Introduction
QPR Company is an international business organization that deals in electronics and groceries. The firm has various stores located in different cities and towns in over 30 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South, and Central America. In the past decade, the corporation has been one of the best retail companies having the largest market share in the industry. Its performance was contributed to by the nature of leadership and customer satisfaction. However, in the recent past, the organization is making significant losses following poor management of its resources. The key factor facilitating the rapid underperformance is the unstructured teamwork dynamic and lack of workers’ morale to undertake their respective roles in the firm. Developing effective teamwork in an organization is a recipe for successful business performance, therefore, leaders should develop appropriate strategies to enhance the culture of collaboration.
Teamwork
In the current business setting, having a culture of collaboration where employees with different sets of competencies come together and work towards the organization’s objective enhances the productivity of the firm. A team is generally a group of workers organized to perform given responsibilities collectively in a cooperative manner. It consists of various aspects such as mutual and individual accountability, common purpose, specific goals, commitment to work, and complementary skills. Moreover, the group has elements of shared leadership and makes relevant decisions as a team. Working in a team enhances the creativity of participants due to constant interaction with colleagues with unique and special abilities. When employees are encouraged to work as a team, their work morale is increased thus they give the best effort on their respective responsibility. The aspect of self-confidence as a result of team collaboration allows workers to complete the tasks within the shortest time.
In addition, the culture of collaboration promotes effective employee relationships which are essential for the well-being of the workers. When staff members have a good rapport with each other in the department, they develop a sense of belonging making them feel comfortable and thus go to work consistently. Furthermore, the ease of solving emerging problems increases due to the array of skills and knowledge from the diverse group. The feedback from various team members provides a significant opportunity for the employees to improve their capabilities and enhance promoting their overall performance.
Types of Teamwork
There are various types of teamwork approaches that business leaders can opt for depending on the need and nature of the work intended to be performed by the given group. Each category has its values that make its application unique and appropriate for the different operations within the departments. They include self-managed teams, cross-functional, project teams, functional groups, and troubleshooting teams. It is upon the managers to decide and pick the appropriate teams to enhance productivity.
Self-Managed Teams
Based on the context of self-managed teams, employees of the QPR organization will work together to accomplish the company’s objectives. In this type of teamwork, workers do not require the same mode of supervision on the responsibilities they undertake (Manhal and Yacoob). In other words, the groups are independent and may have their respective supervisor to oversee the given sub-team. This kind of collaboration allows the company manager to determine and evaluate the commitment of all staff members, therefore, providing proper feedback on the respective team and individual performance. Moreover, the teams are accustomed to sharing roles and leadership to ensure they attain the set common goals. The style is useful in nurturing recruits because it allows all members to be involved in the key functions of the business organization. The approach is applicable in the various departments of the company such as the marketing, sales, and finance that operate separately however the main focus is aligned to the firm’s objective. For instance, assuming the marketing division wants to increase the awareness of the new electronic system in the QPR stores, the collaboration of members in finding a different solution will make it succeed.
The Cross-Functional Teams
The cross-functional teams consist of group members from different organization’s departments such as the sales, finance, marketing, compliance, research, and development. Leaders should adopt this type of teamwork in projects and specific jobs that require varying levels of expertise. Different expertise offers diverse perspectives necessary to enhance the efficiency of the tasks being performed. In order to promote the effectiveness of the cross-functional group, managers should value the aspect of communication to develop proper understanding among participants. To facilitate the productivity of all members of the group, supervisors should delegate duties based on the skills and competencies of the respective individual (Sangeetha and Kumaran 47). For instance, if QPR wants to develop a new product brand, the management should create a cross-functional crew that encompasses members from all the departments of the organization. Members will then examine their respective departments to determine the appropriate way to develop the new product.
Project Teams
This category of teamwork is composed of members who are tasked to work on a given company project. The participants are selected from various departments of the business organization. During the selection, their abilities to perform the intended task are a key consideration to be part of the team. To enhance the efficiency and productivity of the individuals, it is necessary to have project leaders guide and supervise the undertaking and contribution of members to the program (Ibraimova et al.). Furthermore, the supervisors should assign the employees their respective roles to ensure there is no confusion on what each person should be doing. For instance, in case QPR intends to create a promotional website, members from the marketing and information technology department should collaborate to develop an appropriate webpage with relevant information.
