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How can diversity effect individual behavior in a team
Essays on cultural and diverse teams
Essays on cultural and diverse teams
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Groups are defined as two or more people who work regularly with one another to achieve common goals (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2005, Chapter 9). For a group to become a high-performance team, the team needs to be able to use their collective skills and behaviors to become an efficient model working towards a common goal. Having a common goal will make each team member accountable for the success and failure of the team. Since each team member is accountable to the team, each member's behavior will have an effect on the team. Cultural diversity and demographic characteristics affect an individual's behavior. Behavior caused by diversity and demographic characteristics will be a determining factor whether or not a group can be a high-performance team. Types of Teams The first step in creating a high-performance team is to determine what type of team is appropriate for a given situation. There are three major types of workgroup teams: teams that recommend things, teams that make or do things, and teams that run things (Schermerhorn et al., 2005, Chapter 10). Recommendation teams typically are quick moving teams that analyze a problem created by another type of team, look at that problem from a different perspective and make a recommendation for solving the problem created by the other types of teams. Because this type of team is normally temporary the group must be able to quickly overcome their individual differences to make a good recommendation to other types of groups (Schermerhorn et al., 2005, Chapter 10). Production teams are teams that run things and will be long-term groups that are tasked with a constant goal. Members of this team must have a long-term relationship, a solid foundation of operations, and external support to maintain a high-level of performance over a long period (Schermerhorn et al., 2005, Chapter 10). This type of team is affected by a daily requirement for high output and efficiency. Management teams are teams that run things and are tasked with the responsibility of leading and coordinating the other types of groups. This type of team will take ideas from the recommendation teams or suggestions from production teams and make a decision whether these will have a positive effect on an organization.
There are four most common forms of teams you are likely to find in an organization. The first type of team is the problem solving teams, this team will meet each other every week to discuss on how they will improve work process and their methodology. They will create a very innovative solution but they will still keep looking for a problem to go with it. The second type of teams is the self-managed teams, composed of 10-15 employees who perform highly related on interdependent jobs and take on many responsibilities of their former supervisors. This team leads to a system where there is a mutual responsibility among the members. Self-managed teams’ responsibilities include collective control over the pace of work, determination of work assignments, Organization of breaks and collective choice of inspection procedures used. Self-managed teams select their own members, and the members evaluate each other’s performance.
“The team is faced with creating cohesion and unity, differentiating roles, identifying expectations for members, and enhancing commitment. Providing supportive feedback and fostering commitment to a vision are needed from the team leaders (Developing Management Skills).” ... ... middle of paper ... ...
Teams are groups of people who work together to achieve a common goal (Learning Team Handbook, p 310). Workplace teams are increasing as businesses find the yield of team productivity and creativity exceeds individual productivity/creativity. To promulgate productive teams, businesses have had to identify common threads for successful teams. Businesses have identified the dynamics and needs of successful teams.
High performing teams prioritize the teams objectives and goals over that of the individual and they become more results oriented. “Our job is to make the results that we need to achieve so clear to everyone in this room that no one would even consider doing something purely to enhance his or her individual status or ego. Because that would diminish our ability to achieve our collective goals. We would all lose.” (Lencioni, 2002).
Demographic diversity is necessary for a team to be successful. A high performance team not only has these demographics present within the make-up of the team members, but a high performance team also has the ability to take these distinct characteristics and use these differences for the team's benefit. Each member from a differing demographic characteristic possesses a unique view on various issues. These assorted viewpoints, moral values and beliefs are what help the team broaden their vision and help produce a better result. Creating a team with diverse backgrounds is only the first step to creating a high performance team. If the team's members are not willing to accept differing viewpoints and opinions, than the team is likely to fail.
Larson, C. and LaFasto, F. (1989), Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong. Newberry Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
A group can be define as ‘any number of people who (1) interact with one another; (2) are psychologically aware of one another and (3) perceive themselves to be a group’ (Mullins, L, 2007, p.299). Certain task can only be performed by combined effort of a group. Organisation can use groups to carry out projects, which will help to achieve its overall aim. However, for the group to be successful they must understand what is expected of them and have the right skill to complete the task. . (Mullins, L, 2006)
We will explore what it takes for a working group to become a high performance team. We will see how these teams are formed and how a high performance team could benefit a company and we will see how demographics and cultural diversity affect them. High performance teams are teams that get together for a specific important task. It is important for everyone that is apart of the high performance team to have the same purpose and or goals. If the teammates have different goals or motives then it can make it difficult for the team to be effective. Everyone who is participating with the team should trust or learn to trust each other. Along with trust, which may be even more important, is respect. Respect is such an important aspect in any type of team, especially a high performance team. If all of the members in the high performance team trust and respect one another, it makes it easier to achieve success.
Similar to understanding the context of the team, to effectively manage and understand the composition of the team it is important for the team and its members to answer the following questions: “(1) to what extent do individual team members have the technical skills required to complete the task?; (2) to what extent do they have the interpersonal and communication skills required to coordinate their work with others?; (3) to what extent are individual team members committed to the team and motivated to complete the task?; and (4) is the team the right size to successfully complete the task?” (Dyer & Dyer,
To start off on the right path, the team must understand what they are working towards. They must be committed to work hard in order to accomplish their goals. Each member should have expectations from everyone and themselves as part of the team.
There are four different types of teams. These teams are problem-solving teams, self-managed work teams, cross-functional teams, and virtual teams. Problem-solving teams work together to help find methods to improve the work environment or have suggestions to increase employee’s morale. Self-managed work teams organize the responsibilities of the employee’s such as assigning tasks to individuals, scheduling conflicts, and evaluate employee performances. Cross-functional teams are individuals whom all have experience in the same work field. The individuals come together as a team to incorporate their thoughts, designs, and new ideas to accomplish what the company needs to improve or create. Virtual teams are individuals that work together, but only by technology such as the internet, emails, or web cam.
Organizations use teamwork because it increases productivity. This concept was used in corporations as early as the 1920s, but it has become increasingly important in recent years as employ...
Many businesses place an emphasis on the importance of teamwork. A good team consists of people with different skills, abilities and characters. A successful team is able to blend these differences together to enable the organisation to achieve its desired objectives.
The components of a good team should be considered. First, a high-performance team must have strong core values to guide attitudes and behavior consistent with the team's purpose. The members should know why the team is created and why he or she is on the team. Secondly, a team should have specific performance objectives. Members should know exactly what they are trying to accomplish. This also includes having standards for measuring results and ways of obtaining performance feedback. A good team will make members realize the importance of collective efforts. Third, a high-performance team has the right mix of skills. These involve technical, interpersonal, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. No one needs to know how to do it all, but each member should be able to contribute to the group....
Realizing that a group can become a high performance team is important. Accomplishing this goal is invaluable, advantageous and profitable. Once able to operate from a group to the high performing team is a great step into preparation into the big business world. Leaders and members must also realize not only how to accomplish this but that some problems will and can arise from different demographic characteristics and cultural diversity. That is if one is in such a group, which the probability would be quite high.