Teamwork and Leadership in Organizations

This assignment delves into the crucial concepts of teamwork and leadership within organizations. It presents several case studies illustrating these dynamics in diverse professional settings, including public service bureaucracy and family businesses. Students are tasked with analyzing these cases, applying relevant leadership theories and frameworks to understand the complexities of effective teamwork and its impact on organizational success.

WORKING WITH AND
LEADING PEOPLE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Selection and recruitment process and documents required when selecting and recruiting a
new staff for PM Company....................................................................................................1
1.2 Impact of legal, regulatory and ethical considerations to the recruitment and selection
process for the PM Company.................................................................................................2
1.3 Participating in selection process.....................................................................................3
1.4 Contribution of an HR manager in the selection process for the organisation.................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
2.1 The required skills and attributes for leadership..............................................................4
2.2 Difference between leadership.........................................................................................4
and management.....................................................................................................................4
2.3 Different Leadership styles at different situations............................................................5
2.4 Ways to motivate staff to achieve objectives...................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
3.1 The benefits of team-working for PM Company and the effectiveness of the team in
achieving objectives...............................................................................................................6
3.2 Importance of a leader and member of a team towards....................................................7
specific goals, dealing with conflicts or difficult situations...................................................7
3.3 The ineffectiveness of team in achieving goals................................................................7
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
4.1 Factors Involved in Planning the Monitoring...................................................................8
4.2 Plan for Assessment of Development Needs....................................................................9
4.3 Success of Assessment Process........................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Organization are made up of individuals which are working together to enable the
business to achieve its mission, vision and objectives. Leadership is an art of allotting the work
to someone else in the organization. The structure of the company would determine the working
activities of the individuals who perform the operations as a team (Schein, 2010). The report is
based on Purple Mail Company (PMC) is one of the largest courier firms in UK which is
suffering from improper staffing and managing the business functions.
TASK 1
1.1 Selection and recruitment process and documents required when selecting and recruiting a
new staff for PM Company
In order to overcome from the threat of shortage of staff, Purple Mail Company has to
improve the overall management and standards of the organization. As a HR manager, my
responsibility is to recruit and select the right people for continuing the success for PMC.
Recruitment and selection process are created to ensure that the best people are hired and
selected on merit basis which is free from bias and discrimination activities (Rothwell and
Kazanas, 2011). The process of selecting and recruiting an operational manager is done through
some steps which are as follows:
1. Job description – It describes person's job title, location, grade, duties and
responsibilities.
2. Person specification – It specifies the details of skills, knowledge, abilities and expertise
that are required in the person to do job.
3. Publicizing the vacancy – It refers to the advertisement of operational staff vacancies for
the external applicants. It advertises about the job title, salary offered and other important
details about the vacancy.
4. Processing and selecting the applicants for interview – In this step, the applicants'
information are collected and processed by the HR team which select the eligible
applicants for being as an operational manager (Schweyer, 2010). The team should
schedule, organize and conduct the interview.
5. Selecting and appointment – The applicants clearing all the tests and interview activities
are further analysed by the HR team in order to attain the best applicants among the rest.
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In the appointment step, the person is offered with salary norms and acknowledged with
the company’s policies and regulations (Selznick, 2011). Further, the selected person is
appointed in the organization.
The essential documents required by the applicants for the post of operational manager
are college/university degree of three years management course in operational field, certificates
of schools, experience holding credentials and any other certificates that can provide prior
preference to the candidate.
1.2 Impact of legal, regulatory and ethical considerations to the recruitment and selection process
for the PM Company
The legal and ethical framework created by the government is necessary to consider
while carrying out recruitment and selection process at the organization. The impact of such
regulations on the process of appointing the person for operational manager in PM Company is
specified below: Equality Act 2010 - The aim of this act is to 'harmonise discrimination law and to
strengthen the legislation to raise the progress of equality'. This act has replaced all the
existing equality legislation, including the Equal Pay Act as well. It forces PMC to
properly operate and conduct the process of selection and recruitment. It orders them that
during recruitment process, the person’s specification should be specific, related to the
job and not unnecessarily restrictive (Chhokar, Brodbeck and House, 2013). As vital
aspect as such qualification is strictly needed to do job and this should be specified
properly. The inclusion of criteria that cannot be justified as essential for presenting the
job should be deemed as discriminatory under the Equality Act 2010.
 Discrimination Act 1995: According to this Act, managers of PMC should not
discriminate candidates on the basis of their gender, age, religion and nation at any stage
of recruitment and selection procedure. This law includes the specified criteria of
protecting the person from discrimination of age, disability, gender reassignment,
marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief
(including lack of belief), sex and sexual orientation.
