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    TABLE OF CONTENT

    Abstract

    1. Teamwork in Organizations An Overview 4

    2. Dont go it alone 5

    3. Rewarding the Team 5

    4. Tuckman Model 6

    4.1 The Tuckman Model of Group development 6

    5. 8

    6.

    7.

    8. Conclusion 11

    References 12

    Appendix 1 14

    Appendix 2 15

    Appendix 3 16

    Appendix 4

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    ABSTRACT

    The most successful organizations in any realm sports, work, play, family are

    successful due to a collective and collaborative sense of mission, purpose, and ownership.

    In other words, the most successful organizations operate as a team. Smart organizations

    place a premium of group consultation. Whereas a cooperating unit can distribute the

    many subtasks of a problem-solving campaign among its members, the lone operator

    must perform each task sequentially. Many companies, having a compensation plan that

    rewards employees for successful teamwork fits their organizational model. For the

    purposes of this report, the authors aim to assess the nature of the teamwork dynamic that

    exists at Media Film Services, a film equipment rental company based in Cape Town. The

    authors have therefore confined themselves to within the original four stages identified in

    the original Tuckman model

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    1. TEAMWORK IN ORGANIZATIONS AN OVERVIEW

    The most successful organizations in any realm sports, work, play, family are

    successful due to a collective and collaborative sense of mission, purpose, and ownership.

    In other words, the most successful organizations operate as a team. Although it has been

    established that individuals mastery of job knowledge predicts their individual success in

    the workplace, many organizations now emphasize performance at the team level (Ilgen

    & Pulakos, 1999).

    Teams are commonly regarded as structured sets of people who pursue collective

    performance objectives within larger organization systems and who require coordinatedinteractions to successfully accomplish relevant tasks (Cohen & Bailey, 1997; Forsyth,

    1999). Because teams are often assembled to take on multifaceted and complex

    endeavors, team tasks present a range of knowledge-intensive challenges to team

    members (McIntyre & Salas, 1995; Mohrman, 2003). As such, scholars have theorized

    that team members ongoing intellectual development contributes to collective

    performance (DeNisi, Hitt, & Jackson, 2003; London & Mone, 1999). In other words,

    greater workplace learning by team members should translate into better team

    performance, as long as what is being learnt is relevant (Austin, 2003; Kozlowski, Gully,

    Nason, & Smith, 1999).

    A high-performance team can accomplish remarkable feats. Maximizing the creative

    energy generated by a powerful team takes a skilled manager. By utilizing a few

    guidelines, a team manager can motivate the best and the brightest employees to work as

    a team.

    Teams outperform individuals acting alone or in larger organizational groupings,

    especially when performance requires multiple skills, judgments and experience (The

    Wisdom of Teams).

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    2. DONT GO IT ALONE

    Smart organizations place a premium of group consultation. Studies done by psychologist

    Patrick Laughlin at the University of Illinois and his colleagues show that the approaches

    and outcomes of a cooperating group are not just better than those of the average group

    member, but are better than even the groups best problem solver functioning alone.

    Cialdini (2007) argues that the lone problem solver cant match the diversity of

    knowledge and perspectives of a multiperson unit that includes him. Other members will

    have had experiences with similar and related problems that will allow the team to

    recognize fruitful versus fruitless choices more clearly and quickly. Furthermore, Cialdini

    adds that the solution seeker who goes it alone loses a significant advantage the power

    of parallel processing. Whereas a cooperating unit can distribute the many subtasks of a

    problem-solving campaign among its members, the lone operator must perform each task

    sequentially.

    3. REWARDING THE TEAM

    For many companies, having a compensation plan that rewards employees for successful

    teamwork fits their organizational model (Matt, 2007). HR professionals at companies

    that use these plans say they can be and effective way to reward team performance, but

    must be carefully crafted to avoid unintended consequences that could undermine

    individual initiative and business goals.

