Diversity In Teams

Types of work teams

According to Bishop et al. (2014), work teams are a group of people who generate positive collaboration through coordinated efforts. The different types of work teams in modern organizations include functional, cross-functional, and task-force teams. Functional teams are teams that include people from the same department. Each team member in a functional team has specific responsibilities. Cross-functional teams include individuals from different departments. They handle specific tasks that require expertise and input. Task force teams are created during emergencies to find a solution to a problem. They include people with specific skills and competencies needed to resolve a problem.

Advantages of teams

One of the advantages of functional teams is high efficiency. Every team member in a functional team is assigned responsibilities based on their expertise leading to team efficiency. The efficiency of functional teams is also enhanced by exchanging ideas among team members handling the same function. The second advantage is a large scope of expansion because responsibilities are shared among all team members. The main disadvantage of functional teams is limited autonomy because the team manager sets boundaries regulating team members’ actions. The main advantage of cross-functional teams is that they facilitate innovation because team members from different departments can exchange opinions and ideas and collaborate to implement them. However, maintaining team cohesion in cross-functional teams is difficult because members from different departments have different perspectives and goals. Cross-functional teams also have a versatile structure that could contribute to conflict among team members. A versatile structure includes individuals with different qualities or skills (Mears, 2020). Poor management of versatile teams reduces cohesion, thus reducing the team’s productivity. The main advantage of task-force teams is a high commitment among team members because they are all engaged in meeting a common goal. However, task force teams may lack cohesiveness because team members have different knowledge, skills, and abilities. Decision-making in task force teams is also slow because the team members have to settle on a mutual agreement. Conflicts are also likely to occur among team members in task force teams because of different opinions on the effectiveness of selected solutions to an identified problem.

Is one team better than the others?

Cross-functional teams are better than others because they involve everyone in the organization, thus enhancing engagement and a sense of belonging. Cross-functional teams also allow everyone to express their opinions and ideas, thus improving decision-making. Cross-functional teams can also be leveraged during an organizational change to reduce resistance to change by encouraging employees to share their ideas about the change.

References

Bishop, J. W., Dow Scott, K., Maynard-Patrick, S., & Wang, L. (2014). Teams, team process, and team building. Clinical Laboratory Management, 373-391. https://doi.org/10.1128/9781555817282.ch18

Mears, P. (2020). Teams, teams, and more teams. Healthcare Teams, 79-86. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003072744-12

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Type: Discussion Board
Unit: Diverse Teams
Due Date: Thu,10/27/22
Grading Type: Numeric
Points Possible: 75
Points Earned: Points Earned not available
Deliverable Length: 2 parts: See assignment details
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Assignment Description
Primary Discussion Responses are due by Thursday (11:59:59pm Central), and Peer Responses are due by Saturday (11:59:59pm Central).

Diversity in Teams

Organizations use different types of teams. Diversity in teams can mean everything from skill sets to ethnicity. Matching the right team structure to the needs of the organization takes an understanding of the function of that team structure.

Diversity In Teams

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation of future discussions with your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

Respond to the following:

Explain at least 3 different types of work teams.
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of each one?
Of the work teams you have chosen, is one type better than the others? Explain why.
Responses to Other Students: Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 100-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:

Do you agree or disagree with his or her conclusion about the best type of work team?
What did you learn from your classmate’s posting?
What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates’ postings?
For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.