Report on Responsibilities and Team Dynamics at Oxford University

This report analyzes the concept of working with others in a business environment, using Oxford University as a case study. It explores the author's responsibilities as an academic assistant and compares them with other roles within the institution. The report delves into team dynamics, the benefits of teamwork versus working alone, and includes a skill audit of team members. It also examines ways to leverage individual strengths, provide support to others, and the importance of feedback. Furthermore, it discusses potential sources of conflict within a team and strategies for resolving and preventing conflicts, concluding with recommendations for improving team performance. The report covers various aspects of teamwork, from individual contributions to conflict resolution, providing a comprehensive overview of the subject.

Concept of working with others
in a business environment
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Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
a) The sector where organisation operates.............................................................................3
b) Description of own responsibilities within the organisation..............................................4
c) Comparison of responsibilities across roles within the organisation.................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
a) Outlining meaning of ‘team dynamics’..............................................................................5
b) Benefits of working alone to working with others.............................................................5
c) Own and team member’s skill audit...................................................................................5
d) Ways of working together to make use of individual strengths.........................................6
e) Making best use of individual strengths at the time of working with others.....................6
f) Provide support to others....................................................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
a) Explanation of the benefits of giving and receiving feedback in a business environment 7
b) Provide others with feedback on achievement of objectives.............................................7
c) Positive response against feedback to the manager in form of formal letter.....................8
d) Plan creation for improving team performance based on feedback...................................8
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
a) Examples of possible sources of conflict within a team....................................................8
b) Identification of ways for resolving conflict within a team...............................................9
c) Most appropriate methods to resolve a specific conflict..................................................10
d) Ways of preventing conflict from occurring....................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12
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INTRODUCTION
Every individual has some limits but this saying does not apply on a team. This file is
based on working with other in an external environment (Chang, 2016). Oxford Univeristy is a
respected organization and it will be considered for completing the following report. The
assignment will concentrate on own responsibilities and its comparison with other role in the
institution. Concepts like team dynamics and working alone will also become part of this project.
Skills audit of team member will be included in file in order to understand strengths of individual
in group. Beside this, importance of getting feedbacks from others and responding them will also
get covered in the report. Conflicts are part of every team; reason behind there are generation
will be discussed along with their solution in last part of the project.
TASK 1
a) The sector where organisation operates
Oxford University is a prestigious institution where students from many nations take
admission for getting finest quality of education. It is a Public research university and gets
funding from government. Oxford is operating in education sector, almost 25000 students study
in this institution every year (Craig and Campbell, 2012). It offers courses in various streams like
Business, Arts, Science, Literature etc. Being one of the oldest university in world, Oxford is
involved in various kind of research and they are considered as a leading player in education
sector. The key purpose of this industry is to provide education to children and others who are
interested in learning particular subject.
With time, major changes are happening in colleges and other institutes. External factors
like technology, social trends, economic growth of country and globalisation made a huge impact
on teaching techniques. Organisations in education sector is considered as vital source promoting
innovative ideas as they are working different areas in order to bring something new in society.
Although money is not the main aim of Universities like Oxford but they do get enormous
amount of funds for Government and donations. This money is used in providing financial aid to
students; research is another area where colleges spend available funds. Oxford University
mainly provide education to undergraduate, post graduate, doctorate students but they also offer
some certificate courses.
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b) Description of own responsibilities within the organisation
As an academic assistant, my responsibilities are not limited to single area. I am
accountable for support counsellors in their day-to-day activity. Whenever they feel that work is
not manageable then I assist them by solving queries that are mainly related to admission. Beside
this, academic assistants are responsible for assuring that faculty members get asked books and
other study material in promised time (Forsgren and Johanson, 2014). This task cannot be done
without understanding exact demand of tutors. Managing inventory of books is very important in
University because shortage in supplies may result in delaying research or study sessions.
Students in University always have various kind of queries and issues. It can be related to
class timings, study material or maybe overall learning experience. It is my responsibility to
make solve their problem so they can focus on studies and enjoy classroom as well as complete
college life. Sometime, academic assistants have to do brainstorming work where they try to
come up with sustainable ideas relating to teaching methodology, class discipline or university
regulations. I always play crucial role in brainstorming sessions which are connected to
improving teaching methods. Academics manager is my immediate senior and it is my duty to
inform him about all the activities that I have done in a week. I submit him a weekly report at the
time of meeting and at the same time, I also present him a short plan regarding my work which
we will be done in next week (Hasle, Limborg and Nielsen, 2014).
c) Comparison of responsibilities across roles within the organisation
Academic assistant can be considered as multi-tasking profile but most of the job roles in
marketing, accounts and administration department are based on doing single task. Below is
comparison between my role and responsibility of assistant marketing manager:
Course details – Assistant Marketing managers provide information about various course
which university is offering to the applicants who are interested in taking admission at Oxford.
