Delivery of service
Work teams normally consist of individuals with similar values working together in a bid to achieve common goals. There are many benefits of a strong work team. One of the most valuable benefits of a strong work team is shared work load. Once a decision is made and the task is established, staff members can divide accountability for that task such that any one employee in the team is not overburdened by his or her personal responsibility for the whole task. Work team members can also support each other through both moral and functional support. Mutual understanding and team cooperation also boost employees’ commitment to their duties .
There are several problems associated with work team. Work teams are often based on division of duties among team members when performing tasks. Effective work team involvement and discussion generally prolongs the decision-making process and work. Another common problem associated with work teams is work team conflict. Personal and work-related conflicts may arise when an organization puts staff close together to work as a team. The closeness normally associated with work teams can intensify the degree of the conflict, hence greatly magnifying it than if staff members were working individually.
Work teams are appropriate when designing new products since it requires expertise from the manufacturing, marketing, and accounting and procurements departments. It would also be appropriate to use work teams when solving cross-functional problems since it would require a combination of diverse skill set. An individual’s role within the team is to perform the assignment that has been assigned to him or her in a bid to achieve the common task. Work teams make work easier for staff since large tasks are broken down to smaller assignments making them manageable. Therefore, work teams are beneficial to staff.
References
Beyerlein, M. M. (2005). Work teams: past, present, and future (illustrated ed.). Chicago: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Yeatts, D. E., & Hyten, C. (2007). High-performing self-managed work teams: a comparison of theory to practice (revised ed.). New York: SAGE.