    According to Jim Fox, founder and senior partner at the compensation and HR specialty

    firm Fox Lawson & Associates LLC, based in St. Paul, Minn., 12 percent of privately

    held firms, mostly in manufacturing, have some sort of gain-sharing program. And the

    use of team-based incentives also is gaining support among hospitals and health systems

    that often tie rewards to specific goals, such as increased patient satisfaction scores or a

    reduction in receivables, he says.

    Matt (2007) further claims that while team-based pay isnt a panacea for organizational

    ills, it can be a useful tool to motivate and reward employees.

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    4. TUCKMAN MODEL (Appendix 1)

    For the purposes of this report, the authors aim to assess the nature of the teamwork

    dynamic that exists at Media Film Services, a film equipment rental company based in

    Cape Town (Appendix 2). The employees of Media Film Service work in a rigorous and

    demanding environment often under enormous pressure. They are reliant upon each other

    and effective teamwork and the management thereof is integral factor that allows them to

    perform their tasks in an efficient manner. Effective and organized teamwork is therefore

    central to the nature of their work and the efficacy of the company. It is for this reason

    that the authors have decided to focus on this element of the operations of the company.

    The Tuckman model of group development is the predominant technique used for this

    report. Tuckmans model, although dating back to 1965 is acknowledged as one of the

    most common and appropriate models of group development in use today (Cissna 1984;

    Smith 2005) and is therefore considered by the authors to be a suitably apt methodology

    for the purposes of this paper. In addition to the use of the Tuckman model the authors

    have also made use of a questionnaire (Appendix 3), compiled by the authors and

    responded to by Blaise Sheasby, a senior manager at Media Film Services, to help

    provide further background information on the nature and teamwork dynamic of the

    company to help place the report in the correct context.

    By the application of the Tuckman model this report therefore hopes to identify the

    current condition of the teamwork dynamic existent at Media Film Services, how their

    effective their teamwork dynamic is and if it can be improved upon to make for better or

    more efficient human resources management (Appendix 4).

    4.1 The Tuckman Model of Group Development

    The Tuckman model of group development was formulated by Bruce Tuckman, a

    respected educational psychologist in 1965. His model identifies four distinct linear

    stages of group development. These four stages depict the process small groups go

    through from their formation up and to the point where they reach their point of

    maximum efficacy (www.chimaeraconsulting.com/tuckman.htm). Tuckman labels the

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    four stages as Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. His model holds that

    when various groups form the process of how they come together and begin to function

    follows a similar pattern and this pattern can be divided into the four above mentioned

    distinct stages (Smith 2005).

    In 1977 Tuckman, along with Mary Ann Jensen, refined the model to include a fifth

    stage, that of Adjourning, which deals with the completion and disengagement of the

    group. As this report is focused on the current teamwork dynamic of a currently

    functioning group it was decided by the authors not to include this later fifth stage in the

    research methodology of this paper. They believe that the dissolution of a group or team

    does not hold any quantifiable value to the company concerned and therefore falls outside

    of the stated purposes of this report. The authors have therefore confined themselves to

    within the original four stages identified in the original Tuckman model (Smith 2005).

    Storming

    Members become hostile and combative.aracterized by:

    Infighting

    Creating unachievable goals

    Disunity, jealousy, tension

    Polarization of members

    Resistance to task demands in order to deal with

    personal issues

    Sharp fluctuations and reversals of feelings

    Establishment of pecking order

    Minimal work accomplishment

    Norming

    Members accept team roles and behaviors of otherCharacterized by:

    Attempts at harmony by avoiding conflict

    Establish and maintain team boundaries

    Ability to express emotions constructively

    Sense of team cohesiveness with common spirit

    goals High levels of intimacy, confiding in each other,

    Moderate work accomplishment

    Forming

    Members come together to form a grouparacterized by:

    Hesitant participation Intellectualizing

    Identify how group will do its tasks

    Feeling of initial attachment to team

    Complaints about organizational environment

    Suspicion, fear, and anxiety about new situation

    Minimal work accomplishment

    Performing

    Members have established norms and are able to diagproblems and come up with solutions.

