to state that new wave Gogh worked on background foremost. holding the marigolds and the dirt looking level. As he continues. he might every bit good work from light colourss so to dark. the dark colourss looking more solid and brighter. We could decidedly state every bit good that the focal point of the â€Å"Irises† is found at the centre left side of the canvas where the white flag was painted. The way of every component in the piece points at it. from the blades of grasses to the blue flags and the marigolds stressing its topographic point.

A Little Under A Year - 907 Words

A little under a year ago I wrote in this place about an encounter I’d had with Barry Sheerman MP and a Virgin Trains snack box on a train travelling from Manchester to London. At the time, what most bothered me about the snack box was its weird appearance: the cardboard printed with photo-real wickerwork so as to give the impression it was a sturdy hamper full of wholesome victuals ideal for a leisurely picnic lunch, rather than the flimsy packet of salty and sugary titbits Richard Branson was â€Å"giving† me for my real-life meal. I swore at the end of my column that I would keep the hideous snack box for ever to remind me never to eat such toxic pap, but when I was tidying up my office the other day and came upon it looking just as vile – with its fake leather luggage tags that read, respectively, â€Å"Virgin Trains† and â€Å"Follow a Different Train of Thought† – I did indeed follow a different train of thought: â€Å"I happen to be going up to Manchester in a couple of days. Why don’t I take the snack box with me and, when I get there, eat it?† Yes, yes, I know – eating the contents of a Virgin Trains snack box at my age looks like giving in to a dreadful taedium vitae, but I liked the idea of negating the entire Sheerman/Branson/snack box cluster-fuck by performing this odd little ritual; perhaps, I unreasoned, if I eat it mindfully enough I’ll succeed in flipping us all into a parallel universe where Richard Branson doesn’t exist, and where the business empire that occupies the sameShow MoreRelatedWhat Is Cameron Murch Essay835 Words   |  4 PagesThe appointment of Cameron Murray as the NSW Under-20s Origin captain has shades of Boyd Cordner about it; not the biggest talker in the group, but his presence and aura is felt when speaking to teammates, and he ultimately leads with his actions on the field. 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The And Limitations Of The United States Constitution

When the United States constitution was written by the founding fathers almost 238 years ago, the first three articles outlined both the powers and limitations of the three branches of government. In Article 2 of the constitution, the duties of the President, the Executive branch, are defined and the system of checks and balances are explained. These checks and balances are the Congress and the Supreme Court. Our founding fathers designed the constitution specifically so that no one branch of the American government would never be allowed to contain more power or have authority than the other two. In recent times, however, the executive branch has grown more powerful during stressful times. This power grab goes directly against what the founding fathers had in mind when they wrote the U.S Constitution. The rights of the American people are guaranteed and protected by the Constitution through this distribution of power. Giving more power to the executive branch would lead to an uneq ual distribution of power, something our forefather carefully tried to prevent from happening when they signed the Constitution. James Madison proclaimed in Federalist No. 47 that all power should be distributed equally among the three branches of government or the United States would conform to a dictatorship. â€Å"The accumulation of all power, legislative, executive, and judiciary in the same hands†¦may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.† There has been speculation that when theShow MoreRelatedThe Constitution Of The United States885 Words   |  4 Pages In 1787, our founding fathers came up with a few principles that would establish what we now know as the United States of America. These principles were put on paper to serve as a guideline for how the United States would be operated and structured. This historical piece paper became known as the Constitution of the United States. 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