I would choose to work with a cross-functional team. Cross-functional teams are composed of people with different skills, but all cooperate to realize a common goal (Krajewski and Ritzman, 2005). My choice is based on various aspects. A cross-functional team allows individuals to contribute to the task at hand in creative ways which can enhance the results. This group setting would allow me to offer alternative viewpoints to the issue and possible solutions to the tasks. Additionally, I believe the cross-functional team would enhance competitiveness and improve innovation through creative collaborations processes. A cross-functional team is unidirectional since decision-making flows in different directions. The members of this group are self-directed and do not think in a particular line. There is a high level of interaction in a cross-functional group which improves solidarity and expansion of informal networks (Frost, 2015). Hence, I think my perspectives would be considered and embraced to solve the problem.
A cross-functional team also brings a great scope of information to the task and allows knowledge sharing (Frost, 2015). This aspect would improve access to information from different departments which enhances productivity. When working in a cross-functional team, I believe there would be system integration which brings in a breath of knowledge. Additionally, there would be efficiency in handling tasks and less time would be used to collect information. Tactical decision making which is an aspect of a cross-functional team would ensure my team makes the right choices regarding product development. In a cross-transactional team, I would not have simple time interpreting statistics and concealing intricate statistical procedures. Organizations have embraced cross-functional teams to avoid structured decision-making (Leybourn, 2013). Thus, this approach would allow more flexible decision-making in my team. Evidently, I would benefit a lot from a cross-functional team since it is composed of different professionals with varying knowledge but all working to realize a common goal.
References
Frost, A. (2015). Cross functional project teams. Retrieved September 8, 2016, from http://www.knowledge-management-tools.net/project-teams.html
Krajewski, L. J., & Ritzman, L. P. (2005). Operations management: Processes and value chains (8th ed.). United States: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Leybourn, E. (2013). Directing the agile Organisation: A Lean Approach to business management. London, United Kingdom: IT Governance Publishing.
