Reflective Essay: Teamwork in Building Business Practice NX9410

This essay presents a student's reflection on their role as a team player in a group project focused on building business practices, specifically addressing corporate governance issues at Tesco. Using Gibb’s reflective cycle, the author examines their contributions, motivations, and overall satisfactio...Read More

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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
What did I do?.............................................................................................................................................3
Why Did I do it?...........................................................................................................................................3
How Can I Make sense of what I did and why?...........................................................................................4
What were my motivations for doing it that way?......................................................................................4
Was I happy with how the things turned out?............................................................................................5
How Could I improve upon it?.....................................................................................................................5
What might help me to improve?...............................................................................................................6
Where can I go get more information to give some ideas as to how to improve?......................................6
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................6
References...................................................................................................................................................7

Team Player Reflection
Introduction
The following write-up is my reflection as a team player in a group project on building
business practices. I worked with a team of four members and we discuss and drafted a report on
corporate governance issues that Tesco Company faced and what it could have done to prevents
having a difficult situation as a company. Being a good team player is an important skill both in
school and in a workplace. A team player is an individual who works or plays well as a member
of a group or team (Krumm, Kanthak, Hartmann, & Hertel, 2016). The paper will consider my
role as team player in the process of completing the group project using the Gibb’s reflective
cycle (Gibbs, 1988).
What did I do?
I was involved in the group work from the first meeting to the last phase of writing the
report. I contributed effectively and ensured I was giving much effort for the success of the
group work. I was also timely and delivered my contribution on time. I pushed other team
members to make their contributions for the project on time.
Why Did I do it?
My role in the project was to effectively contribute to the success of the team work. I
wanted our team to achieve comprehensive well researched findings. I researched on Tesco’s
audit committee and how it contributed to the scandal that faced the company. I also wanted to
offer my best contribution in terms of effort, creativity, and reliability. This was to develop my
skills as a good team player that enhanced attainment of predetermined results. According to
Sohmen (2013), strong team players are needed in organization for excellent performance and

reaching of organizational goals. A team player should always be ready to give 100%
commitment in a team during a project (Krumm, Kanthak, Hartmann, & Hertel, 2016). With
understanding of these concepts I was dedicated to the teamwork to ensure successful
completion of the project.
How Can I Make sense of what I did and why?
It’s important to learn how to work in team because there is nowhere in the world one can
fully depend on oneself (Sauaia, 2014). One has to work in teams to deliver results either as an
employee or an employer. Teamwork enhances collaboration that helps solve complex and
difficult problems. Teamwork also offers one an opportunity for brainstorming with others that
lead to exchange of ideas and enhance creativity (Parker, 2011). Therefore being a team player
can enable one work together with others to find solutions that work best.
What were my motivations for doing it that way?
I really wanted my team to be the best by achieving high marks on the project and
become a good team player. I wanted to establish how being a good team player can positively
influence the attainment of a team objective. This would enhance my competence as a team
player that is both important in school and in my future career as a business professional in
management.
I understood developing my competence as a team player would enhance my
participation in teams. This will provide a framework where I will be able to participate in
problem solving, planning, decision making that ultimately contribute to success of an
organization (Mathieu, Tannenbaum, Kukenberger, Donsbach, & Alliger, 2015). I also
understood working in a team brings new ideas and a support systems that ensures high quality

outcomes and deadlines are met even when one member fall behind. According to Koole,
Schlinkert, Maldei, & Baumann (2019), need for competence gives individuals intrinsic
motivation to work hard towards accomplishment of a task. The self determination theory
identifies competence, autonomy, and relatedness as innate needs that give need for growth
motivating s person to persistently show positive features (Ryan, & Deci, 2017).
Was I happy with how the things turned out?
I was impressed by my role as a team player in the group work. The project outcome
reflected my commitment and hard work better than what I could do by myself. The good thing
is that I offered my contribution and then it was enhanced by other team members’ contribution
making it more detailed and clear. I found that people share different perspectives and
understanding of issues that whose contributions enhance a discussion. I also found that
contributing to a discussion makes one understand the concept better hence able to apply the
concept in another satiation or in the future workplace. On the other side, I was not happy about
my cooperation skills in the team work. I feel I dominated the discussion and made a lot of self
contribution without allowing other members to mutually contribute to the same level.
How Could I improve upon it?
I could improve my team player skill of cooperation by allowing team members to
contribute more in the discussion and enhance the relationship between team members.
Cooperation has to involve acting or working together for a joint action or objective (LePine,
Buckman, Crawford, & Methot, 2011). I easily felt that some members were annoying and others
not creativity in their contribution. Therefore, I need to improve on cooperation to enhance my
team player skills when working with a team.

What might help me to improve?
First, I will find learning materials that can help me learn about being cooperation in team
work. Secondly I will involve myself in more group work to internalize the cooperation skill. My
involvement in more discussion groups will help engage and practice the cooperation skill. I will
value joint action and appreciate other members’ contribution even when I feel it not as creative
as I expect them to be.
Where can I go get more information to give some ideas as to how to
improve?
I will get more information in the internet. I will search for journals and expert blogs on
cooperation and how to enhance the skill in order to be a good team player. I will also get
YouTube videos and learn from them on how to enhance my cooperation skill.
Conclusion
From the essay, team player skills are important aspect to successful group work. I have
understood that I have excellent commitment, effort, creativity, and am reliable in team work and
need to improve on cooperation to perfect my team player skills. I will focus on improving the
cooperation skills by participating in more group works and learning from other materials
published to enhance my team player skills while in school and in my future workplace.

References
Gibbs, G. (1988). The reflective cycle. Kitchen S (1999) An appraisal of methods of reflection
and clinical supervision. Br J Theatre Nurs, 9(7), 313-7.
Koole, S. L., Schlinkert, C., Maldei, T., & Baumann, N. (2019). Becoming who you are: An
integrative review of self‐determination theory and personality systems interactions
theory. Journal of personality, 87(1), 15-36.
Krumm, S., Kanthak, J., Hartmann, K., & Hertel, G. (2016). What does it take to be a virtual
team player? The knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics required in
virtual teams. Human Performance, 29(2), 123-142.
LePine, J. A., Buckman, B. R., Crawford, E. R., & Methot, J. R. (2011). A review of research on
personality in teams: Accounting for pathways spanning levels of theory and
analysis. Human Resource Management Review, 21(4), 311-330.
Mathieu, J. E., Tannenbaum, S. I., Kukenberger, M. R., Donsbach, J. S., & Alliger, G. M.
(2015). Team role experience and orientation: A measure and tests of construct
validity. Group & Organization Management, 40(1), 6-34.
Parker, G. M. (2011). Team players and teamwork: New strategies for developing successful
collaboration. John Wiley & Sons.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in
motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Publications.

Sauaia, A. C. A. (2014). Individual Achievement versus Team Performance: An Empirical Study
with Business Games. In Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential
Learning: Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL conference (Vol. 31).
Sohmen, V. S. (2013). Leadership and teamwork: Two sides of the same coin. Journal of IT and
Economic Development, 4(2), 1-18.