On the other hand, academic assistant performs the task of answering questions that are asked by
these applicants when they are at the end of admission process.
Manage Goodwill – Assistant Marketing manager concentrate on managing external
elements rumour about university, promote achievements of students and alumni etc. Assistant
Academic manager communicate with faculties, administration staff and learner. They try to
work as a bridge between them and whenever there is internal conflicts, then play an important
role in resolving the issue. It helps in promoting positive environment in university.
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Comparison between role of assistant accounts manager and Academic assistant
Assistant to faculties – Academic assistant help faculties by providing them required
study material. This post is responsible for managing inventory of books and other study material
so whenever any staff member seeks some support regarding availability of books they contact
Academic assistant (Hilton and Platt, 2013). Assistant accounts manager is responsible for timely
crediting salary of faculties, they also provide advice relating to tax deduction and other benefits
which are available for staff members.
Solve queries – It is the responsibility of Academic assistant to resolve the
problems/queries of students. Their role is not only limited to learner; they are also accountable
for managing all the academic issues. But, Assistant account manager is does not meet with
students. This person only solve problem relating to salary and other benefits of employees.
TASK 2
a) Outlining meaning of ‘team dynamics’
Team dynamics are the different forces that an individual carry and combine with the
group to complete the project allotted. It is very important that each member of the crew has
some positive dynamics as only than the overall objectives can be achieved. These forces are
shaped as per the nature and behaviour of an individual. There are both the types of dynamics
positive and negative and according to the personality of an individual they are characterised and
hence the outcome of the team work is effected by same.
b) Benefits of working alone to working with others
Every option has their positives and negatives. Although team work gives better results but
it is not true in all the cases. Sometimes when all the team members do not have the same
positive dynamics then the overall quality of the work gets affected. In case when an individual
has better capacities of working on a task, their output gets affected if the work is shared.
Working alone make the person more responsible and accountable for the work done (Jenkins,
and Williamson, 2015). In case any flaw or other issue is found the person who is checking the
work can easily get the reason behind same and accordingly action can be taken.
c) Own and team member’s skill audit
In order to conduct a group skill, audit the capacities of individual will be ranked out of 10.
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Marketing
assistant
Accounts
assistant
Academic
assistant
Administration
assistant
Communication 8 5 7.5 7
Management 7.5 8 8 8
Leadership 6 5 8 9
d) Ways of working together to make use of individual strengths
From the above skill audit it is found that different individuals of distant departments have
capacity differences. It is found that some are very god at communication and other are good in
managing things and taking the leadership role. This can be used and while allotting the work
reasponsibites it should be ensured that delegation is done as per the expertise of each
department personnel’s. This way effective results would be delivered as everyone will be able
to give their best and there will be less chances of errors (Kemshall, Wilkinson and Baker, 2013).
Also when a person is given work in which he/she is good at, it further develops the interest in
same and hence we give more attention to same. Such tasks which is not the area of a person can
be avoided as this will reduce the chance of any compromise with the final output.
e) Making best use of individual strengths at the time of working with others
When a task is performed individually, it is known that what all can be done by the person
as everyone is aware about their capacities. But while working in a team or group it is required
that first the skills of every individual is evaluated so that accordingly the work is allotted. It
assists in getting the best returns or results as everyone has their own area of expertise and when
the allocation of work is done accordingly the chances of getting better results increases. While
giving the group presentation we assured that the speaking task is given to one who has good
communication skill as this will help us in delivering the message more accurately and it will
have a better impact on the listener. Thereafter the making of the presentation was done by those
who are creative and has good knowledge of colours. This made our work more attractive and
the interest of the spectators was maintained throughout the presentation.
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f) Provide support to others
Everyone in our group was good at something and was week too in some areas. While
working as a team it is important that we take care of those who lacks in particular skills so that
they are not in the notice of the other people as this may affect the results. They may take
advantage of their weakness and can target the same person (Lawrence and Weber, 2014). Like
while presenting the group presentation those who had complete knowledge about the subject
were kept in front so that if anyone asks question related to same, they are delivered with the
satisfactory answer. Even if it is found that the question is raised and asked on random basis then
also all the team mates were alert so that if the other person finds it difficult to answer they can
be provided support and this way the overall quality remains unaffected.
