Q1 a) Answer
There are various ways to which I determine the size of the team. Firstly, I consider the workload to be handled by the team. If the workload of the task is very heavy, then I decide to choose a big team that will ensure that all workload is matched. It is a good way of ensuring that the workload does not strain the available resources. If the workload is very little, then I consider choosing a small team to execute the work.
On the other hand, I also consider the urgency of the work to be executed in determining the size of the team to choose. When the work to be executed is very urgent, I consider choosing a big team to ensure that each member participates actively thus ensuring faster completion of the work within the timeframe provided. However, if the work is not urgent, I consider choosing a small team which can handle the task within the duration given.
Q1 b Answer
Like any other organizations, there are various team conflicts that occur in the warehouse. The most common conflict that occurs in the organization is mistrust. Some of the members feel better than others hence think that their ideas are the best. They have a belief that the other members of the team cannot do without them. In so doing, they develop an attitude of not trusting the work or the ideas of the other members since they feel superior to them. It is a very serious issue that affects the relationships among the members of the team hence reducing the pace of duty completion.
The team leaders should foster organizing social forums through which the members of the organization share meaning and socialize. In so doing, the leaders will enhance good personal interrelationships among the members thus encouraging them to develop a spirit of trusting each other in performing activities of the organization in their teams.
Finally, fight over positions or opinions are another key type of conflict that is taking place in the organization. There are those members of the team who feel that they are superior hence, should lead the others. However, in teamwork the most appropriate leader with enough knowledge, skill and competence leads the other members. When this happens, the members who feel superior will always go against the decision of the competent leaders since they which to be in such positions. This causes trouble in the team thus fostering conflicts among some members of the team.
Besides, decision making in teams is very difficult since each member is keen in offering ideas. In such circumstances, there arises a conflict of opinions where some members of the team feel that their ideas better than those of the others. It is thus important for the members to have a sound mind when making decisions. They should avoid rigid in decision making rather they should be dynamic in whatever they are deciding. Also, members need to develop a spirit of listening to the opinions of the others then react afterward. This builds a team culture that allows each member to present his or her opinions without any difficult. Nonetheless, it creates a conducive environment through which members can come up with the best decisions for the team.
Q1 c Answer
It does not take longer to complete tasks in a team environment. The team involves members with different talents. This is to mean that such people can deal with the areas where they are talented in thus enhancing faster completion of the tasks than a lone ranger. Besides, working in teams assist an organization in handling problems very fast than when an individual is handling them thus encouraging faster completion of the tasks. However, it is important to understand that decision making when using teams. This is because the members of the team take much time arguing the opinions suggested by the members of the team hence delaying task completion. This does not make working in teams a slow process as compared to working individually.
Q1 d Answer
I do not have resistors to team work because I consider it efficient and it motivates me to handle the tasks positively thus able to attain the goals of the organization.
Q2 Answer
Besides, the teams of the organizations are also faced by personality clashes that occur due to personal differences among the employees of the team in the organization. Some members of a team are trouble makers to others for no apparent reasons. When a trouble maker crosses ways of the others, personal differences develop that lead to a conflict among the involved members (Eunson, 2007). Such conflicts in the organization lead to hatred and affect the abilities of team members affected. The best way through which the team leaders can overcome this issue is by encouraging the members to have respect for each other when performing their jobs. The leaders should also make the leaders understand that personal differences should not take a course in teamwork rather they should be directed to other avenues.
Teamwork is an efficient way of doing work in an organization. Teamwork enhances personal interrelationship thus fostering efficiency in communication. Efficient communication and collaboration among the members of the organization are vital in promoting success in an organization. Proper communication motivates the employees thus assisting them to have a sense of direction through which they work together towards a common goal. In so doing, the members of the organization can enhance their productivity hence improved organizational performance.
Besides teamwork plays a great role in enhancing improved problem solving within an organization. The team consists various people with varied knowledge and skills. This is to mean that in the emergence of any problem in the organization each member of the team possesses his or her ideas on what she or he thinks would be the best solution to the problem. The team lists down each member solutions hence discuss and compare them hence make a concrete solution from the ideas provided. This is different from individual solving a problem because his or her ideas may not give a concrete solution to the problem (Gregory, 2013).
Furthermore, teamwork in executing the activities of the organization promotes efficiency due to the existence of diverse skills. Members of the team have a varied number of skills implying that each member is talented in his or her way. This means that each member takes the initiative of offering a solution on the areas where he or she has strengths. As a result, the organization can receive better solutions that play a great role in promoting productivity of the organization.
Lack of proper communication among the employees is one key challenge that it’s facing the warehouse leadership. Communication plays a great role in any organization in enhancing the efficiency of operation. It is evident that there is the lack of clear communication taking place in the warehouse. Many things happen without every employee having knowledge of what is taking place. The leaders have centralized communication thus doing things without involving the other employees. For instance, the leaders make decisions without involving the other stakeholders to provide their views concerning the decisions. This is a very big issue that is facing the organization, and it is affecting its efficiency.