1.3 Participating in selection process
As a head manager of human resource department in Purple Mail Company, I would
participate in selection process. In that case, my job is to accumulate and monitor the proper
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functioning of selection and recruitment process for appointing the eligible person to the job
(Jackson and Parry, 2011). In order to accomplish actual results of both the process, I would take
certain actions as follows: Creating Job Description: As a HR manager, I will specify the job statement for the
vacant post showing the duties and responsibilities along with the scope, purpose and
working culture of an employee. It is necessary to build a base in the minds of recruiter
and clarify all the doubts for his responsibilities, expected abilities for the job and
required performance skills.
 Creating Person Specification: I will plan list of all the required essential skills and
abilities in the person which is necessary for achieving the objectives specified for that
position. This step will enable my HR team to judge each applicant in an effective
manner (Rothwell and Kazanas, 2011). It creates an easy method and state of comparing
the best candidates during the selection process.
1.4 Contribution of an HR manager in the selection process for the organisation
Being a HR manager in PM Company, my contribution in the selection process is based
on my duties and responsibilities. The following are the specified roles played by the HR
manager in recruitment and selection process: Screening: The HR manager is responsible to delegate the authority and provide
guidelines to supervisor for screening process to appoint the operational staff in the
company. Preliminary Test: In this test, candidates are analyzed and are grouped together to discuss
about the specified topics to know the candidate’s abilities, skills and knowledge. My
role as a HR Manager is secondary and I would assist the team in scrutinizing the
candidates accordingly. Knowledge Test: In this, the candidates are tested from solving case studies where they
are required to assess the factors or reason impacting the results and strategy to overcome
that situation is attained. In this process, the purpose of HR manager is to generate the
abilities and experience of the candidates expressed in the test (Herman, 2011). Simulation Test: In the last test, candidates are observed during the interview session and
later on they are asked to give their opinion on some particular tasks. Applicants are
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cross-questioned over the managing operations and functions by the HR manager to
examine their learning quality (Jaworski and Senge, 2011).
 Salary negotiations and hiring: The candidates clearing the above tests are now informed
about their appointment along with the process of salary negotiation. They are also
acknowledged about the code of conduct that is to be followed in the company.
TASK 2
2.1 The required skills and attributes for leadership
For being an effective leader in the company, it is necessary to have a set of certain skills
and attributes among the candidate. This would help in rising his effectiveness in leadership
styles. The set of specified skills and attributes is as follows: Decision making skills – The essential set of skills which a leader needs to have to face
many challenges and problems. The leader has to cope up from such situation that would
harm its effective working strategy. The ability could help the leader in turning such
problem into opportunity and learning experience. Time management skills – Leader should have the efficiency to manage the time as per
his work. In a company, a leader has to achieve many tasks during business operations
and thus managing time would help him to arrange his own schedule and finish all his
work on time (Jackson and Parry, 2011).
 Self motivation skills – Along with both the above skills a leader requires a take steps to
rise his motivation skills. A leader should have the ability of self motivation, because it
would make easy for him to motivate the other members.
2.2 Difference between leadership
and management
Basis Leadership Management
Definition It refers to the ability of a person to
motivate, influence and enable the
working of staff to increase their
contribution in organization's
operations.
It defines the technique of
managing and controlling the
employees, to coordinate the order
placed by them to accomplish the
set objectives.
Orientation It is staff-oriented concept where It is task-oriented concept in which
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precedence is given to the team,
members (Denis, Langley and
Rouleau, 2010).
managers are highly involved for
completing the assigned tasks.
Approaches Leaders are concerned for providing
new and innovative ideas as well as
solutions in order to resolve issues.
Managers create strategies, plans
and programs with their teams to
operate swiftly the task.
Styles Leaders follow different styles to lead
which are transformational,
participative and consultative.
Management is performed with the
help of these styles such as
Dictatorial, Authoritative,
Autocratic and Democratic
(Budhwar and Varma, 2010.).
2.3 Different Leadership styles at different situations During positive situation/condition
◦ Democratic – There are several potential paths to the companies for achieving overall
objectives. The leader is responsible to carry out the level of employees' contribution.
◦ Coaching – It is an effective leadership style which is based on managers' expectation
over their subordinates to complete the assigned tasks on their own. The manager acts
as a coach or counsellor whose responsibility is to enable the employees to complete
the tasks. During negative situation/condition
◦ Delegation – During negative outcomes, no business could remain at a certain
position in the market. In that case, leader has to identify the best abilities and
qualities among the team members which are required to handle the authority. This is
the duty of the leader to focus on delegating the authority of taking decision to
eligible persons (Innocenti, Pilati and Peluso, 2011).
◦ Autocratic - When events are changing rapidly, the leaders need to have the ability to
control and give orders. Most employees lack the imagination to understand the
situation, during the contours of a crisis also, so knowing that a leaders hand is on the
firm's wheel would give them hope to overcome.
