Business teamwork PDF

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Organisational behaviour and health practice essay at a 2:1 level...

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Advantages and disadvantages of teamwork OBH literature has seen a surge of appreciation of teamwork, which describes the interactions between group members who share common goals and interact socially to demonstrate task interdependencies while managing and maintaining boundaries. However, while there are numerous advantages to working in teams (e.g., better performance outcomes and affective reactions), despite problems with conceptualisations of outcomes due to the development of performance composites, there are also important disadvantages to consider (e.g., workplace conflict) Mathieu, 2008). Thus, the following essay is to describe the advantages and disadvantages of teamwork and whether the benefits outweigh the costs. Predominantly, previous research has focused on team dynamics, as well as the antecedents and mediating influences of teams, with a lesser systematic focus on team outcomes, such as performance outcomes. Nonetheless, there is extensive literature to demonstrate that teamwork can be beneficial in their usefulness to the organisation by increasing organisational-level and team-level performance (Mathieu, 2008). Concerning organisational-level performance, research has shown that the presence of communication and cohesion can result in an increase in organisational profitability and financial ratios (Barrick, Bradley, KristofBrown & Colbert, 2007; Bunderson & Sutcliffe, 2002), as well as produce better organisational-level performance data (Srivastava, Bartol & Locke, 2006). However, there remains a need for better models to demonstrate how lower-level team outcomes, rather than top-management teams, create better organisational benefits (Mathieu, 2008). Not only does teamwork improve organisational performance but also team performance behaviours and outcomes. Concerning team performance behaviours, teams characterised by cohesion can increase team process improvements, learning behaviours (e.g., sharing information, asking for help, experimentation) Edmonson, 1999) and cognitive task performance, which can i. For instance, in a study measuring team process improvements via feedback-seeking, error discussions and experimentation, it was demonstrated that this improves a teams ability to adapt and improve (Kirkman, Rosen, Tesluk & Gibson, 2004). Meanwhile, Edmonson (1999) demonstrated that learning behaviours mediated the relationship between psychological safety and team performance (customer satisfaction) and Jehn and Shah (1997) demonstrated that cognitive task performance led to an increase in cooperation, information sharing, planning, task monitoring and critical evaluations. Other team performance outcomes that can result from teamwork include better supervisor ratings of accuracy and quality of work (Langfred, 2000; Tesluk & Mathieu, 1999), satisfaction with team service (Kirkman, Tang & West, 2004; Mathieu et al. 2006; Gilson & Ruddy, 2006), innovativeness (Tjosvold, Tang & West, 2004) indicating better performance and effectiveness. Furthermore, research has further demonstrated that teams characterised by high levels of competence for carrying out work tasks are more likely to demonstrate better role-based performance outcomes (e.g., improved job, career, innovator, team and organisational roles) Chen & Klimoski, 2003; Mathieu, 2008; Welbourne, Johnson & Erez, 1998). Therefore, with regards to performance, teamwork is advantageous. Teamwork is further advantageous to members affect, in which the more effective and empowered a team is, the more it promotes an increase in team, job and organisational satisfaction, as well as team and organisational commitment (Janz, Colquitt & Noe, 1997; Kirkman & Rosen, 1999). Furthermore, by increase affective outcomes within employees this can also promote physical (e.g., fewer psychosomatic complains, headaches, dizziness) and mental health (e.g., reduced anxiety, burnout, depression) Faragher, Cass & Cooper, 2005; Siu, 2002). Furthermore, while team viability holds a generic term, the basis of this construct refers to a groups sense of collective membership and their level of desire to remain part of the team. In this case, it is unsurprisingly related to affective outcomes, such as satisfaction and commitment. For instance, one meta-analysis demonstrated that group satisfaction, team commitment, cohesion and team climate were important

predictors of one’s self-reported viability, which can in turn benefit team performance (Balkundi & Harrison, 2006). While studies involving supervisor rating may suggest otherwise due to the lack of discriminant validity found between affective and viability outcomes and team performance (Stewart & Barrick, 2000; Barrick et al., 2007), this may merely represent a ‘halo effect’ (Mathieu, 2007). Team work engagement - distinct from IWE - Positive energy and motivational state - Emotional contagion - Emergent states - team effectiveness Disavantage = workplace conflict - outweight benefits? No - people can work well in conflict occasionally...