There has been a misunderstanding existing between the employees and the management regarding the performance of duties and responsibilities thus triggering organizational conflicts. The leaders of the organization need the employees to carry out their duties perfectly, yet the employees lack enough information to enable them to execute their duties. In fact, the employees feel neglected by the management and their morale has gone down something that is affecting their productivity in their duties. If things do not change, then it will reach a time whereby the employees will fail to execute their duties since they lack the information to guide them in executing the duties.
Management needs results, but it does not communicate the goals of the organization well as required. This is affecting hurting his operations of the organization something that will eventually lead to riots in the organization. Besides, this is a lot of resistivity by the employees toward their leaders when imposing change since the employees feel that they are not involved in the decision making. In fact, the employees are not ready anymore to accept the changes taking place in the organization (Fitzgerald, 2002).
The best way to which the leaders of the warehouse can enhance effective communication in the organization is by considering employees in all the decisions they make. It is vital for the organization to encourage the spirit of participation by all members in the decision-making process. This means that the leaders need to consider involving representatives of the employees to participate in the decision-making process. It is a good way of encouraging the employees to provide their points of view concerning the operations of the organization. In so doing, the employees will feel recognized by the management of the organization thus able to support any changes that take place in the organization. It is a motivation that will open the hearts all the members of the organization thus encouraging the spirit of leadership that will allow following of information between the leaders and the employees. In so doing, the management will enhance communication efficiency that will encourage the members to work towards attaining the goals of the organization.
Q3 Answer
ICT integrating is a change that is taking place in the warehouse now. The organization focuses on changing its systems from manual to digital form to foster efficiency. The existing manual systems are inefficient in that they waste a lot of time, and they have become tedious to handle lots of data in papers. The management of the organization feels that by integrating ICT into its systems will increase the speed of serving clients as well as reducing time wasted during handling data manually. Besides, adoption of information and communication technology in the warehouse will play a great role in enhancing communication.
There are various ways through which the management will manage the change in the organization. The first step will involve involving the all the employees to take part in decision making regarding the change. The employees need to understand why the organization needs the change. Besides, they need to offer ideas’ regarding what they think is best for the change. In so doing, this will prepare the employees psychologically that enhancing the acceptability of the change in the organization (Tuominen, 2000).
Besides, there is a need for proper communication of the change and its objectives to all the stakeholders who will implement the change. Besides, it is good for the management to communicate the plan to execute the change. This will play a great role in helping all the members to have a clear understanding of what is required in implementing the change that is motivating them to focus on attaining the plans of the change in the organization. Communication acts a guide and also as a motivation towards fostering efficiency in change implementation.
Furthermore, proper training is another factor of helping the management to manage the change. Any change in the organization requires new knowledge and skills. Thus, the management needs to take the initiative to offer to train to the employees regarding how to use the new technologies in performing their duties in the organization. It is a good move of helping the employees to reduce errors in handling the systems thus promoting efficiency (Pugh, 2009).
Nonetheless, the management should consider offering a close supervision to the employees implementing the change to avoid mistakes. This is to mean that the management should be ready to give directions and guide the employees in implementing the change. This will also assist the management in determining the areas of difficulties thus able to offer solution early in advance before the entire implementation process is affected negatively by the mistakes taking place in its early stages (Tuominen, 2000).
Finally, it is important for the management to focus on foster control and evaluation so as to manage the change. Control is very important in assisting the management in assessing the progress of the change implementation. Through control, it becomes easier to determine the level to which the plans are have been executed as well as determining any issues that may affect the implementation of the change. In so doing, the management can make take the necessary cause of action to ensure that all is well. Finally, it is vital for the management to foster conducting an evaluation of the change continuously and at the end of its implementation. In so doing, the management will stand a chance to develop other alternatives to improve the change.
Q4 Answer
Groups handle those tasks that appear to be general within the organization. An outstanding example such tasks I like project work which requires different specializations in common. Project work requires different people with varied skills and specialization to complete the work. For instance, in road construction project, there is a need for designers, engineers, human resource management and accountants among others. Each group focuses on completing its tasks thus ensuring overall completion of the overall project.
On the other hand, individuals handle those tasks that appear to be very specific in nature. These are those tasks that would require expertise or special talents which are very rare. For example, programming does not need a group of individuals because the task requires special treatment which can be handled by an individual rather than a group.
References
Eunson, B. (2007). Conflict management. Milton, Qld.: Wiley.
Fitzgerald, S. P. (2002). Decision making. Oxford, U.K.: Capstone Pub.
Gregory, H. (2013). Teamwork. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.
Pugh, D. S. (2009). Change management. Los Angeles: Sage.
Tuominen, K. (2000). Managing change: Practical strategies for competitive advantage. Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Quality Press.
