ABE Level 4 Diploma in Business Management

– Dynamic & Collaborative Teams (DCT)

ELEMENT/ CHAPTER 1 The nature of teams

Q. 1.1 Explain what teams are and how the nature of teams
has changed as the structure and nature of organisations have
changed in recent years

Background
• Essential component of organisational life

• Management of teams can have a positive or negative impact on organisational performance

• Individuals must work effectively in team structures

• However, effective teams don’t happen by accident

Henry Ford said

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

How does this quote relate to effective team working?

Activity 1(Paired activity): Self-interest versus team interest

Reflect on situations where you have worked with teams in the past. Can you think of any examples
where individuals have put the team’s interest before their own self-interest? Given your experience, can
teams ever be truly effective? Give reasons for your answer
The nature of teams in modern organisations
• There are a number of factors that lead to a team being successful that you need to understand:

– Nature of teams

– Different structures

– Challenging factors that impact the effectiveness of teams

• Identify areas where you can contribute

Differences between groups and teams

• A team is a group of people who are working together to achieve a common purpose where as a
group consists of people who depend on each other in order to complete a task or achieve a
goal

• For example -Cricket team, team for accomplishing a project; groups- trade unions, friendship
circles

• Teams are generally small, usually made up of four to six members who have been selected for a
specific purpose, whereas groups are larger and the membership is elective.

• The agenda of the team is “one for all and all for one”. The team members share information
and the responsibility of the team task. The team is always responsible for the outcome (i.e.
Result of the collective efforts of the team members).

• The team members have a mutual understanding with other members. They work jointly to
maximize the strengths and minimize the weakness by complementing each other.

• The most important feature of a team is “synergy” i.e. the co-operation between individuals or
teams produces an effect greater than if members worked individually or independently.

• Team work occurs when a group collaborates (acts together or joins forces with each other) to
achieve a result.

Activity 2: Team composition

Thinking about your own experience of working in teams and as part of a group, how would you

explain the differences between teams and groups?

The difference between group and team in the workplace can be drawn clearly on the following

grounds:

i.) There is only one head in a group. A team can have more than one head.

ii.) The group members do not share responsibility, but team members share the responsibility.
iii.) The group focuses on achieving the individual goals. Conversely, the team members focus on
achieving the team goals.

iv.) The group produces individual work products as opposed to the team who produces collective work
products.

v.) The process of a group is to discuss the problem, then decide and finally delegate the tasks to
individual members. On the other hand, a team discusses the problem, then decide the way of solving it
and finally do it collectively.

vi.) The group members are independent. Unlike a group, the team members are interdependent.

vii.) Groups are larger and the membership is elective while teams are generally small, usually made up
of four to six members who have been selected for a specific purpose.

Similarities between a group and a team

i.) Both have two or more than two persons.

ii.) In both, there is interaction of members.

iii.) In both, there is face to face relationship.

iv.) Both focus on the achievement of an objective.

v.) In both, there is a leader.

vi.) There is sharing of information and resources in both.

Characteristics of effective teams

• Size: Teams tend to be smaller than groups in size to ensure effective communication and co-
ordination of work. The smaller size of teams also supports team cohesion, to reduce the
likelihood of factions and infighting.

• Complementary roles: (complementary role- roles which completes or enhances the qualities of
other roles) Roles which result in members sharing common objectives, developing solutions to
the same problems and result in people interacting regularly, will help increase the cohesiveness
between the team members.

• Common purpose: A common purpose (having one objective as a team) is the glue that holds
the team together. It provides the direction that the team have committed to travel. Each team
member knows why work needs to be done, and this helps them to focus on the end goal.

• Interdependency: ( the degree to which the team members work together, rely on each other
and are affected by each other) For the purpose to be achieved, every team member will need
to deliver their work to the right standard. Sharing information and working to achieve success
for each other are part of a collaborative culture that helps make teams effective.
 • Collective responsibility: An effective team will be responsible as a whole for delivering team
objectives. All individuals within the team are responsible for the team decisions and actions as
a whole. This collective accountability increases personal responsibility to get it right, for the
team, and reduces fear of blame if things do go wrong.

• Sense of membership and contribution: Team spirit-feeling of loyalty and pride is developed
overtime. The sense of belonging and individuals feeling as if they are contributing to a bigger
purpose helps to develop morale, motivation and a united team front.

• Accountability: Accountability means each team member is willing to be answerable for his or
her actions and decisions. Individuals recognise that their choices have the power to support the
team’s success or contribute to the team’s failure.

