MNGT 120Coursework I

MNGT-120 Introduction to Business and Management

Coursework Assessment Task 1

With the help of theories and practical examples critically examine the idea of teamwork. Could it be used as an instrument of control?

Kshitij Khandelwal

IntroductionTeamwork is "work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Teamwork has developed as an imported part of modern work culture wherein corporations are seeking employees with teamwork skills. Teams and teamwork help to promote deep learning that occurs through interaction, problem solving, dialogue, cooperation and collaboration (Johnson & Johnson, 1995). Creating a team draws people from different areas and perspective to solve complex problems. The greater the diversity, the greater the challenge it will be to make the team work.In this article we will critically examine the idea of teamwork by studying different theories as well as practical examples. The article will be starting with a brief introduction of teamwork followed by importance of teamwork. Than we will critically examine Belbin's team role model, and Tuckman and Jensen's theory of stages of group development. Establishing a relationship between teamwork and its application as an instrument of control would conclude the article.Importance of TeamworkTeams are made when the people with mutual perception, liking and outlook work together to achieve a common goal. It plays in a vital role in corporations as well as one's personal life."Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success-Henry Ford. The above proverb by Henry Ford can highlight the importance of working together in teams. Following are some of the advantages of teamwork: Increase Accountability: Due to peer pressure, the motivation to compete the task in stipulated time ignores the dips and downs that are encountered due to non-performing team members. Work Efficiency: The idea of teamwork is to divide the work among members of the team. It not only allows the workers to complete the work efficiently and effectively but also reduces the workloads (Forbes, 2013). Common Purpose: Until team members dont interact with their teammates, they cannot word towards achieving common goal (Boddy D., 2007, p.566). Learning Opportunities: Working with different peoples with different expertise in diverse areas helps the workers to gain some knowledge. Teamwork gives opportunity to challenge the idea of each other and negotiate to find the best solution that will help in attaining successful completion of the task (Boddy D., 2007, p.566).Theories of TeamworkMany academicians have developed different models of teamwork. In this article we will be focusing on Bruce Tuckman's and Marry Ann Jensen's (1977) Stages of group development model and Meredith Belbin's Team Role Model.

Stages of group development TheoryStages of group development were a 5-stage theory that was developed by Bruce Tuckman and Marry Ann Jensen in 1977 (Boddy D., 2007, p.570).

Figure 1: Stages of group development (Source: Leadershipschamps, 2008)Forming Members are selected to form a group at this stage. Managers select their team on the basis of practical and technical capabilities of individuals. Coordination is additionally concerned as the key task. Members are expected to know their teammates. It is the stage at which individual position and accountabilities are unclear (Leadershipchamps, 2008).StormingDifferences of interest emerge as the actual work begins. Conflicts may strike at storming stage. These reflect conflicts over leadership, structure, power, and authority. Due to conflicts in this stage, some people start dominating the team while others remain silent. Negotiations are must to progress. Many groups do not pass this stage. (Boddy, 2007, p 571).NormingThere is synergy between team members. All the disputes at storming stage are cleared. Members accept their roles and responsibilities in the group. Team members respond to the felicitation leader. The team comes up with innovative ways in completing the task. The team adopts a single working style that has been thoroughly and thoughtfully discussed among the members. This enables in effective and efficient working in the group and the complications can be addressed more rapidly (Leadershipchamps, 2008).PerformingThere is a strong interpersonal relation among the members. They are highly motivated. The group works well in accordance with the required standards. They achieve their objectives.AdjourningAt this stage the task is completed and group is adjourned or disbands. ExampleSince 1987 to 1997, MasterCard rolled out five marketing campaigns, which were so competitive with rival Visa that it failed with a marginal gap. So MasterCard hired a new agency McCann Erikson. To prepare new iteration of advertisement, McCann formed a core creative team comprising Joyce King Thomas, Jeroen Bours and Jonathan Cranin (Forming Stage). The trio had worked together for last 2 years. They prepared strategy and brainstormed for a month (Storming Stage). Thomas, now McCann's chief creative officer says, We were very comfortable working together, so we debated everything freely". The breakthrough come to Cranin who come up with the tagline, some things money can't buy". The team discussed it and inspiration came 2 weeks later over a cup of coffee (Norming Stage).The first ad would be set at a baseball game, feature a list of ordinary transactions, and lead to the setup: "Priceless." Recalls Thomas: "We knew we had it ". MasterCard agreed and the ad rolled out and it was a huge success. It won many awards and was aired in 105 countries in 48 different languages (Performing Stage) [CNNMoney, 2006]. Meredith Belbin- team rolesAfter observing hundreds of small groups, Meredith Belbin and his research team concluded that each person in the group behaves in the way that correlates to one of nine distinct roles (Boddy, 2007). Belbin's research methodThe research was carried out Henley School of Management, which ran an internationally famous 10-week course for successful managers having a potential to reach boards. Business simulations were a part of course, in which managers were put into competing teams. A study was conducted by Belbin in which a standard process was used to record the types of contributions made by members. Team members undertook voluntary psychometric tests. Researchers formed teams with members having above- average mental abilities and compared their results with other teams. Only 3 teams emerged as winners out of 25 teams. Study found out that intelligent people forgot other task because they were so much immersed in spotting flaws in other's arguments. The study concluded that performance is affected by behavior rather than intelligence (Belbin, N.A.).

