Teams and Groups, Causes and Consequences

Since the management is known to exist, managers are put in a position where they have

to consider what type of team or group they want to form. The choice of forming a group and

team and considering their effectiveness and drawbacks has always been the responsibility of the

managers. It wasn’t long ago that managers could actually distinguish between a group and a

team. The group is formally designed of consisting three or four members working

independently from each other to handle diverse work. Whereas, team is usually made of the

same amount of people or more depending upon the kind of project but working closely with one

another to provide insight and problem solving skill towards achievement of a single goal, that is

success of an organization’s project (Robbins & Judge, 2017). With different type of business

and work requirements, there are certain projects which only a team can fulfill but forming and

managing a team requires effort and requires managers to go out of their ways to manage and

create an unbeatable team.

The group is mainly required for small businesses for managing it for long-term purposes

and to turn around a business for maximum revenue for longest period of time. For instance, a

small business just initiated at a certain space, thinking about to expand to global reach, certain

departments would be utilized. In those specific department, a group will be formed to provide

which will know about the particular interest of the business but with different tasks and

responsibilities, working independently from each other but working towards the same goal. For

instance, foreign department person would be handling global clients whereas local department

handling local clients (Fritz, 2018). Team is essentially made of expert also composed of

different departments but working close with one another to achieve the main goal. For instance,

a team of engineers are tasked to design a product. Those engineers could be architects,
mechanics or electricians and they’ll work closely with one another. Even after the product is

being made, the engineers couldn’t possibly know if the product will prove to be financially

suitable to organization if they sell it. It then comes to the financial expert to estimate the selling

and production cost, ROI analysis and then put a reasonable price to set in the market for the

product. Only then, the product could be launched successful that will prove to be beneficial to

the organization (Fritz, 2018).

Managers building up a team requires effort and hardwork. Managing a team is not an

easy task. First, Managers should know what goals and tasks he has been given to finish in a

strict deadline. He, then will choose specific experts to form a team. Once a team is formed,

there is an utmost urgency or implication that the team members are formally introduced.

Communication is the key here. Without effective communication, the team fails to function.

After the introduction, there might be many conflicts among the team members but it requires the

manager to rise above the differences and work towards sustainability of the team by resolving

issues. Effective team requires a climate of trust, certain problem solving skills, ability to grow

individually and mutual relationships are to be formed. Managers should be in contact with every

team member and work as a cellphone within a team (Kozlowski & Ilgen, 2006). Overseeing

discrimination, ethnic & cultural differences, a manager should be able to inspire his team to

learn from each other and maintain a work-friendly environment, where the team works best.

The best part is, manager can even turn a group in a team with sharing responsibilities and tasks

and if manager can bring the group together to tell them the fruits they’ll bear if they work

together (Hill & Lineback, 2011).

Team players are important in a teamwork. Team behavior falls in either task work or team

work. Task work deals with what the team is doing while teamwork concerned with how the
team is doing (McEwan, Ruissen, Eys, Zumbo & Beauchamp, 2017). It is found that teamwork

efficiency is enhanced where there is smaller number of people are involved (Miklavčič

Šumanski, Kolenc & Markič, 2007). So, when the team is small, the managers could actually

work towards the building of efficient team players characters. Team players are supportive,

proactive, good communicators, work towards establishing mutual trusts, provides feedback,

competent, collaborative and are focused on team objectives. It isn’t an easy task. Many

managers find it hard to produce efficient team players. The manager’s job is to thoroughly go

back and forth while recruiting a team which requires interviews, background checks, critically

analyzing individual’s strength and weakness and ultimately, providing the role of a mentor and

offering the best advice. Doing this, the managers are able to create efficient team players, who

not only prove to be useful for acquiring the goals but also prove useful to create other team

players with individual growth and learning (Miklavčič Šumanski, Kolenc & Markič, 2007).

All in all, Teamwork basically prove to be the best managerial practice that work efficiently

towards achieving a certain goal. Not only teamwork provide fulfillment of tasks but also helps

managers to effectively bring up the individual team members to their utmost strengths. This

help managers to build a team that can accomplish every goal on the long-term or short term

basis. The initial difficulties are hard but once the team is formed, nothing can stop the manager

to boost up the efficiency of the organization. The key characteristic required by the manager to

form a team is efficient leadership, a mentor behavior, inspirational, even sometimes exhibit

transaction leadership for providing rewards for the team. Whereas, team needs to establish a

climate of trust, bring in their specific talents, bring changes in one other to learn and grow and

focused on the well-being of the organization and work hard towards reaching a goal that is

defined by its manager.

 Works Cited

 Fritz, R. (2018). Differences Between Group Work & Team Work. Retrieved from

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/differences-between-group-work-team-work-

11004.html

 Hill, L., & Lineback, K. (2011). Turn Your Group into a True Team. Retrieved from

https://hbr.org/2011/06/turn-your-group-into-a-true-te.html

 Kozlowski, S., & Ilgen, D. (2006). Enhancing the Effectiveness of Work Groups and

Teams. Psychological Science In The Public Interest, 7(3), 77-124. doi:

10.1111/j.1529-1006.2006.00030.x

 McEwan, D., Ruissen, G., Eys, M., Zumbo, B., & Beauchamp, M. (2017). The

Effectiveness of Teamwork Training on Teamwork Behaviors and Team

Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled

Interventions. PLOS ONE, 12(1), e0169604. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169604

 Miklavčič Šumanski, M., Kolenc, I., & Markič, M. (2007). Teamwork and defining

group structures. Team Performance Management: An International Journal,

13(3/4), 102-116. doi: 10.1108/13527590710759856

 Robbins, S., & Judge, T. (2017). 2017 MyManagementLab, Essentials of

OrganizationalBehavior (14th ed.). [S.l.]: Prentice Hall.