The nature of teams

• Teams are an important feature of organisational life

• Team members work together and collaborate with other teams

• The purpose of teams is to meet the objectives of the organisation

• Both the manager and other team members affect:

– The effectiveness of team work

– Individual behaviour

– Quality of work

Organisational Structures
An Organisational structure is a diagram that show lines of authority in an organisation. It defines the
reporting relationships in a company: who works for who.

An organisational structure ensures that all employees know their role in the business and it determines
how activities such as supervision, duties or tasks and coordination of activities are undertaken to
achieve the organisational objectives.

Companies choose an organizational structure based on many factors, including their size, their
geographic dispersion, and the number of different products and services they offer.

Traditional structures
• Enable senior leadership to command and control the way tasks are managed

• Hierarchical organisational structure helps to ensure compliance to rules and required

behaviour that individuals are expected to follow.

Organisational structures in large organisations tend to represent the shape of a pyramid: senior

staff members are at the top while the broader base contains the vast majority of employees located at
the bottom.
Traditional organisational structures are designed to enable the senior leadership within the
organisation to command and control the way tasks are managed.

Examples of traditional structures include:

 Tall (hierarchical) structure

 Formal organisational structures
 Informal structure

Tall structure

A tall hierarchical) structure is an organisational structure which has a long chain of command and
narrow span of control.

The advantages/benefits of an organisation operating a tall (hierarchical) structure include:

i.) There is clear division of work between the various levels. Clear lines of authority mean that
duplication of effort is minimised. Therefore, there will be no conflict of roles in terms of who reports to
whom.

ii.) Uniformity of decision-making. Subordinates can easily consult their immediate managers to avoid
making mistakes. This is because subordinates are able to get personal assistance from managers.
Therefore, they will be efficient in their work.

iii.) There is clear promotion structure. It is clear who is next in line of leadership. Therefore, workers
are certain about the succession pathway.

iv.) It allows close supervision of employees. Managers can easily control what the subordinates are
doing. A hierarchical organisation structure helps to ensure that people keep to the rules and required
behaviours that individuals are expected to follow.

Therefore, subordinates will always be within track.

v.) A tall structure ensures that the top management is in control of the organisation. This is because a
narrow span of control is suitable/appropriate for situations where:

 There is complex work; so that the manager can give support to the subordinates.
 There are new members of staff; so that the manager can be able to carry out orientation easily.
 There are recently promoted employees; so that the manager can have sufficient time to train them.

The disadvantages/costs of an organisation operating a tall structure include:

(i) Tall structures often have communication problems in both ways; top-to-bottom and bottom-to-up
that leads to distortion of information. This is because of a long chain of command.

(ii) Decision-making tends to be slower. This is because tall structures tend to be bureaucratic (have
many levels of management). This leads to slow decision making and implementation; and makes an
organisation less responsive to change.

(iii)Career progression and promotion can seem very slow due to a long chain of command; and those
at the bottom may be discouraged.

(iv) Employees become less motivated. This is because workers will always be watched closely and
controlled. This demotivates them.

(v) It is a costly structure for an organisation. This is because of many levels of management.
Formal teams vs Informal teams
In an organisation, the formation of teams is very natural, whether it is created by the management for
the purpose of accomplishing the goals of the organisation or by the members of the organisations
themselves to fulfill their social needs.

Formal teams
Formal teams are teams created by the management of the organisation for performing a specific task.

 They are identified as part of the organisations design.

 The team possesses a systematic structure, in hierarchical form hence can be depicted on
organisation chart.
 They can be part of a division, department, section or formal project team.
 They are formed to deliver a particular task.

The following are the types of formal teams:

 Command teams: The teams that consist of managers and their subordinates.
 Committees: The teams of people who are appointed by an organisation, to resolve the matters,
referred to them. For example, Advisory Committee, Discipline Committee, etc.
 Task Forces: The teams formed to carry out a particular task.

Informal teams
The teams are created naturally, within the organisation, due to social and psychological forces. The
employees of the organisation, themselves enter into groups, without the approval of the management
to satisfy their social needs on the job.

People generally create a circle around themselves so that they can interact and share their feelings,
opinions, experiences, information, etc

• These are not part of the formal organisational structure

• They form due to special interests, talent specialisms, personal relationships, a shared hobby
likes, dislikes, prejudices, contacts, language etc

• Tend to be cross-functional whereby employees from different departments/ different expertise

work together as a team. Employees from IT, HR Marketing etc come together.