TASK 3
a) Explanation of the benefits of giving and receiving feedback in a business environment
Feedbacks are the reactions by other on the work done. It is an effective approach as using
same further improvements can be made and accordingly the overall development is made of an
individual. When a feedback is given it gives the assurance to the other person who is receiving
it that the work is checked and the user has understood the same meaning which was conveyed.
Also it helps in improving the quality of overall work done as when a feedback is given it is
further corrected and made sure that the required changes are made (Moran, 2012). On the
receiver side, the revert from the work done helps in evaluating own work and identifying the
areas for development. This way when the same task is performed next time it is ensured that the
mistakes are not repeated and hence overall development in the long run take place. there are
also positive feedbacks which act as a medium of motivation which encourages the person doing
work to maintain the same level of efficiency in the work.
b) Provide others with feedback on achievement of objectives
A student conference was conducted by the department. In this all the fellow members
showed their full participation and helped in organising the event. Good management and
delegation of duties was done which avoided any confusion. Everyone was well alert on their
work stations and was able to communicate among themselves too. The conference was a great
success because of the team effort and though organising the conference is a very hectic task but
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as everyone was giving their maximum contribution the pressure was not felt at any time. If
better coordination with the other departments were maintained than it would have been easy for
us to control the overall cost as due to lack of synchronisation with them some duplication of
purchase in the resources made could be avoided (Myers, 2019).
c) Positive response against feedback to the manager in form of formal letter
As per the feedback received by us from the targeted audience, it has been realised by us
that feedback plays an essential role in the growth of an individual as it aware us about areas we
are lacking in. This enhancement of weak areas allows business managers in developing their
skills and knowledge in rightful manner which directly contributes in the improvement of
business performance. The feedback obtained from targeted audience has informed us that we
need to develop in ourselves in different areas. For this we will ensure that next time when we do
the same work the mistakes are not repeated. We are hearty thankful to audience who have
expressed their views toward our presentation as it shows that you were attentive while we were
giving our presentation. This have also allowed us in understanding our core strong areas which
are helping us in executing our work based responsibilities in rightful manner.
d) Plan creation for improving team performance based on feedback
We have received the feedback on the group presentation that was give buy us as a team.
While giving the presentation due to variations of skills in each one of us the overall quality was
not maintained (Patel, Pettitt and Wilson, 2012). This revert from the audience will be used in
making corrections that will further assist us in developing for future. Every issue raised in eth
revert will be closely analysed and accordingly training or other learning will be taken so that the
same mistake is not repeated.
TASK 4
a) Examples of possible sources of conflict within a team
Working in a team is a difficult task as everyone comes from different backgrounds and
has variations in the temperament. They respond differently to the same situations and it
becomes very difficult to reach on a common conclusion in a situation which can have various
point of analysis. There are various sources that can lead to conflict in a team and the most
common one are discussed below in detail:
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False expectations – This is the most common reason behind any issue that take place
while group work is done. Not everyone works with same dedication and those who give their
full efforts expects same from the others too. But due to difference in the interest of an individual
not everyone shows their full attention and if the results varies because of that then it leads to
conflicts. like while planning for the presentation it was found that some people were more
dedicated towards the research work and rest were not taking the efforts. This way those who
were working more on the project felt bad and hence it led to conflict among us (Spinuzzi,
2012).
Misunderstanding – Another major cause behind issues taking place in the group is
confusion that take place due to the reason that not everyone is good at expressing themselves
and are misunderstood many times. As groups are formed for particular task and it is not
necessary that everyone is familiar with one another from past. Due to this reason they do not
interact with each other and instead of clearing the misunderstanding they hold on complains
against each other and this further reflect on their behavior which ultimately affects the final
results.
Poor leadership – A good leader holds a major role in the failure or success of any
project. It is very important that he/she is effective enough in leading the whole team as this way
they can bring best out of everyone. The situation is contradicting if in case the leader is not
appropriate or do not work on the expected standards. Once the group members found that their
team leader is not effective the conflicts begins. Contradiction in the views take place and it
becomes difficult to work together as everyone then find themselves better and do not follow
what they are asked to do.
Bad company culture – Every organisation has their own working culture and it plays a
major role in how employees work together. It is found that at some work places the work force
is not given equal importance and because of this their attitude towards work is not very positive.
