MGT701 - Enhancing Morale Through Teamwork & Change Report

This report examines the importance of teamwork and change management strategies within organizations, focusing on improving employee morale and engagement. It begins with a literature review of relevant theories and models, including those by Tuckman, Buchanan and Huczynski, and Belbin, to understand the processes and techniques for building effective teams. A case study of a government organization's new group, FAT, reveals issues stemming from poor leadership, lack of communication, and a negative work environment. The report analyzes these issues, highlighting the absence of motivation and the prevalence of stress among employees. Key strategies such as enhanced communication and training are recommended to address these challenges. The report concludes by emphasizing the critical role of leadership in fostering successful teamwork and positive change, and includes group reflections in the appendix. Desklib provides access to similar reports and study materials for students.

Team work and change

Running Head: Report
Executive summary
The report focuses on understanding the importance of team and the various strategies that are
helpful in forming an efficient team that works in harmony with each other to achieve the shared
goals set by the organization. The first section of the report lays down a literature review. There
are various theories and models studied to understand the processes and techniques used to form
efficient and motivated teams. The models given by Tuckman, Buchanan and Hyczynski,
Murray and Meredith Belbin are studied and understanding of the same is applied while
analyzing the case study in the next section. Then next, the facts of the case are studied and the
overall causes of the negative environment prevailing in the department are studied. There is no
good leader in the group and the employees are very negative, fearful, stressful and are not
motivated to provide good customer service to the clients. The case is analyzed by providing
practical applications of the theories of team work. Communication and training were one of the
important strategies the organizations needs to implement in the group, as the employees did not
even know the real reason of the existence of the group. The recommendations and conclusions
are provided in the next section, where the role of a good leader in the success of the teams is
highlighted. The last section has the appendix in which the group reflections are stated.
1

Running Head: Report
Contents
Executive summary.........................................................................................................................1
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Literature review..............................................................................................................................3
Case study........................................................................................................................................6
Facts of the case...........................................................................................................................6
Importance of team enhancement strategies....................................................................................7
Dynamics of group..........................................................................................................................8
Team wok building and Change management strategies................................................................9
Conclusion and Recommendations................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................12
Appendix........................................................................................................................................15
Group reflections........................................................................................................................15
2

Running Head: Report
Introduction
In organizations, all the stakeholders benefit when the employees work together towards a
common target. The team members do proper planning and work cooperatively to produce
timely results. They conduct several discussions with varied approaches and viewpoints. It is
because of team work that the tasks get completed even when a particular task is not the first
choice of the individuals. In order to achieve the shared goals, consensus is required for teams to
function in harmony. Though, consensus is not possible every time because of varied opinions
and value systems of the employees. Therefore, the role of team leader comes into picture in
supporting the team members and guiding them towards achieving the set targets.
Literature review
There are several models and theories that are studied that are crucial for developing effective
teams. According to Tuckman (1965) model, there are four stages that are essential for group
formations. The various teams have to follow a set of stages to work cohesively in a team. The
first stage is known as forming, it includes socialization; the second is known as storming, in this
stage there can be resistance and conflicts (Nestor, 2013). The third stage is known as norming,
where communication plays a big role to develop a cohesive approach. The fourth stage is
known as group development. In this stage, the teams work together, their focus is on the task
and achievement of the goals (Huczynski & Buchanan, 2007). In this stage the teams understand
the challenges and issues they might face and prepare a set of norms which would help them in
achieving the final goal. After completion of these stages, the end result is an efficient and
motivated team which is willing to achieve the goals (Murray, 2006).
3

Running Head: Report
There are certain factors that act as barriers for successful team development. Teamwork is a
complete package loaded with several challenges and issues. If the challenges are not addressed
at an early stage, members would hinder each other’s ability to complete the task. This is very
common in organizations where there is lack of communication. This phenomenon is known as
social loafing. It can also give rise to group think. In case of group think, the members purposely
do not critically analyze test and evaluate problems and issues. The reason is that they
purposefully want to avoid group consensus. Thereby, it is the role of the managers and leaders
to make sure that social loafing and group think doesn’t take place where teams are functioning.
It is their responsibility to identify the team leaders who encourage such behaviors and take
adequate actions to curb the effect of their unproductive leadership (Liden, et al., 2014).
A very essential aspect of efficient team work is to understand team roles. According to Dr.
Meredith Belbin, there are team roles that have to be defined and each team role has certain
strengths and weaknesses that is considered essential for the success of the team formation.
Several organization uses Belbin to recognize which team member best fits with the team roles
(Mostert, 2015).
Another technique studied that contributes in having efficient teams is Nominal group technique.
Nominal group technique is a valuable technique to reach consensus. It is primarily used in case
of small group discussions (CDC, 2018). It requires the group members to answer certain
questions of the moderator and then to prioritize the ideas. This technique can be used in case of
teams where there are chances of conflict. This process helps in overcoming domination by one
4