• Can have a powerful effect on the organisation due to influence of the members. This is because
the bond between the members of the group is quite strong, which can be seen when one of
the employees is kicked out of the job and all co-members of his/her team go on strike just to
support him/her.
Key Differences between Formal and Informal teams
The following are the differences between formal and informal teams:

i.) formal teams are always formed with an objective, but when an informal team is created, there is no
such kind of intention at all.

ii.) The formal teams are formed by the management of the organisation for accomplishing a specific
task. The informal teams are formed by the employees themselves as per their likes and prejudices.

iii.) The formal teams are deliberately created by the organisation, whereas the informal teams are
established voluntarily.

iv.) The formal teams are big in size as compared to an informal team. Moreover, there can be sub-
groups in a single formal team.

v.) The structure of a formal team is designed in a hierarchical manner while the informal

team lacks structure (has no structure).

vi.) In a formal team, the position of a member defines its importance in the team, but in an informal
team, every member is as important as any other member.

vii.) In a formal team, the relationship between the members is professional, they gather just to
accomplish the task allotted to them. On the other hand, in an informal team, there is a personal
relationship between members, they share their opinions, experiences, problems, information with each
other.

viii.) In a formal team, the flow of communication is restricted due to the unity of command. In contrast
to an informal team, the flow of communication stretches in all directions; there is no such restriction.

Modern organisational structures

Globalisation, a highly competitive market place and technological advances have changed the way
business is done.

In recent years, instead of the "tall" structure, with several layers of management and supervision, firms
have been changing to "flat" organisation structures.

Modern organisational structures have moved away from the traditional pyramid shape toward a flatter
hierarchy. As a result, there has been a tendency towards:

• Flatter hierarchy

• Matrix working resulting in less formal structures

• Cross-functional and multi-disciplinary working

Flat Structure
A flat structure is an organisation structure which has a short chain of command and wide

span of control.
Delayering (removing the layers of middle management) has been adopted. Thus, a flat organisational
structure means that a manager may have a higher number of direct reports.

The advantages/benefits of an organisation transforming from operating a traditional hierarchical

structure to a flat structure include:

i.) It tends to have fewer levels of management. This makes it potentially less costly as it has fewer
management levels hence helps to reduce salary costs.

ii.) It allows quicker decision-making and adaption to changing circumstances as employees have wider
job roles with more responsibility due to a short chain of command.

iii.) Short and quick ladder of promotion as there are a few levels up the ladder.

iv.) Communication is quicker and more accurate because of short chain of command. Moreover,
decisions are made by people who understand the situation.

v.) Higher levels of motivation amongst staff. This is because top managers are more in touch with
people below them (subordinates) which motivates workers.

Furthermore, span of control is wide which encourages managers to delegate duty. A better educated
and trained workforce means that employees could be given the opportunity to manage their own work
under less control. Less direct control of each worker makes them feel trusted, satisfied and motivated.

vi.) There is smaller risk of divergence between the objectives of one level and another. This is because
a short chain of command increases personal accountability and responsibility as individuals often have
to use their own initiative in making decisions because they have less supervision.

vii.) Moreover, a wide (broad) span of control is suitable for situations where:

• Staff carry out relatively simple tasks; therefore, they do not need much support from the manager.
• Employees are very experienced hence do not require much supervision.
• The manager is more skilled and experienced hence able to control a wider span of control.
The disadvantages/costs/demerits of an organisation transforming from operating a traditional
hierarchical structure to a flat structure include:

i.) There will be some lack of clarity in authority and division of work. This is because of many
subordinates. Therefore, the manager finds greater difficulties in the management of a greater number
of subordinates; supervision and coordination of effort.

ii.) Many mistakes are likely to occur especially if subordinates are not well trained and dedicated to
undertake a wider range of activities.

iii.) Managers are likely to lose control of what their subordinates are doing on a day-to-day basis due to
wider spans of control and poor delegation which may lead to lack of coordination.

iv.) It requires greater flexibility at all levels with people being prepared to undertake a wider range of
activities. This calls for dedicated and well-trained employees.

Matrix structure
A matrix structure is an organisational structure that operate around projects using employees from
different departments.

A key feature of a matrix organisational structure is that an employee has more than one reporting line.

Advantages of operating a matrix organisational structure

(i) It is useful for management of teams of specialists in projects or tasks. This is because the
organisation is seen as a network and projects are undertaken by teams or taskforces which are set up
to achieve specific objectives.

