Introduction
Team work is one of the most difficult types of work as absolutely different people with various preferences should collaborate and work together placing the interests of the group above personal ones. The main purpose of the paper is to identify the group dynamics that occur when working collaboratively in organized teams and explain the possible effects of each of these dynamics, both positive and negative, on the productivity at the workplace and on the learning team work at the University of Phoenix.
The notion of team and team dynamics
It is crucial to understand the main idea of the team work and dynamics in general. According to George Eckes (2003) team dynamics are a number of motivating and driving forces which are aimed to propel the team towards its main goal or mission. Thus, the group dynamics is the power that makes team members desire achieve the best results of the work they do. Team members are sure to face a number of challenges and difficulties.
However, the identification of the team dynamics may help cope with these problems. While problem solving, it is important to remember that the result or solution should the main focus, not the problem statement (Problem Solving-Based Scenarios). The team dynamics should be directed to the results, people should be motivated to reach the final purpose via various drivers, depending on the main goal of the project.
Friendship group dynamics
The first team dynamic that can be offered is the friendship. Communicating outside the workplace, people get to know each other better and the collaboration goes faster and smoother. The team members enjoy the work they do with people they know. This adds to the motivation greatly. Still, there are a number of negative sides to consider. First of all, the friendship relations can bother pointing to some mistakes in order not to offend. Furthermore, the personal quarrel can be transferred to the working environment and can be negatively reflected on the results.
Working with this dynamic in mind, the productivity of work may be influenced both negatively and positively, depending on the situation. First of all, the employees willingly go to the work with the anticipation to see people they like. On the other hand, the reluctance to hurt a friend by pointing to the mistake can reduce either the volume or the quality of the work performance.
The quarrels also negatively influence the work productivity as most people are unable to ignore personal feelings while work conduction and usually transfer them to the workplace. Relating to the situation with the learning team work at the University of Phoenix, the friendship dynamics is extremely important and effective, learning is communication and it is twice pleasant to communicate with people who have common interests and vision of life.
Western approach as the type of team dynamic
The example of the other team dynamic may be the one based on the Western approach. The main idea of this dynamic is that time is money and the work should be done quickly for saving time and shifting to the other work/project. The team work is based on the principle the quicker the work is done the higher financial profit is received (Jehn & Weigelt, 2004). Thus, this dynamic is not always work in appropriate way. The team often considers just the time reduction without dealing with the quality which should be on the highest level.
The importance of this dynamic at the workplace is that the work is done fast and the results may be seen almost immediately. This dynamic should be used for dealing with the work that requires less attention and qualified intrusion, however, should be done within the short period of time. When the employees work under constant pressure of deadlines, they have nothing to do but to submit to the necessity to be motivated by the time issue. The productivity of the work is influenced via the volume of the done work as the quicker the work is done the more tasks may be accomplished.
While learning at the University of Phoenix, this dynamic should be used when a group project should be completed within an hour. It is obligatory to work fast, still with the possibility to complete the task for the high grade. Students should remember that the offered motivation should not become the regular one, as the fast completion of projects cannot be of the highest quality, and the students’ task is to do the work carefully and without the mistakes.
Eastern approach to time as one of the dynamics
It is possible to use Eastern approach to time as one of the dynamics for the team work. The main idea of this motivation is that the time is of no importance. The work must be conducted with calmness and it should be “more detached and holistic, nonlinear, with a long-term focus” (Jehn & Weigelt, 2004, p. 109). Using this approach as the main propel for the task completion, the workers are to remember that they are to use all their thinking abilities and involve the “whole brain thinking” (Jehn & Weigelt, 2004, p. 109).
Considering the positive and negative sides of this dynamic, it is important to notice that the patience in doing some kind of work leads to the possession of higher knowledge. Using this idea on the workplace, the employees will be able to improve their professional skills and increase their competence in some question. This dynamic is crucial when the deadline can be extended or it does not influence the working process. Furthermore, this dynamics is mostly used when the scrupulous work must be done. The positive influence of this approach on the workplace is expressed via the high quality of productivity of the work done.
This team dynamic should be the most crucial for students while learning at the University of Phoenix as the high quality of the completed task is the main purpose of the education. Doing the tasks of the high quality, students are sure to possess some knowledge and be able to apply them in future profession.
In conclusion, team dynamics are the motivators for the employees to perform their work. The type of the team dynamics should depend on the main goals the company defines. If the main purpose of the company is to create the higher volume of products, the Western approach to motivation should be used. Otherwise, if the quality is important, the Eastern one should be implemented. The Friendship dynamics also has its specifics and it depends on the working process whether it should be utilized or not.
Reference list
Eckes, G. (2003). Six sigma team dynamics: the elusive key to project success. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Jehn, K. A. & Weigelt, K. (2004). Reflective versus Expedient Decision Making: Views from East and West. In S. J. Hoch, H. C. Kunreuther, & R. E. Gunther (Eds.), Wharton on Making Decisions (pp. 103-114). New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Problem Solving-Based Scenarios: An Approach to Identify Opportunities to Create Value for the Business.