In such situation they only work for money and do not show their any extra efforts. Working in
team in such places is difficult as people are not ready to compromise and create issues even on
small matters which can be easily solved by communicating (Sullivan and Skelcher, 2017).
b) Identification of ways for resolving conflict within a team
Working in a team is a difficult task as every step is taken with the consent of all. There are
different individuals each belonging to different backgrounds and therefore to reach at common
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consent is not easy. In order to resolve any identified issue better communication can be used so
that everyone feel free to express themselves. This will help in avoiding confusion or
misinterpretation which is very important in the team work. Apart from this everyone should be
given equal opportunity to put their views forward as it motivates the members and they develop
their interest in the work. Else when someone realise that their suggestions are not recognised in
the work then they lose interest in the same and hence work without interest which further affects
the overall quality of the work (Teece, Peteraf and Leih, 2016).
c) Most appropriate methods to resolve a specific conflict
The most common conflict that take place in the team work is of misunderstanding. As
everyone is new to each other (generally) they fail to make the other person understand what
they actually meant. In some cases, this confusion leads to great issues and it is very important
that arrangements or precautions for same are maintained well in advance so that such situation
can be avoided. For same everyone should first listen to what the other person is saying and then
react. This helps the other person to complete what he/she want to say. Also everyone should
have set expectations from the team members as expecting beyond limits is a step towards
getting into conflict. When a person works without having any hope from the other person,
whatever is done is appreciated and welcomed. Also, in order to avoid unwanted situations, it is
important that every person working in team avoid humours or gossips as they act as a seed to
conflict. Once such activities are entertained they keep on happening and hence the working
environment gets affected. Everyone should have trust on the team members and even if
something is suspected then it should be cleared among themselves (Weis, 2013).
d) Ways of preventing conflict from occurring
There are number of ways through which the situation of conflict can be avoided in advance
and it is a better step as this way lot of time can be saved and also the working atmosphere can
be maintained. For this the first and most common step that can be taken is be a good listener. It
is a very crucial thing while working with a group. One should always give time to the other
person so that a clear message is conveyed. After this not every time a person should try to prove
themselves right as this creates conflicts and hence it becomes difficult to maintain the
coordination in the work. The roles and responsibilities should be well allotted well in advance
so that clarity in the work is there and everyone is accountable to that. This way no confusion
will take place and also will assist in achieving the targets. All the important discussions should
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be well planned and proper time should be given to them so that work can be prioritise and
everyone works with uniformity.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been evaluated that though working in a team is a complex
activity, but gives better and effective results in comparison to the work perform by individual.
Lots of planning and coordination is required so that maximum capacity utilisation of each team
member is done. This is of utmost importance that every group member is treated equally so that
better working environment is maintained. In case of conflicts proper procedure must be
followed so that overall quality of the output does not gets affected. Also, it is concluded that
feedback should not be taken as negative step but should be considered good as it helps in the
development of the individual and team in the long run.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Chang, J. F., 2016. Business process management systems: strategy and implementation.
Auerbach Publications.
Craig, T. and Campbell, D., 2012. Organisations and the business environment. Routledge.
Forsgren, M. and Johanson, J., 2014. Managing networks in international business. Routledge.
Hasle, P., Limborg, H. J. and Nielsen, K. T., 2014. Working environment interventions–Bridging
the gap between policy instruments and practice. Safety Science. 68. pp.73-80.
Hilton, R. W. and Platt, D. E., 2013. Managerial accounting: creating value in a dynamic
business environment. McGraw-Hill Education.
Jenkins, W. and Williamson, D., 2015. Strategic management and business analysis. Routledge.
Kemshall, H., Wilkinson, B. and Baker, K., 2013. Working with Risk: Skills for contemporary
social work. Polity.
Lawrence, A. T. and Weber, J., 2014. Business and society: Stakeholders, ethics, public policy.
Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
Moran, T. H., 2012. Foreign direct investment and development. The Wiley‐Blackwell
Encyclopedia of Globalization.
Myers, M. D., 2019. Qualitative research in business and management. Sage Publications
Limited.
Patel, H., Pettitt, M. and Wilson, J.R., 2012. Factors of collaborative working: A framework for a
collaboration model. Applied ergonomics. 43(1). pp.1-26.
Spinuzzi, C., 2012. Working alone together: Coworking as emergent collaborative
activity. Journal of Business and Technical Communication. 26(4). pp.399-441.
Sullivan, H. and Skelcher, C., 2017. Working across boundaries: collaboration in public
services. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Teece, D., Peteraf, M. and Leih, S., 2016. Dynamic capabilities and organizational agility: Risk,
uncertainty, and strategy in the innovation economy. California Management
Review. 58(4). pp.13-35.
Weis, L., 2013. Working class without work: High school students in a de-industrializing
economy. Routledge.
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