(ii) Employees are likely to be happier when their work is varied. This leads to increased productivity of
labour.

(iii) It helps to build team spirit. This is because departments work together, improving communication
across the entire organisation.

(iv) It is flexible. This is because this type of structure works best for startups and other companies
operating in a dynamic environment since they often can respond faster to market or customer demand
while decreasing the lead time to produce a new product.

Therefore, matrix structures can serve global customers by integrating business functions and
responding to customer demands quickly.

(v) Skills are better utilised under a matrix structure. This is because businesses can select the most
capable employees in order to deliver projects. Furthermore, it encourages the sharing of ideas and
good practice hence individuals develop skills and knowledge by working on many different projects.

(vi) Projects become more cost-effective. This is because resources will be shared between different
departments.
Disadvantages of operating a matrix organisational structure

(i) There is a strong potential for confusion and conflict over authority and responsibility among both
staff and managers. This is because members of project teams may have conflicting demands as they
report to two line managers.

(ii) There may not be a clear line of accountability for employees. Thus, managing (coordinating) the
activities of a matrix structure can be complicated and challenging.

This is because there may be power struggles for control among different manager.

(iii) It takes time for matrix team members to get used to working in this kind of structure, particularly if
they have been used to a traditional structure. For example, how do they divide and manage their time
to undertake their functional responsibilities and project activity?

(iv) Team members may neglect their functional responsibilities as they focus their efforts on the
project. The team member’s line manager should meet with them to evaluate current workload and
provide time to allow the team member to participate in the project successfully.

Summary of Characteristics of Modern Structures (Study guide

Manual p 9)
Reporting lines
The chain of management determines reporting lines and means that decision making can track across
horizontal or vertical teams

• In a matrix structure, individuals may work for more than one manager and be part of more
than one team in companies where project work is the norm.

• Leads to temporary assignments and multiple roles within the same organisation as they move
from one project to another

Vertical teams
• Tall structure

• Traditional hierarchy

• Senior managers delegating authority down the organisation

• Series of management layers

• Lower-level managers responsible for task orientated work

• Higher-level managers responsible for strategy and direction

• Likely to be found in larger organisations

Horizontal teams
• Flat in structure

• Fewer levels of management

• Senior managers more involved in day to day tasks

• Work cross-functionally

• Loosely defined job responsibilities

Modern structures:

Organisational Practices which have contributed to and

evolved / resulted from modern structures ∕ Factors that have
led to the changes in nature of teams
(Study guide Manual pp 9-10, Table 2)
• Flexible working- Flexible working can take a number of forms, which may be flexible start and
finish times, working different shift patterns and working in other locations, e.g. from home.
Flexible working needs to suit the needs of the employee and the requirements of the
organisation for it to be effective.

• Experience- The value placed upon technical skills and experience in a specific job role and tasks
are being replaced with a requirement for transferable skills. This allows individuals and teams
to be flexible and move easily in response to the needs of the organisation.

• Contribution- The emphasis in modern organisations on supporting teams is based upon the
belief that the performance outcomes of a fully functional team are greater than the sum of
individual contributions
 • Project/temporary teams- Different groups will come together within the organisation either for
the delivery of a specific project or an interim period, in order to achieve a particular need or
outcome which must be delivered.

• Outsourcing- Outsourcing involves the organisation contracting out work for a particular
business function, service or task delivery. Examples include HR services and marketing.

• Offshoring- Offshoring involves a relocation of a particular process from one country to another.
Examples include manufacturing plants or call centres

• Virtual teams- Virtual teams have arisen due to the global nature of multi-national enterprises
(MNEs) resulting in team members being located in different geographic regions. This has been
made possible by the improvements in communication technology.

• Diversity- The trends toward globalisation and movement of workers have resulted in
organisations embracing diversity by accommodating differing cultural and work practices; for
example, incorporating prayer rooms in office buildings.

• Consensus decision making- With consensus decision-making, solutions are sought which
everyone in the team can actively support. This is more dynamic than the “majority rules”
approach that is most often taken in decision making

• Facilitative leadership- Relationships and people are at the centre of facilitative leadership,
which focuses on creating a results-driven but supportive work environment.

• Mutual participation- Supporting information sharing and co-ordination by all stakeholders in a

decision-making process, mutual participation is focused on fostering co-operation between
different groups.