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2.4 Ways to motivate staff to achieve objectives
 Empowering: It is the best method which is used for motivating the employees. As per
the method, the subordinates are provided with proper authority, autonomy and
encouragement to increase their ability to express themselves in a global social
entrepreneurship which would help the brand to establish in the market. HR team would
help operational department to increase their working efficiency to overcome from the
drawbacks of lacking in proper checks and balances (Fausing and et.al., 2013).
 Job redesigning: The concept of job redesign is based on re-introducing the employees
who have become lethargic and bored because of performing same tasks on regular days
in the company. The methods such as job enlargement, job rotation and job enrichment
charges flexibility in such employees which ultimately increases their capacity towards
work. In this manner, the skilled and qualified staff of PMC is retained with the firm
which encourages their services in various sections by gathering better skills and
experience.
 Rewarding: Another motivational strategy applied by the management is based on
monetary benefits and reward system where employees are often rewarded in form of
bonuses, promotions, special assignments, awards and verbal praise (Galegher, Kraut and
Egido, 2014). The owner always praised and acknowledged the trainees if they made an
extra effort through reward system.
TASK 3
3.1 The benefits of team-working for PM Company and the effectiveness of the team in
achieving objectives
The benefits and effectiveness of developing team work in achieving the specified
objectives of Purple Mail Company are: Increases efficiency – By combination of all the members, the efforts of each individual
also combines in the team. It would help the team members to attain the assigned tasks in
more advance way than an individual working alone (Mattson, 2015). Generates ideas: In the company, each person of a team would have worked on a
problem or set of tasks and resulted different information and knowledge to bear, which
could result in solutions and approaches an individual would not have identified.
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 Greater sense of accomplishment – The members of a team collaborate and takes
collective responsibility for attaining better outcomes. This results the company with high
rate of accomplishing the objectives which would not be possible if they had worked out
alone as an individual.
 Increases mutual support: It increases the team members' efficiency of relying the other
individuals with shared goals (Denis, Langley and Rouleau, 2010). They could receive
assistance and encouragement from them as they have worked on the tasks. Such support
would encourage people of PMC, to achieve goals as they would not have certain
confidence to reach at that level on their own.
3.2 Importance of a leader and member of a team towards
specific goals, dealing with conflicts or difficult situations
There are several aspects based on conflicts and difficult situation which are faced by
member and leader of a team for accomplishing some specific goals. The main problems faced
by both the parties in a team are discussed below:
 Lack of participation – Some team members faces with the fear of participation due to
lack of confidence. This decreases the ability of the team to generate new ideas and
motivate the employees. However, PMC should identify such employees and encourage
their level of confidence.
 Communication and coordination – The team has poor communicating structure for
commanding the task among the leaders and group members which is a primary barrier
that hinders the growth of a team. Therefore, clear and cordial communication process
should be accepted and applied by each member (Gorey, 2012).
 Ineffective leadership - The inefficiency of leaders also causes great disturbance and
disadvantage for the team and its members. It results with lack of coordination, lack of
creativity, distrust and inability to resolve the conflicts become the scenario. The leader
needs to rectify the errors happening while his decision making process.
3.3 The ineffectiveness of team in achieving goals
The main factors which leads to in effectiveness of team in achieving goals are: Group members – The size and structure of members in a team effects its production of
the company. It is not necessary that more number of members in a team would provide
excellent results to the company (Jaworski and Senge, 2011). The company should use
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the available resources of large number of members with different personalities and
perceptions in formulating a proper team.
 Increasing conflicts – The differences among the members abilities, understanding and
efficiency team generally suffers with unnecessary disruption and leads to breakdowns in
working relationships (Herman, 2011.). The company members should take it upon
themselves and understand the reasons/basics of conflict management.
TASK 4
4.1 Factors Involved in Planning the Monitoring
It is essential to ascertain the factors through which better planning can be done for
monitoring and assessment of work performance. In this regard, PM Company can emphasize on
following factors:
1. Measurement of Performance: It is essential to determine the tools through which
monitoring and assessment can be done. In this context, company can focus on checklist
and self-appraisal system so that monition of performance can be done. With the help of
it, gap can be identified and same can be fulfilled in order to boost the efficiency of
employees.
2. Benchmarking for Performance: Within the area of monitoring and assessment of
performance, benchmarking plays a significant role. In this regard, PM Company can set
benchmark for particular work and compare the performance of each individual with that
so that proper monitoring can be done. It is one of the best practice that can be taken into
account for assessing the actual performance and it aids in identifying the training needs
in desired manner (Ward, 2011).
3. Mentoring: In addition to above stated factors, company can focus on lifelong learning
so that particular set of skills can be learnt by employees. To conduct the same,
mentoring can be done in which trainers will take session for improving knowledge
within the context of recruitment and selection.
