Question

Answer these questions are based on a recently completed group project that you have been involved in. This project may have been a student project, a work project, an extracurricular project, or a project in one of the case studies in the book.

1. Analyze the development of the team in terms of the five-phase model and the punctuated equilibrium model. Which model does the best job of describing how the team evolved?

2. Analyze the group in terms of the nine situational factors that influence team development. What factors positively contributed to group performance? What factors negatively contributed to group performance? How did the group try to overcome the negative factors? What could you have done differently to overcome these negative factors?  

3. Analyze how effectively the group managed meetings. What did the group do well? What didn't the group do well? If the groups were formed again, what specific recommendations would you make about how the group should manage meetings?

Answer 1

Student Project: To analyse The Effect of Information Technology on Organizational Structure and Firm Performance through research methods.

The team: The team comprised of 5 management students with differnt educational background and work experience

Answer 1:

Five phase model of the team:

Forming Stage- The team members met for the first time to get to know each other and start dicusssing the scope/expectation of the project. The team memebrs talked about their varying work experiences and their education background.

Storming Stage: The conflict arised when the scope of the project had to be determined. Also, the team struggled to have a consensus on what roles/tasks to be allocated to different team members as per their area of expertise. What all factors should be considered while drafting the research paper for the topic.

Norming Stage: The consensus was arrived in terms of the task allocation, scope determination and the approcah to be adopted for the same. For example: The people experieced in the relevant field took the responsiblity of the critical work, whereas the freshers were mostly allocated the task of doing the secondry research and gathering data for the project.

Performing Stage: As per the timelines decide eralier and the task allocated,the team members started working on their individual assignmnets and also, in collaboration with each other to give their best output.

Adjourning: SInce, the team was temporary, at the end of the project, the team members submitted the aassgined task and finished the team project.

Punctuated Equilibrium model:

Therefore, the work task will generally be stopped (punctuated) when the task is in equilibrium (that is, no pressing deadlines). When it is out of equilibrium (project task not being adequately progressed according to the deadline) then activity will occur.

Early stage/meeting- the general agreement of the project/team was outlined at the very first meeting. The timeline for the meeting was established andthe role/allocation of task was done at the later 2-3 meetings.

Inertia: since, the individuals had their other tasks as well, they went into phase of inertia, where they were not very active.

Mis-stage meeting- The meeting set the urgency, when it was found that by the half time had been spent, hardly 1/5th of the work had been completed. The need to press upon the timelines was discussed.

End stage meeting: By the end staage meeting, lot of work had been accomplished The collaboration of the team ahd enhanced. They drew conclusions and prepared to submit the final draft as per the requiremnet of the project.

The Punctuated model best describes how the team evolved. As it relates more to the teamporary work group of students assigned with the semester projects.

Answer 2:

1. Performance management play a key role in developing high-performance project teams.
2. Perfromance management's roles
3. Recruit team members
4. Conduct meetings
5. Establish a team identity
6. Create a common sense of purpose or a shared vision
7. Manage a reward system that encourages teamwork
8. Orchestrate decision-making
9. Resolve conflicts that emerge within the team rejuvenated team the when energy wanes

Positive influences:

Create a common sense of purpose or a shared vision : Though achieved with difficulty, but getting all the team members onboard is necessary to make the project successful.

Negative Influences:

Conflict management: Since, all the students belonged to same level, there was no understanding on how to solve the team conflicts.

In order to mange the arising conflicts,the team decided to divide the task. Every team member was expected to work upon his/her allocated task only and not interfere in the decisions tken by other team members in their tasks.

I dont agree with the approcah of dividing the task in order to escape conficts. Rather conflicts should be faced openly and constructively, to com to the best outcome of any situation. every argument should be followed by its pros and cons.

Answer 3:

The group used to meet as per the decide timelines. They also made sure that the individual allocated tasks have been completed as per the requirement.

The gap: In team, the collaboration among the team memebrs lacked severly. The had a tendency to escape conflict rathe than embracing it in order to reach the best agreement.

Specific recommendation: Any project can be made better if it gets the best of all the inputs. The team should work in synergy, that is, multipicating the output with the individual collaborated work. I would recommend to make a forum or environment where the team can discuss all the issues openly and help each other out in order to achieve a great output.