To gain competitive advantage, firms are turning to team structures and team design used to support organizational goals involving structures such as cross functional teams, project teams, self-managed teams, intact work teams, employee participation teams, problem-solving teams, maintenance or support teams and management teams (Baltazar & Mealiea, 2005). Cohen and Baily reported that in the United States, eighty-two of the companies employing more than a hundred employees are turning into groups to support organizational goals (Cited from Baltazar & Mealiea, 2005).
A team is a “group of people mutually independent on one another to achieve a common goal” Beich (2001). According to Beich (2001), the primary advantage of teamwork is a better end result. Teams are responsive to the dynamic and ever-changing needs of the marketplace. They allow the organizations to be closer and much more sensitive to the needs of the customers. Teams are also more informed about advanced technology and are faster in response compared to the traditional hierarchies. Teams working together were found out to have more and better input which results better ideas and decisions and higher quality output compared to individuals working alone (Beich, 2001).
In any organization, the usual problems may be due to miscommunication (Beich, 2001). However, in good teamwork, there is widening of the circle of communication. Organizational members will understand the jobs and roles of other people resulting to an appreciation and recognition for colleagues and a desire to help one another, making their tasks easier. This advantage of better communication between colleagues when there is shared information, there is actual increase in learning. Meaning, there will be an increase in understanding of other people’s views and ideas which will give the team the opportunity to draw on individual strengths and recompense for individual weaknesses in a more positive way (Beich, 2001). Also, Luft and Ingham (n.d.) note in their Johari Window model that good communication comes out through opening to each other through disclosure and feedback.
The corporate world has indeed adopted and embraced the concept of team building because it is believed that more can actually be produced from a team compared to when an individual works alone (May, 2002). Each member of the team has something to offer, be it special skills, talents or creativity which can provide a complete picture if brought together with the other members skills and talents. Consequently, team members will be able to improve on the perceptions and thoughts of individual members, making a decision more substantial compared to one from an individual worker. It is generally important to develop camaraderie, loyalty and goodwill among the team members (May, 2002).
Virtual World
No organization can escape the effects of operating in a continuously evolving environment. The forces for change are so great that the very survival and success of any organization depends on how well they respond to these Books.
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