Running Head: Report
team member and encouraging everyone to participate. The results are based on the suggestions
given by the group (Gündüz, 2008).
Where there are teams, conflicts are bound to take place. Thereby, it is essential to understand
the reasons of conflicts and the strategies to deal with the conflicts. The expectations of the
individual team members are a big factor for conflict in teams. The differences in professional
aspirations of different individuals lead to conflicts. A very ambitious team member can be a
threat to the other team members whereas a non-ambitious team member can be pulls away the
motivation of the team members. The roles of the team members also give rise to conflict.
Allocation of the resources also needs to be appropriate otherwise it can be a great cause of
conflict. There are several minor things like a good corner of the office, desks and computers
which can give rise to big conflicts (Klein, et al., 2009).
The interdependency of the team can also be a reason of conflict as there are chances that one of
the team members does not complete his task at the stated time. This cause a lot of tension and
work load on other team members and is not acceptable by the team members as the team is then
highlighted in bad name. Therefore, interdependency is good, but it can be a cause of conflict.
The increased dealings of the team members can also be a reason of conflict. The team members
get very personal with each other and might compromise in the work place due to their personal
relationships, these compromises can also be a reason of conflict. Conflicts can also arise
because of the diverse aspects of the organization (Petkovski & Joshevska, 2013).
5

Running Head: Report
In the modern age of digitalization, technology plays a great role in every sphere of the business.
Technology also plays a very crucial role in team functioning as well. There are several types of
technologies that help in developing team environment. Virtual teams are becoming very
popular, wherein the team members communicate through electronic communication systems
those facilities to cross time and cultural boundaries. Video conferencing, skype and Google
voice are the latest technologies being used in the area of facilitating virtual teams (Mustafa, et
al., 2017).
Case study
The case of a large Government organization is analyzed. The formation of a new group FAT is
merged from three departments to achieve strategic goals and vision. It is determined that the
employees of the group are facing great pressure because of poor group leadership and red
tapism. While discussing the case, it is understood that a spirit of overall team work is greatly
missing and the group is not able to deliver good customer service. There is a very negative
environment prevailing in the new group that is formed. The employees were very cautious
while participating in their survey interviews because of the fear of repercussions.
Facts of the case
The employees are not at all motivated to achieve any goals; rather they are involved in just
damage control. It is found out that the employees are also under staffed and the workload is
more than the employees can handle. The workload is also not effectively distributed to the
6

Running Head: Report
employees of the group. There is no planning or communications within the group, instead
workload is piled on to them at the last minute. This has led to a very stressful environment in
the group. There is also information of using personal connections to get biased treatments.
Some of the staff has made personal connections with their bosses and these connections were
being used to get the wok done and to receive special treatments. The employees also complain
of no engagement activities and no teamwork within and between departments. They have also
complained of job security and high confusion. There is indication of high level of micro
management and lack of trust towards the management. This has probably made the employees
highly resistant to change, stressful, defensive and emotional. It is also revealed that the
employees of the FAT group are not able to provide good customer service.
Importance of team enhancement strategies
It is a clear case of lack of good group leadership and teamwork in the group. Team work is very
crucial now a day’s, because if the teams are managed properly it helps in providing a
competitive edge to the organization. Teams are the formal groups that are bonded by shared
goals (Nora, 2017).
There are various advantages in having efficient teams working in the organization. There is
better employee morale, creativity and innovation. On the other hand, if the teams are not
managed effectively then it can lead to counter productivity. There are several factors that
contribute in making strong teams. These factors facilitate in achieving the goals (Odysseos,
2016).
7