    Characterized by:

    Members experience insight into personal and

    interpersonal processes

    Constructive self-change is undertaken

    A great amount of work is accomplished!

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    5.

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    REFERENCES

    Austin, J.R. 2003. Transactive memory in organizational groups: The effects of content,

    consensus, specialization, and accuracy on group performance. Journal of Applied

    Psychology, 88: 866-878, May.

    Cialdini, R.B. 2007. How to Get the Best Solutions from Your Team. Harvard

    Management Update, 12 (5): 2-4, May.

    Cohen, S.G., & Bailey, D.E. 1997. What makes teams work: Group effectiveness researchfrom the shop floor to the executive suite.Journal of Management, 23: 239-290.

    DeNisi, A.S., Hitt, M.A., & Jackson, S.E. 2003. Knowledge-based approach to

    sustainable competitive advantage. In. S. E. Jackson, M.A. Hitt, & A.S. DeNisi (Eds.),

    Managing knowledge for sustained competitive advantage: Designing strategies for

    effective human resource management(pp. 3-33). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Hirschfeld, R. R., Jordan, M. H., Field, H. S., Giles, W. F., & Armenakis, A. A., 2006.

    Becoming Team Player: Team Members Mastery of Teamwork Knowledge as a Predictor

    of Team Task proficiency and Observed Teamwork Effectiveness. Journal of Applied

    psychology, 91 (2): 467-474, 8p, March.

    Ilgen, D.R., & Pulakos, E.D. (1999). Introduction: Employee performance in todays

    organizations. In D.R. Ilgen & E.D. Pulakos (Eds.), The changing nature of performance:

    Implications for staffing, motivation, and development(pp. 1-18). San Francisco: Jossey-

    Bass.

    Matt, B. 2007. Rewarding the Team.HRMagazine, 52 (2): 91-93, February.

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    McIntyre, R. M., & Salas, R. (1995). Measuring and managing for team performance:

    Emerging principles from complex environments. In R. A. Guzzo, E. Salas, & Associates

    (Eds.), Team effectiveness and decision making in organizations (pp.9-45). San

    Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Stanley, T. L., 2006. Managing your team. Supervision, 67 (6): 10-12, June.

    Focus on Team management. Health care Registration: The newsletter for Health Care

    Registration Professionals, 15 (5): 4-5, 2p, February.

    http://www.heartquotes.net/teamwork-quotes.html downloaded on the 29th May 2007.

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    APPENDIX 1

    T he Four Stages in Tuckman Model

    Forming:

    Tuckman in his original study described this stage to be that of orientation, testing and

    dependence. The orientation of the group or team is in effect a process of testing the

    boundaries of the interpersonal and task behaviors of members of the group or team and

    the resultant relationships of dependency within the group (Tuckman cited by Smith,

    2005). It is during this stage the group initially forms as a recognizable singular entity but

    the roles and processes are not totally entrenched (www.businessballs.com)

    Storming:

    Upon the formation of the group the next stage in its evolution is characterized by

    conflict between the members of the group. These conflicts arise around interpersonal

    issues as group or team members vie for position within the group. Sub-groups or cliques

    develop within the group or team and often power struggles ensue. The group or team

    does however begin to clarify a common purpose (www.businessballs.com).

    Norming:

    The group or team has now overcome its initial problems and begins to develop into a

    cohesive unit with a common purpose. Members are now aware of their individual tasks

    and those of the others within the group or team. Task duties and interpersonal opinions

    are expressed and accepted (Tuckman cited by Smith, 2005).

    Performing:The tasks and interpersonal structure of the group merge into a cohesive and well

    functioning unit. There is flexibility in the functioning of the group or team and members

    are focused on the tasks required of them. The group structure is cemented and agreed

    upon. This is the optimal stage of group development and the time in which the group or

    team is at its most efficient (Tuckman cited by Smith, 2005).