• Multi-disciplinary skills- Due to the fast-paced competitive environment in which most

organisations operate, the need for an agile workforce is essential. This has resulted in team
members being able to contribute a range of skills and experience from a number of different
professional fields.

Activity 5: Communication systems

Discuss with a study partner, if possible, the use of modern technology and its impact on communication
at work, especially the use of email, social media, mobile phones and instant messaging. Have these new
systems improved communication in the workplace? Give reasons for your answer
Q. 1.2 Explain, using relevant concepts and theories,
how teams form and become effective, the common
pitfalls, and how effective working can be established

How teams form / Theories on how teams are

formed or developed
• The formation and performance of teams is not automatically effective

• Not as simple as putting people together

• Aim is to develop a group of individuals into a cohesive and united team

• Purpose is to release high levels of performance

Team Development – Tuckman and Jensen (1997)

theory/model
This model identifies five main phases of group development with distinct / well defined behaviors of
team members

Forming:
The initial stage of group formation brings together individuals who attempt to provide the relationship
framework of the group, such as structure, roles and responsibilities.

• At this point, individuals are on their best behaviour and seeking to create a good impression.
• It is concerned with finding out the nature of the situation with which the group is faced and what
forms of behaviour and interaction are appropriate.
• Members will test out attitudes and behaviour to establish their acceptability as ground rules for
accomplishing the task and getting on with other members.
• This may take some time, depending on the personalities of the members and the degree of
commitment seemingly demanded of them

Impacts on Individual Behaviour

• Members naturally have an initial mistrust of each other and a fear of their own inadequacies.
Behaviour is defensive with limited commitment but gradually a sense of mutual acceptance and
common membership should develop.
• This stage can create a lot of anxieties
• Often there is some dependence on a powerful personality to help establish the ground rules. At
this stage, that person will assume a leadership role which may or may not continue in later stages
(where it does not, this may create problems of internal conflict). Competing powerful personalities

can also lead to problems in these early developmental explorations of what is acceptable within the
group.

Storming:
A period of potential conflict and disagreement as methods of operation and patterns of behaviour
start to be firmed up. This is the result of individual members of the group asserting themselves and
being more forceful and open in sharing their opinions.

This is where different opinions and styles emerge, with competing sub-groups, challenges for
leadership, rebellions against control and resistance to the demands of meeting task requirements

Successful negotiation of the challenge and disagreement about the way the group works together
should lead to agreement regarding group structures and processes in a way that all members find
acceptable.

Impacts on Individual Behaviour

• Once members have accepted one another and a pecking order has been established, the members
will begin to express deeper feelings and raise conflicts and concerns.
• If major issues cannot be settled at this stage, the group is unlikely to be able to operate effectively
and may not develop further – possibly even disbanding.
• In some situations, it may be necessary for the group to act against members who will not
compromise,
• and even reject them from the group to stop the disruption caused.
• Towards the end of this stage, members should become more constructive and this should lead to
more constructive ideas and problem-solving.

Norming:
• As the conflict from the storming stage leads to established guidelines, norms of accepted behaviour
for task performance and interaction become rooted into ways of working.
• Individual members begin the process of internalising those norms and identifying with the group,
building group cohesion.
• Co-operation and planning increases as members move forward toward an agreed purpose.
• Member roles start to be clarified and accepted at this stage. In particular, the role of leader should
be clearly established. Where there is no appointed leader, or the appointed leader is not
acceptable to the group for whatever reason, an informal leader is likely to emerge.
• In new situations, Individuals are need time to establish their identities. They are unlikely to be
effective members until they do so, and the group is unlikely to be effective until all members are
comfortable with the group norms and processes.
Impacts on Individual Behaviour

• With the establishment of consensus, recognition of the value and different potential contributions
of individuals can develop, and co-operation and mutual support in group working take place.
• Members become involved in the work of the group and develop friendly relationships.
• Group norms can act to restrict the behaviour of members.
• It becomes the first stage in actually performing, with the resources of the group starting to be
deployed effectively in planning and organising in pursuit of the group's goals.

Performing:
With a firm foundation of purpose, leadership, roles, responsibilities and agreed group behaviour, the
members begin to work effectively together as a team.

This period will lead to purposeful focus and performance. Where:

 The group's energy is now available for effective work in completing tasks and maintaining the
group.
 The established norms now support the goals of the group and roles become functional, thus
allowing constructive work in relation to tasks.