The Functional Teams
This type of teamwork consists of members that work within the same department of the business organization. Managers can create functional teams in finance, sales, or marketing divisions. The group members generally share various responsibilities with other colleagues. In other words, each person in the group has some unique roles to play to meet the common goal of the department. Leaders are responsible for assigning the members respective tasks and then overseeing how the employees perform them (Bisbey and Salas). Moreover, the supervisors are in charge of solving possible issues that might affect the team’s cooperation. When there is a problem in the team, workers report directly to the head of the group to find a relevant solution. To manage functional teams effectively, leaders should cultivate a culture of proper communication to facilitate understanding amongst the participants. For instance, when the QPR management wants to enhance brand awareness, they should establish a functional team in the marketing department to examine and evaluate the best campaign suitable for increasing the position of the product. Such a group is essential because members have adequate understanding and information needed to execute the advertisement.
Troubleshooting Teams
In most cases, companies are faced with a number of complex situations that require solutions. The QPR management must have a functional troubleshooting team to assist in finding answers to challenging scenarios. To enhance the operational processes of the business organization, leaders must ensure they form competent groups that consist of diverse individuals to create a wider perspective when handling various conditions (Kerrissey et al. 71). To maintain effective outcomes from the teams, supervisors should promote communication to enable the group to identify underlying problems in the firm.
Composition of Teamwork
Business leaders should understand how to create effective and reliable teams. In most cases, proper teamwork is achieved when the group is made of about 5-20 active members. Managers should ensure the team limit should not exceed 20 employees. The number will allow each worker to participate and contribute to the set common goals. However, when the group is large, the respective leader should develop sub-teams having representative supervisors among the members. A small-sized group is easier to coordinate and workers will have a better chance to interact with one another hence developing a positive atmosphere required for collaboration.
Generally, teamwork is aimed at achieving a common goal whereby all the group members dedicate their skills, knowledge, and effort towards the given project. For instance, if QPR wants to increase sales by 15% in 10 months, the department manager will ensure the team is well equipped and ready to perform their respective roles to improve sales. The same case is applicable when the firm intends to launch a new product in the market, various divisions will collaborate to ensure they accomplish the requirement within the specified time frame. Other objectives of cooperation include enhancing customers’ satisfaction by 90% and increasing external funding to the company by about 30%.
It is the responsibility of each team to organize and standardize how it operates within the organization. The leaders in agreement with members may opt to develop some guiding principles to direct the team’s activities. In most cases, they are arranged based on the intended goals it is expected to attain. Therefore, it implies that each team might function differently from the others within the same organization. For instance, the marketing group’s teamwork structure can be different from the information technology group.
Teamwork Issues
Generally, working with teams may lead to several teamwork issues that might hinder the performance of the given group. It is necessary for the managers to be able to identify possible problems that are likely to occur when staff members are working together in an organization. By understanding how properly resolve the challenges, the QPR leaders will be able to enhance the overall morale of teams hence becoming more productive and efficient in their respective operations. Some of the issues include reduced productivity, increased workload, more operation time, considerable effort, workplace bullying, and reduced engagement.
Reduced Productivity
The productivity of a group in the business organization is significantly influenced by the level of cooperation that exists between the employees. When the workers believe in one another, they can easily seek assistance from other colleagues which is essential in enhancing the knowledge and skills within the team. Such a situation allows the members to tackle possible challenges in an efficient way (Morrison-Smith and Ruiz 22). It is important for the business leaders to create a working culture that promotes the development of teamwork amongst the participants. Without such coordination, staff members would not be able to acquire necessary help hence limiting their creativeness necessary to enhance productivity.
Increased Workload
Working together in a group can easily result in the aspect of a free ride where some team members boycott performing their responsibilities leaving the burden to the competent employees. Increased workload is common in cases where the leaders fail to organize the groups by assigning the respective worker their roles and expected outcomes. Sometimes feeling isolated contributes to reduced involvement especially when the team goals fail to take into consideration the individual development of employees. It is fundamental for managers to counter the situation in order to enhance the commitment of such persons in the group to relieve others from other duties.
Increased Operation Time
To effectively perform the task, team members should be informed accordingly what the organization expects from them. This will create awareness and thus employees prepare adequately to deliver the best service as per the expectations within the time frame. Team supervisors should communicate the details before the assignments and follow to confirm whether the team is undertaking the right tasks as per the schedule (Sailer et al.). Furthermore, leaders should use writing to note the expectations to enable workers to refer in case they are unsure of what to undertake. This approach will enable the employees to work within the stipulated period.