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    Tuckmans model provides a useful linear model for the development and life cycle of

    small groups. It helps us to quantify the nature of group interaction and provides and

    useful tool when trying understand the nature and dynamics of how teams work. It is

    however a generalist model that seeks to encapsulate a gamut of human emotion and

    interaction within a set framework. It is important to note that whilst it has proven to be

    an effective model for explaining group dynamics, the range of diversification within

    human endeavor that cannot be wholly or accurately captured and the stages of the model

    therefore should be viewed as a guide to rather than a precise description of a particular

    teams dynamic.

    APPENDIX 2

    MEDIA FILM SERVICE

    Media Film Services is an equipment rental company that supplies cameras, lights, film

    stock and other equipment to the film industry. The companys head office is in Cape

    Town and it has branches in Johannesburg and Durban. It has a nationwide staff of

    approximately 60 persons. Many of their staff is highly skilled as their positions require a

    high degree of technical expertise. They deploy equipment and staff to these various

    locations as the need arises (www.mediafilmservice.com).

    Media Film Services is partnered with ARRI Media and similar company based in

    London. They are the suppliers of ARRI film cameras and lights, a leading brand of

    equipment in the film industry. In addition to ARRI cameras and lights they also provide

    a range of specialized film equipment and stock Kodak motion picture film

    (www.mediafilmservice.com).

    Their market consists predominately of film production companies who hire film

    equipment for assorted film productions. The nature of this hire differs from production

    to production and the amount of gear and service required for each differs accordingly.

    By enlarge the majority of their clients are TV commercial service companies who hire

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    their gear for anything from one day to a number of weeks at a time. The nature of the

    industry in Cape Town in particular is seasonal with extremely busy periods over the

    summer months and a much quieter period during the winter months. This makes for

    varying periods of activity and availability of resources (www.mediafilmservice.com).

    Media Film Service offers a comprehensive service to its clients this includes the hire of

    all technical film equipment needed for particular productions, the sourcing of unique or

    specialized equipment, solutions or advice on technical matters, studio space and

    specialist technicians when necessary. The varying demands made by their clients

    require Media to be able to adjust to their needs rapidly often outside of working hours.

    Their company motto is; Service is our credo. The best equipment is our business.

    (www.mediafilmservice.com).

    APPENDIX 3 (QUESTIONNAIRE)

    APPENDIX 4 (INTERVIEW)

    1. Uncertainty can make teamwork even more challenging as the direction in which

    to proceed is unclear, and as individual members of the team may have different

    opinions. How do you manage your team in this scenario and how effective is it?

    We have one common goal to ensure the best equipment, best service and best

    experience at Media. Although the methods to achieve this are different for each dept,

    we all know what the goal is and do any small thing we can to help this process.

    In rentals, our processes are linear, well defined and clear which ensures that there

    isnt much grey area. This is essential considering that, even though the processes

    are rigid, the clients and productions arent and each one requires individual ideas,

    suggestions, recommendations and its own unique solutions.

    Also, with the rentals position being heavily dependant on information and

    knowledge, we find that this starfish-approach works brilliant. Whilst you are at the

    hub of the production on which you are working, the arms (our colleagues) provide

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    motivation, info which you may not have as well as ideas for alternate solutions to

    problems.

    2. Teamwork is very popular today in organizations, but it is an unnatural act that

    takes a strategy, discipline and practice. Most organizations talk about teamwork

    and put a group of workers together and say you are a team now. Duly formed,

    the team is marched out onto the field to succeed or fail. In the current

    challenging environment, what steps does Media take to prepare the team?

    For new Media employees we have an initiation program which provides them with

    an overview of the company, the history, details about the staff members and clients.

    Their position is clearly explained (as well as how they fit into the team) to them

    and their team-members/colleagues provide in-house training required for the

    position, as well as on-going assistance. All team-members understand that its

    imperative to the whole team that each member succeeds at their specific task.