4.2 Plan for Assessment of Development Needs
It is required to assess the development needs of each individual so that same can be
fulfilled by the HR manager at cited company. In this context, manager can employ varied
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techniques for assessing the development needs (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2012). These have
been discussed below:
1. Audit of Skill: Manager need to conduct skill audit of employees on regular basis in order
to identify the development needs for each. Through this, manager is able to list all
employees that possess same set of development needs. This will help in offering same
training to varied individual through which skills of employees get increased. It is a cost
efficient method which supports in boosting the skills in desired manner.
2. Feedback from Employees: Additionally, PM Company can take feedback from
employees in order to assess the development needs. In this, one on one interaction can
be needs of employees can be highlight. Based on it, required training will be offered
through which they can work as per the industry standards. In this context, PM Company
can take feedback in the form of questionnaire also which is one of the cost effective
method of collecting response. This will helps in gaining information on particular aspect
through which tailored training can be offered to employees as per their needs (Jackson
and Parry, 2011).
4.3 Success of Assessment Process
For the purpose of assessing the success of process, company can undertake following
measures:
1. Performance Mapping: It is a practice in which manager of cited company can match
the past and existing performance of employees. This aids in identifying the progress in
the performance along with deviation, if any. Based on it, corrective measures can be
employed by company (Schein, 2010).
2. Regular feedback from customers: Another method of assessing the success is to take
feedback from customer of PM Company on regular basis so that issues can be tracked. If
rate of feedback is declined than this signifies rise in quality of work.
CONCLUSION
The reports have developed the base for leadership and management which are
significant for a company to overcome for the drawbacks of improper staff and functioning. The
report also covers the section of recruitment and selection process, along with the required
development for increasing the efficiency of the team members in an organization.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Aaker, D. A. and Joachimsthaler, E., 2012. Brand leadership. Simon and Schuster.
Avolio, B. J. and Yammarino, F. J. eds., 2013. Transformational and charismatic leadership:
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Budhwar, P. and Varma, A., 2010. Guest editors' introduction: emerging patterns of HRM in the
new Indian economic environment. Human Resource Management. 49(3). pp.345-351.
Chhokar, J. S., Brodbeck, F. C. and House, R. J. eds., 2013. Culture and leadership across the
world: The GLOBE book of in-depth studies of 25 societies. Routledge.
Denis, J. L., Langley, A. and Rouleau, L., 2010. The practice of leadership in the messy world of
organizations. Leadership. 6(1). pp.67-88.
Fausing, M.S. and et.al., 2013. Moderators of shared leadership: work function and team
autonomy. Team Performance Management: An International Journal. 19(5/6). pp.244-
262.
Finn, R., Currie, G. and Martin, G., 2010. Team work in context: institutional mediation in the
public-service professional bureaucracy. Organization Studies. 31(8). pp.1069-1097.
Galegher, J., Kraut, R. E. and Egido, C., 2014. Intellectual teamwork: Social and technological
foundations of cooperative work. Psychology Press.
Herman, R. D., 2011. The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership and management. John
Wiley & Sons.
Innocenti, L., Pilati, M. and Peluso, A. M., 2011. Trust as moderator in the relationship between
HRM practices and employee attitudes. Human Resource Management Journal. 21(3).
pp.303-317.
Jackson, B. and Parry, K., 2011. A very short fairly interesting and reasonably cheap book about
studying leadership. Sage.
Jaworski, J. and Senge, P., 2011. Synchronicity: The inner path of leadership. Berrett-Koehler
Publishers.
Rothwell, W. J. and Kazanas, H. C., 2011. Mastering the instructional design process: A
systematic approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Schein, E. H., 2010. Organizational culture and leadership (Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons.
Schweyer, A., 2010. Talent management systems: Best practices in technology solutions for
recruitment, retention and workforce planning. John Wiley & Sons.
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Selznick, P., 2011. Leadership in administration: A sociological interpretation. Quid Pro Books.
Ward, J. L., 2011. Keeping the family business healthy: How to plan for continuing growth,
profitability, and family leadership. Palgrave Macmillan.
Zhang, X. and Bartol, K. M., 2010. Linking empowering leadership and employee creativity:
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engagement. Academy of management journal. 53(1). pp.107-128.
Online
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<https://www.sandler.com/blog/6-benefits-of-teamwork-in-the-workplace>. [Accessed
on 10th March 2016].
Gorey, A., 2012. Leadership Styles For Different Situations. [Online]. Available through:
<http://info.profilesinternational.com/profiles-employee-assessment-blog/bid/117287/
Leadership-Styles-For-Different-Situations>. [Accessed on 10th March 2016].
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