Increased Effort and Workplace Bullying
Some projects require team members from different departments having diverse expertise. During delegating duties, if the manager ignores determining the background of each team participant, the likelihood of assigning responsibilities to workers having unmatched skills can be high. When workers do not have the relevant capabilities to undertake duties, they use more effort to accomplish their jobs which can lead to poor performance. Similarly, some workers may undermine their colleagues depending on the work skills they possess. The workplace bullying is common in scenarios whereby employees opt to force the person having adequate knowledge to perform the duties. The approach reduces the cooperation of team members making them uncomfortable working in such group. For instance, in cross-functional collaboration, employees from technical departments such as information technology are most likely to do more work. The diagram in figure 1 below depicts a situation where workers watch their colleagues struggle with the computer system.
Reduced Professionalism
Normally, when workers feel connected to the project they are undertaking, their proficiency increases leading to positive results. However, in situations where employees fail to be compatible with the work, their overall focus shifts, and the professionalism norms decline. Such changes may lead to a reduction in productivity. To avoid competence issues, leaders should consistently communicate the significance of workers’ involvement in the project to improve their understanding of how their contribution matters to the team.
Recommendations for Teamwork Issues
Breaking the Barrier
The organization management has a critical role to play in influencing the teamwork dynamics of the company. Team leaders should various approaches such as issuing necessary resources and offering required training that might be helpful to workers in order to enhance their cooperation. When opting to provide such incentives, the team leader should plan prior and identify relevant educations that match the skills to avoid possible conflict within the groups. Incorporating such techniques is essential in promoting teamwork because it enables team members to feel free and open to other colleagues. Despite the effort to effect such practices, managers encounter challenges such as limited resources to cater to skills development.
Applying Effective Communication
Communication plays a central part in the development of effective and active teams. When there is open communication, the ease of collaboration increases since members will be able to understand all the instructions accordingly. Therefore, business leaders should ensure they cultivate a culture of open communication to enable workers to share their views concerning the challenges and progress of the group (Shitu et al. 122). To enhance proper communication within the teams, managers should employ the use of weekly meetings to recap the issues that happened on the previous days. The approach is significant because it reduces confusion and facilitates self-confidence amongst employees. The possible challenge associated with the technique is the impacts opinionated employees will have on the quitter workers.
Clear Definition of Responsibilities
In most cases, confusion occurs in teams lowering cooperation due to misunderstanding on who to perform what role. To avoid such issues, business leaders should formulate a clear structure that shows team members their specific responsibilities in the group. Applying the approach will enable managers to overcome possible conflicts that might happen following the lack of clarity. Generally, when group members comprehend their functions, they have the potential to improve the necessary skills to enable them to become more productive. This information is important since it allows team participants to manage their time and increase creativity. The key issue that might hinder the technique poor communication by supervisors which makes it challenging for workers to understand what is expected from them.
Knowing the Team
The team development stage is a crucial stage that leaders should embrace to make effective groups. When managers interact with employees during the early phases of creating a team, it becomes easier for them to detect possible issues workers may face when undertaking the company projects (Bisbey and Salas). The approach is essential in enabling team members to effectively understand the norms and beliefs of their colleagues, therefore, establishing a sense of belonging which is vital in enhancing the relationship between team members. The challenge associated with knowing the team is that in the initial stages some workers may fail to reveal their true traits making them less understood.
Morale and Teamwork
Effective teamwork is a recipe for group morale which enhances the participation of team members in achieving the set goals. When employees can connect in all aspects of their operations, their level of creativity increases. By collaborating, workers will be able to provide relevant support to each other thus enhancing their productivity (Obiekwe and Eke 5). In addition, proper team cooperation promotes trust and respect making employees to be more reliable in their activities. These will in turn improve the performance of the business organization since the company objectives will be met accordingly. For the QPR to address the issues surrounding workers’ collaboration, it will require approximately $20,000 to facilitate the training of leaders on how to manage teams effectively in about 12 months. It is the duty of departmental managers of QPR organizations to ensure all the recommendations are properly implemented to restore the company’s performance.
Conclusion
Teamwork is an important aspect of leadership that enables a business organization to perform effectively. It is upon managers to ensure they create and nurture a positive working environment that supports employees’ collaboration. There are different types of teams leaders may choose depending on the nature of the organization’s project such as functional, cross-functional, and troubleshooting teams. However, despite the significance of teams in companies, there are various issues associated with them that have the potential of hindering productivity. Leaders should be able to formulate appropriate measures such as effective communication to enhance teamwork dynamics.
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