Table 1: Belbin's team roles [Source: http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=3]The nine-team roles are:Action Oriented Roles:Shaper (SH)Shapers are the persons that not only find best possible tactics to solve problem but who also questions current working within the team. They challenge team to improve. Shapers analyze and come up with every possible method to make sure that methodology adopted by team is finest (MindTools, N.A.).Implementer (IMP)These people get things done. They take actions and create plans by taking teams idea's and concepts as base. These people are well organized and work systematically and ensure that the work is carried out efficiently (MindTools, N.A.).

Completer-Finisher (CF)These people oversee the work is going on strict time schedule and is completed on time. They ensure cross checking of the work to make work free of errors and omissions. They take into account even the smallest of details. They are known to be perfectionists (MindTools, N.A.).People Oriented Roles:Coordinator (CO)Coordinators are nothing but the team-leaders whose main objective is to coordinate the work among different members of the team. They are responsible to forward important communications to its teammates. They are the one who recognizes the importance of each and every team member (MindTools, N.A.).Team Worker (TW)These people make sure that the work within the team is carried out effectively. They are negotiators and helps in negotiating when some disagreements arise within the team (MindTools, N.A.). Resource Investigator (IR)Inventive and curious are the best-suited words to describe resource investigator. They provide inside knowledge about the opponents. Developing contacts, negotiate for resources and exploring available options are some of their qualities (MindTools, N.A.).Thought Oriented Roles:Plant (PL)These people tend to come up with innovative ideas and creative approaches. They prefer to work in isolation instead of being in a team. Some times their ideas can be impractical (MindTools, N.A.).Specialist (SP) They are people having specialized knowledge. They act as an expert in the team and commit themselves fully in the area of their expertise (MindTools, N.A.).Monitor-Evaluator (ME)They are good analyzer and evaluator. They evaluate the ideas of team members and thoroughly analyze their pros and cons. They critically analyze and then take decisions (MindTools, N.A.).ExampleGroupM is world leader in advertising media which offers services like media planning and buying; branded content; digital media; consumer research and Internet marketing. In 2011, the new CEO of GroupM Malaysia, Girish Menon was asked to run a team development program for the Exco team. Understanding each other's working style was its primary objective (Belbin, 2012).Using Belbin's Team Roles Model, the team was found to have a suitable coverage of eight of nine roles. It was analyzed that while the role of Complete-Finisher (CF) was absent, the role of Shaper was predominant. GroupM decided to fill the gap by recruiting someone to fill the CF gap. Also Aspire helped in integrating this new person with his new role in the team (Belbin, 2012).GroupM was invited by large and influential clients to pitch for their business. Aspire helped the team to map the entire process of typical client pitch by noting each and every activity involved in the client pitch. They critically analyzed and thoroughly debated after charting out the entire activity. Non-adding value task were eliminated to refine the pitch. The team was able to identify the task and the best person to lead each task by using Belbin's Team Role Model .The team not only won that pitch but the Malaysian team also won an internal APAC award for ' Power of One' (Belbin, 2012).Relationship between control and teamworkControl is one of the managerial functions like planning, organizing, staffing and directing. According to Henry Fayol (1949), Control can be defined as," Control of an undertaking consists of seeing that everything is being carried out in accordance with the plan which has been adopted, the orders which have been given, and the principles which have been laid down. Its object is to point out mistakes in order that they may be rectified and prevented from recurring."Importance of controlFollowing are some of the importance of control: Execution of Plans: Control helps in timely execution of work. Work is monitored and evaluated with the result; the work is not completed on time but also in effective and efficient manner. Helps in supervision: Controlling helps in supervision as a supervisor constantly monitors the work. Controlling also helps in maintaining a set procedure to carry work and reduces deviation to an extent that is minimal. Cost reduction: Cost is highly reduced as the employees work efficiently. Also as the wastage is contained, cost can further be reduced. Coordination in action: Coordination within the organization is achieved by proper performance. Managers coordinates working of subordinates to achieve organizational goals. Considering the importance of both controlling and teamwork, we can say that teamwork can be used as an instrument to control. In today's corporate world, managers are delegating some its powers to subordinated making them to take decisions that won't harm the company but enable the team to work more fast.Control and Teamwork goes hand in hand. Many of the functions of teamwork are similar to that of control. Considering the fact that both aim to achieve the organizational goal by efficiently utilizing the resources as well coordinating the work in such a way that it is right on schedule. No doubt managers control their subordinates or teams but it is also to be noted that team leaders also take control of their teams. In both the cases, the common purpose is to achieve the organizational goals.It can also be said that control is an extension to teamwork as the people remains the same, but it is the leader who take charge only after formation team while a manager is in charge for the whole time. Teams usually change after completing a task. Efficiency is the key in both teamwork and control. While the main objective of teamwork is to complete the goal in utmost efficiently, the objective of control is wider, i.e., control the organization and not limited few people in it. ConclusionWe have critically examined the idea of teamwork by analyzing two major theories of teamwork. First we have analyzed Bruce Tuckman's 5-stage of group development. We have proved its practical implication by stating the example of ad campaign of MasterCard. Second, we have studied Belbin's Team Roles Model. We had not only scrutinized Belbin's research method but also briefly explained the nine-roles stated in Belbin's model. We have used an example of a corporation named GroupM to prove the practical implication of Belbin's model. It is also to be noted that Belbin's Team Roles model is being used in many fortune 500 companies such as DHL, AXA, and Citibank etc.Towards the end of article, we were able to put up an argument between the relationship of teamwork and control. Although teamwork is small concept comparing to that of control, but it is highly complement to teamwork. We also discussed about the power exchange between team leader and manager. After critically examining the similarities between functions of teamwork and control, we arrived to the conclusion that teamwork can be used as in instrument of control.