Impacts on Individual Behaviour

 Behaviour is now positive and supportive, with cohesiveness characterising the workings of the
group.
 Co-operation rather than conflict predominates with work allocated according to ability. The group
becomes flexible and adaptable to changing requirements.

Adjourning:
Adjourning is the final stage of team development, as a team is disbanded. This might be because a
project team has completed the project or task, because members of the team move on to other teams
or leave the organisation.
Rules for creating high-performance teams – Katzenback and
Smith (1993) theory/model
Katzenbach and Smith (1993) provide rules for creating high performance teams. They suggest that for
team development to be successful:

– A group needs a clear performance challenge.

– That a specific purpose is developed to give meaning to a team’s work.
– Team members should commit to clear, consistent performance criteria for which they are mutually
accountable.
– Team members should possess complementary skills.

They offer a J- shaped curve for the development of a group into a real team.

The stages include:

• Working group : Team members share information but as yet have no common purpose or
performance goals have not been set. No mutual accountability.

• Pseudo team: The group is yet to begin performing as a team, and is therefore at the bottom of
the performance curve. Individuals are risk averse and avoiding accountability.

• Potential team: Movement toward a common goal, performance levels begin to rise but team
members need to agree to mutual accountability.

• Real team: Team members begin to move towards a shared purpose. Their skills are
complementary and they begin to share accountability for team results.

• High-performance team: Commitment towards relationships and personal development result

in high performance.
Common Pitfalls
In every organisation there are common pitfalls that beset many teams, at all organisational levels, and
that impacts on the ability to achieve effective performance levels. They include:

• Siloed working-This means that information, knowledge and best practice is not shared across
the team or with other teams, and people are working in isolation.

Breaking down silos is difficult to do, often because

– people do not have time to share or

– performance criteria results in people being rewarded for their individual contribution

How to overcome the siloed working

– Encouraging cross-functionality across departments- If your marketing team has

frequent training sessions, you could involve your sales and customer service teams.
Such an exercise will encouraging different perspectives and skills.
– Create clear roles and responsibilities
– Create joint incentives

• Group think – this happens when the pressure to remain harmonious / friendly is so great that
individual members of the group will not voice (speak out) their own concerns, leading to
dysfunctional decision making.

Challenging the lack of questioning takes courage and a willingness to recognise why this might
be happening and discuss these within the group

How to overcome group think

– recruiting a diverse team to introduce different views

 – Engage in open discussions- Create a culture where employees are encouraged to
critically analyze situations and proactively share information and provide feedback.
– Exercise the art of critical listening skills .
– Ask one or more team members to play the role of devil’s advocate to ensure all sides of
a topic are explored and discussed.
– organizing spaces for independent thought,
– making time for individual evaluation,
– encouraging personal and professional development, and
– celebrating diverse perspectives

• Poor planning of team workload –this results in individuals being unaware of what work is in
the pipeline, and blockages will occur because of:

– Lack of coordination

– Breakdown in communication

– Lack of agreed priorities

– Missed deadlines

Overcoming poor planning

– have clear vision of the team goal

– have priorities
– communicate plans
– have everyone in team walk in with same understanding

Establishing effective teams

• It begins with concentrating on compatibility (closeness) of team members - This means
reviewing the contribution of each individual and being honest about where gaps and problems
exist.
• Selecting different team members to maximise productivity- When the opportunity arises to
add new team members, or change the make-up of the existing team. In case of a vacancy-
– one option is to find a new full-time member to join the team who has the right skills and
experience
– consider the needs and personalities of each team member.
• Choose individuals who can complement each other - for example a dominant individual will
work well with someone comfortable with a subordinate individual role.
• The social structures of a team will also affect productivity.
• Increase flexibility and agility through contracted experts -Temporary contractors or specialists
can be used to provide expert advice or skills for particular tasks or projects to give the team
increased flexibility and agility.
• Take time to support the team to progress quickly through the stages of team development if
the temporary assignments are going to be effective in the short-term
Q. If establishing an effective team is simply about selecting the right members, why are there so
many dysfunctional teams in business? ANSWER= BECAUSE THEY MAY BE LACKING THE FOLLOWING

Factors which contribute to effective team working

• Having Common goals - Establishing clear common goals helps team members to co-operate on
the basis of shared values and priorities.

• Roles and responsibilities -Defining roles and responsibilities helps to support group-centred
behaviour and leads to individual satisfaction.

• Having Clear timelines -Clear allocation of work with timelines for completing tasks gives
direction to the team and helps the team to function as a unit focused on achieving key
priorities.

