Managing Teams - Research Paper Example

Apart from all this factors, the leader of the team is an important and powerful determinant of the success of the team. A leader who is openly cynical, ineffectual, apathetic and interpersonally hostile is less likely to maintain a positive, forward-looking team. A team leader belongs to a team and operates within it. He takes the responsibility of providing vision and mission to the team and sometimes also, represents the whole team to the organization. The main responsibility of the team leader is to ensure that the team is functioning well and also, acts as an involved member of the team (Hayes, 2002).

This paper mainly focuses on the importance of teamwork in working environment, leadership and ways of building a leading and effective team. Teamwork in a work environment The use of the concepts like, workgroups and team, within the organization has increased rapidly in the Western Industrialized world. The rise of quality circles and dominance of self- managed teams has come to exemplify this movement throughout the work organizations. These concepts have gained importance due to the lack of customized form of work and flexibility, which have reduced the competitive ability.

Teamwork has been introduced in the organizations for effective recruitment and better utilization of the employees in order to achieve organizational goals. Team work has also helped the employees in accomplishing their need by controlling the work environment (Doorewaard, van Hootegem & Huys, 2002). It is not unheard that a successful teamwork influences the success of a business. Kets De Vries (1999) has emphasized on the fact that research has proved that effective teamwork is one of the fundamental elements that facilitates a high performing business.

The business that continues to perform successfully is largely dependent on teamwork as it is a significant basis for day to day operations. Increased employee morale, effective and efficient communication, flat management structure, client focus, quality enhancement and productivity are the main aspects of team-oriented business. Research scholars have indicated that many of the organizations described themselves as highly team-oriented but in reality, they need to create team-oriented culture within their organization to gain success.

Creating an effective teamwork environment depends on flexibility of the organization, leadership styles and management structure. Scarnati (2001) has proposed that employees are less likely to work in a team unless the purpose, condition, arrangement and structure of the firm support their team effort. Once the team gets established, it is not only the responsibility of the management to nurture the effectiveness and efficiency of the working team, but is also the responsibility of the team members to perpetuate the success of the team.

The managers are required to select and employ highly skilled individuals who can contribute to the teams’ environment and lead it to success. Teams are a strategic practice of the management to conduct their business in order to provide flexibility to their employees, under a certain work structure. These individuals are expected to make informed decision within the team, take responsibility