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Bibliography

Belbin, M. (N.A.). HISTORY & RESEARCH. Available: http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=3. (Accessed: 2nd Dec 2013).Belbin. (2012) Belbin Helps Team Win Important Business Pitch and Team Award, Available at: http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=73&pressid=56(Accessed: 2nd December 2013).Boddy, D. (2007). Teams. In: Management An Introduction. 4th ed. London: Prentice Hall. p 556-591.Forbes.com. 2013. Why And Where Is Teamwork Important? [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2013/01/23/why-and-where-is-teamwork-important/. [Accessed 02 December 13].Henri Fayol (1949). General and Industrial Management. New York: Pitman Publishing. pp.107109.Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1995). Social Interdependence - Cooperative Learning in Education. In B. Bunker & J. Z. Rubin (Eds.), Conflict, Cooperation, and Justice (pp. 205-251). San Francisco: Jossey- Bass Publishers.Kelly, B. 2013. Importance of Teamwork in Organizations. [ONLINE] Available at: http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/importance-teamwork-organizations-12033.html. [Accessed 02 December 13].Levenson, E. (2006). Six teams that changed the world- the power of an idea. Available: http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/31/magazines/fortune/sixteams_greatteams_fortune_061206/index.htm. Last accessed 2nd Dec 2013.Mindtools. (N.A.). How Understanding Team Roles Can Improve Team Performance- Available: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_83.htm - sthash.ihB2rgHN.dpuf. Last accessed 2 Dec 2013.Srinivasan, B. (2008). Forming Storming Norming Performing Developmental Model. Availablehttp://leadershipchamps.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/forming-storming-norming-performing-developmental-model/. Last accessed 2nd Dec 2013.Teamwork. 2013. Teamwork. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ndt-ed.org/TeachingResources/ClassroomTips/Teamwork.htm. [Accessed 01 December 2013].

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