• Reporting and accountability - Establishing a clear reporting process and accountability allows
the team to operate effectively within the organisation structure.

• Support - Mechanisms of support can help to increase the cohesiveness of the team and can
include the sharing of information, social interaction, group identification through symbols,
ceremonies and stories.

• Purpose and motivation - Maintaining purpose and motivation requires sharing information
about team activity and celebrating progress and achievement.

• Technology - Access to and utilisation of technology to enable effective communication

between the team across locations and time zones.

• Offshoring - Offshoring can increase access to skills and help teams to increase or decrease
capacity in response to fast-changing demands on the team. Understanding different cultures,
keeping the offshore team involved and regular reviews contribute to effective offshoring
practices.

• Outsourcing - Outsourcing can offer a team access to expertise in technical areas that close skills
gaps and increase productivity.

Q. Identify the additional challenges and potential difficulties that teams face given the nature of
modern organisations including virtual off-shoring and outsourcing

Difficulties that teams face

• Specific challenges to team working come from:

– Increased level of globalisation

– Fast moving competitive environment

– Technological advances
 • Modern organisational structures have:

– Delivered more opportunities for flexible working

– Delivered more opportunities for agile working

– BUT they have Introduced new challenges for team working

Q. In Session 2, we explored traditional and modern organisational structures. Are team challenges
greater in modern organisations than traditional organisations ? Justify your answer

Flexible working
Flexible working allows employees to work at times and in a way that suits their personal needs.
For example, for those with caring responsibilities, it may be more attractive to work reduced
hours or on certain days, or to switch from working at weekends to weekdays.
Types of flexible working and How they impact on team operations
Includes:

• Part-time- Employees may choose to work fewer than the standard full-time workweek. These
arrangements may be on a temporary or permanent basis depending on individual
circumstances. You may be able to negotiate or choose work hours to coincide with peak
workload hours, depending on the type of business

• Term-time-working-those on term-time contracts are only required to work during periods that
correspond with school term time, enabling parents to spend school holidays with their
children. Reduces absenteeism and helps deal with business variations.

• Job sharing-With job sharing, you and at least one coworker split one full-time position and the
required working hours. Having an unreliable partner may cause you to redo work or complete
additional tasks. Leads to an unfair workload if your work partner is finding their tasks
challenging and unable to meet their deadlines.

• Flexi-time-provides the flexibility regarding when to begin and end your workday at a time
that's more convenient to your personal schedule.

• Compressed hours- Allows staff to work their total contracted hours over fewer working days.
For example, a full-time staff member could work 36.5 hours over 4.5 days or a 9 day fortnight
rather than 5 days. This schedule, for example, might allow you to take an extra day or decrease
commuting costs each week.

• Annualised hours- are the total number of hours an employee works in one year. An
employment contract where the employee commits to working their annualised hours over the
course of the year, some on a ‘core’ or ‘rostered’ basis and the rest on an ‘unrostered’ basis or
short notice to meet the demands of the organisation.

• Remote working-see below

Positive effects of flexible working
• Offers opportunities for employers to tap into talent

• Gives employees work-life balance to employees thereby making organisations profitable by

reduction in absenteeism and the costs of business and increases productivity

• By allowing people to work when they accomplish most, your business in turn accomplishes the
most
• Builds trust and better relationships between the employer and employees

 Presents a significant challenge to team work something that might suit one individual can have
a significant impact on how teams operate in practice

Potential pitfalls / negative effects of flexible working

• Being in a particular location at certain times may be necessary but finds an employee away
leading to greater disruption to work

• Result in other team members taking on extra responsibilities and work to compensate.

• Leads to resentment as some team members try to manage the priorities of the team

• If the "core period" where everyone is present - is too short, tasks requiring staff interaction are
hindered because of less time together.

Managing Flexible working / addressing the challenges

• Needs to be clear about roles and responsibilities

• Clear communication is needed to manage tensions and pressures

Remote working
Remote workers work away from the main office, usually at home, and complete normal duties by way
of mobile technology and the internet

This allows team members the flexibility of working in a different location from an organisation’s office
or even from home.

Can take a number of forms

• Home-based working

• Mobile working
Advantages of remote working

• Allows team members flexibility -individuals benefit by reducing their time commuting to a centralized
office location. When you work remotely, you can often set your own hours and work from anywhere
with an internet connection. This means you can work from home, in a coffee shop, or even while
traveling.

