eamwork: Pros and Cons

Teamwork: Pros and Cons

There are several types of teams and reasons for forming them. There are academic teams, consisting of a group of students in a learning environment, whose purpose would be to reach a common goal such as a class project. Teams in the workplace could consist of a group of administrators or employees whose purpose could range from deciding on what type of food to serve at a company picnic, to laying out plans for better customer care. “Advantages of group work, as opposed to individual work, include producing a better end result, providing satisfaction for the individual and the organization, and assisting the organization through coordination and work allocation” (Marsh, 1988). Some things I’ve learned in the past about why we form teams are to help an individual understand different points of view on any given topic, to help prepare for a career where teamwork is essential, and learning to become a leader, as well as a follower.

Some economical and social benefits from forming teams, as stated by Kircshner and Van Bruggen (2004) in an article about virtual teams and the adult learner, “There are, among others, economical motivations such as bringing one learning module to a larger audience of learners, and pragmatic reasons such as achieving flexibility in time and space for learning, which is especially important for adult learners.” Another social benefit from working in teams is that you learn more about the personalities and work ethics of your peers.

“Disadvantages of group work include producing a poorer end result, producing eccentric behavior, developing pressure for change, becoming permanent, helping management evade responsibilities, and the time and energy needed to become efficient” (Marsh, 1988). Some problems I have ran into personally with virtual teams, like the ones here at the University of Phoenix on-line campus, are timing issues (i.