Running Head: Report
In the modern organizations, the importance of working in harmony to achieve successful results
is valued. In today’s times, the competitors have become collaborators and the outsiders have
become stakeholders. More and more organizations are working with collaborations. The
organizations are pushing towards having quality team work. Quality Teamwork helps in
providing great economic advantage, more productivity, less stress and improved relationships
(Tuckman, 1965).
Dynamics of group
The effect of group dynamics has a substantial impact on the working of the teams. Teamwork
can be very challenging to manage because of the complex structures and unpredictable human
behaviors, but if these are managed effectively, the results can be very rewarding.
If the challenges are not addressed at an early stage, members would hinder each other’s ability
to complete the task. In the above stated case there is clear indication of lack of proper
communication by the leaders to the team members which has given rise to this social loafing
(Liden, et al., 2014).
There are high indications of group think prevailing in the department. In case of group think, the
members purposely do not critically analyze test and evaluate problems and issues. The reason is
that they purposefully want to avoid group consensus. Thereby the role of team leader is missing
to avoid social loafing and group think that is prevailing in the group.
8

Running Head: Report
Team wok building and Change management strategies
Communication skills: Open communications are very crucial in this group. The employees
have mentioned that there is no communication at all and the workload is just piled on to them
without giving any explanation. Communication is very essential for the team members too as it
would help the team members to convey their plans and ideas in order to sort out any complex
error while working together (Brunings, 2019).
Allocating specific Roles: The team leader’s role is completely missing; he has the crucial role
to explain the roles of each team member so that they have no confusion in their minds regarding
their range of work, responsibilities, goals and targets (Klein, et al., 2009).
Good Leadership: Effective Leadership results in developing solid teams. The leaders have the
responsibility of maintaining a positive work environment and increasing the confidence level of
their team so that they feel valuable. The objectives and goals should be clearly understood by
the teams. It is very important for the team members to know the rationale behind formation of
their team. The organization has to ensure that the teams have the requisite information and
resources to be effective and efficient. The team members must be motivated frequently to make
them participate with enthusiasm for the completion of the set goals (Monahan, et al., 2018).
Role of training in change management: Where there are teams, conflicts are bound to happen.
It is important that adequate training is also provided with respect to conflict management. A
conflict normally originates because of differed value system of different people and lack of trust
within the group and towards the management. Lack of trust is one of the factors that the
employees of the FAT group are also facing. Therefore, trainings by the senior officials should
9

Running Head: Report
be arranged to ensure that trust factor is again instilled in the members of the FAT group. It is
studied that team leaders or managers at times do not prioritize in solving the conflicts that arise
in teams. Therefore, it is imperative that the team members should be trained to solve team
conflicts (Petkovski & Joshevska, 2013).
The employees have also mentioned that the some of the members have personal relations with
their bosses. It is studied that mostly team members get very personal with each other and might
compromise in the work place due to their personal relationships, these compromises is a big
reason of conflict. The below mentioned recommendations would help the group in overcoming
the gaps within the group.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Thus, it can be concluded that for team to function effectively it is crucial that there has to be
harmony among the team members. The teams should be formed with a clear purpose of
existence that is communicated to all the team members and adequate steps should be taken in
creating a healthy and positive environment where teams can get involved together to achieve the
desired goals. The causes of conflicts and barriers to effective teams are also discussed. The role
of an effective group leader along with the importance of training to avoid the rising conflicts is
also discussed. Below mentioned are the recommendations with context to the case study.
10

Running Head: Report
 The teams should be first made to socialize with each other and given the opportunity to
plan and discuss their goals. The employees are found out be working in a very stressful
environment, socializing would ease them.
 Communication plays a great role in avoiding misunderstandings and conflicts. The
group leader and other high officials should regularly communicate with the staff
members and address the concerns at the earliest.
 The team should be made to prepare a set of norms which would help them in achieving
their goals
 Social loafing and group think should be dealt strictly by the group leader.
 The group should be made to understand the reason of their existence and their specific
roles should be assigned to them. The assigning of responsibility will make the
employees more committed and would also solve the problem of personal bias.
 Communication within the group is also very essential for the team members, as it would
help the team members to convey their plans and ideas in order to sort out any complex
error while working together.
11