Improved Work-Life Balance- you can often better balance your work and personal responsibilities,
which can reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

Cost Savings for both employees and employers- Without the need to commute to a physical office,
employees can save money on transportation costs, and employers can save money on office space and
other overhead expenses.

Increased Productivity-Some studies have shown that remote workers can be more productive than
those who work in a traditional office setting. This may be because remote workers have more control
over their work environment and are less likely to be distracted by co-workers or other office-related
distractions.

Access to a Larger Talent Pool-Remote work allows employers to access a larger talent pool as they are
no longer limited by geographic location. This can lead to more diverse teams and better outcomes.

Challenges to remote working

- Transactional relationship (one off) in asking for specific tasks to be completed. Remote working has
led to the value of productive exchange for pay over the emotional relationships, connections,
wanting to do work that has meaning.
- The greatest challenge is lack of personal interaction which result to:

• Feelings lost and isolated- individual team member may miss the friendship that comes from
frequent contact with the team. They feel disconnected from their colleagues and may struggle
to build effective relationships.

• Reduced levels of trust- Without the ability to observe day-to-day activities, managers might
struggle with trusting employees to stay on task. Conversely, employees might feel they need to
prove they are working, which can lead to overworking.

• Compromised knowledge sharing- Team members may not know who to ask for information if
they don't know each other's strength. They may be hesitant to share information if they worry
it will be seen as a sign of incompetence. Language barriers and cultural restraints may also
contribute.

• Communication- Without face-to-face interactions, Loss of body language and non-verbal cues
impact on effective communication which lead to significant dysfunction (misunderstandings,
and reduced collaboration) with regard to alignment of team goals and priorities.

Lack of Productivity- Remote employees have more autonomy, which can lead to a lack of productivity.
This can result in missed deadlines, incomplete projects, and decreased efficiency.
Cultural diversity- Remote workers tend to be a diverse group of people, and you need to be able to
collaborate with team members from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds

Fixing technology problems- working in an office gives access to technology team to help you if your
network connection fails or your computer crashes. Working remotely means you are responsible for
dealing with those problems yourself which can be a challenge.

Managing remote working

• To increase sense of belonging and help align team members to key priorities and goals, encourage:
• Frequent online meetings for the whole team e.g once a week for 30 minutes.
• The use of video chats as a regular team communication tool to increase team interaction,
information sharing and investing in team development.
• Implement employee recognition to make sure your team members feel valued

Virtual organisations /groups

Virtual organisations exist in an environment enabled by a network of information technology.

These virtual systems enable group communication and decision making.

Virtual teams can collaborate via the cloud, file sharing, asynchronous communication or synchronous
online meetings.

The benefits of such an organisation mean that time and geography are removed as barriers;

Challenges to managing virtual groups

• Security risk of information exchange

• Timeliness of communication - members are in different geographic locations, a time difference

may hinder their progress.
• Lack of Trust and interpersonal communication negatively impacts team cohesiveness and
increases separation from team goals

• Lack of opportunity for employees to gather for conversations that can often enhance
collaboration

• Can Be Tough to Track Progress

Managing virtual group challenges

• Implementing a robust BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy. It can outline what your IT department
and employees should do in the event of a data breach
• Create concrete goals for each worker and define their role in your company
• Schedule regular virtual check-ins with your project team to ensure everything is going smoothly.
• Use an employee productivity management tool like Time Doctor to be able to:
– Calculate total hours worked by each employee.
– Check which virtual team member is present, absent, late, or partially late
Off Shoring

Offshoring refers to the practice of relocating business activities/operations and functions to another
country in order to take advantage of lower labor costs or other benefits.

Challenges:

• Offshoring magnifies challenges of developing effectiveness

• Team members may experience difficulties caused by Differences in culture, time and language

• Essential information gets lost in translation

• Time lags delay time for critical action

• Problems become crises for lack of time and attention to deal

• Misunderstandings can side-track projects (take attention away from)

Outsourcing

• It adds additional layers of complication to team work

• Lack of communication between permanent and outsourced workers as they feel the
outsourced worker is not part of the team.

• Reduces personal and day-to-day interaction that sustains a team’s cohesiveness.

• Relying on experts for their knowledge and skills does not transfer essential capability to
permanent team

• Reduces possibility for growing internal organisational expertise

• Third party increases security risk as they are allowed to access internal data and infrastructure.

• Loss of control of tasks where by it becomes necessary for having someone from the
organization to monitor the task