    3. In a performance group or on a sports team, over 90% of the participants time is

    spent practicing- standardizing their routines or processes, identifying roles and

    responsibilities, improving communication effectiveness, working on their

    coordination, alignment or teamwork. The focus is learning from mistakes until

    they are ready to perform for the audience or fans. In line with this, does Media

    provide training to the team before they go into the field? If so, what are your

    training policies and how effective are they? How often are they trained?

    Considering that most of the processes employed by Media are specific and unique to our

    (very niche) market, its almost impossible to practice what we do, prior to doing it in

    reality! Its really a hands-on experiential job in which colleagues eavesdrop all the time

    in order to correct, assist and learn from each other.

    We feel it imperative that every employee experience all aspects of the company and at

    least understand (if not be able to fulfill) each individual and departmental role within

    Media prior to settling down in their specific position.

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    We are extremely fortunate that most of our staff come from similar film-equipment-rental

    backgrounds so have an innate understanding of

    a) the equipment

    b) the processes involved in renting that equipment and,

    c) the pressures and stresses specific to this industry.

    4. What are the challenges and obstacles faced by Media in terms of Teamwork

    Management?

    Media staff are independent, strong-willed and lateral-thinkers. The hardest part in

    directing the teamwork within Media is ensuring that all the ideas, opinions and

    suggestions are given due credit and ensuring that there isnt a power-struggle for

    leadership of the team!

    5. In recruiting your team members, what skills and knowledge do you look for?

    At Media, we feel strongly that skills and knowledge can be imparted and learnt.

    However attitude, enthusiasm and dedication are innate traits which no number of

    courses or training can teach.

    As a result, we are always on the lookout for the right personality and talent, with the

    right experience and skills viewed as a bonus. We are willing to give anyone an

    opportunity, as long as have that Media Oomph!

    6. What actions does the organization take to promote a culture of Teamwork?

    Luckily, Media staff understand that our individual roles are inextricably linked and that

    without dedicated teamwork, our chain will be riddled with weak links!

    In 2005, Media sent 16 HODs on a management course spanning most of the year. This

    course highlighted the importance of understanding various personality types, conflict

    management, integrating different personalities so as to achieve harmonious work

    environments and teambuilding.

    Media encourages and hosts regular social functions for employees such as water-

    rafting, karaoke evenings, company braais, and movie nights. These are all organized by

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    self-appointed groups within the company - which promotes a sense of responsibility and

    trust.

    7. Team leadership, paradoxically, includes knowing when to hand over the lead to

    others, as their expertise moves to the fore. What actions does Media take when

    one or more of your team members are either absent due to various reasons for a

    particular project or when they leave the organization?

    Media is lucky to have a wealth of self-motivated, service-driven people who will not

    shirk any task or responsibility. As such, we often find that we have more than one

    leadership-type-personality in any given team. Although Ive never thought about this

    before, it would seem (in retrospect) that, irrelevant of the make-up of the group, the role

    of 2IC automatically and unspokenly rests with the person who falls directly beneath the

    Team Leader in their department.

    Thus, if a team is made up of 3 camera people, 2 grips people and 4 lighting people and

    the Team Leader is a camera person, the 2IC will be the next-in-charge from Camera

    Dept. Obviously, should there be a team member much better suited to the task, they will

    take over leadership.

    8. Is there is a lot of resistance from the team members to the tasks at hand and

    quality improvement approaches and if so, how is being handled currently?

    The team leader is certainly responsible for satisfactorily explaining the motivation

    behind the tasks, changes and improvements before implementing them or expecting

    members to do so. In turn, it is the right of the members to expect satisfactory

    explanations for any changes which may affect them.

    Should the resistance be legitimate, the team leader will certainly enquire as to the

    reason for it, and most importantly ask the member for alternate suggestions.

    9. Many organizations are adapting team working organizational structures for

    becoming more responsive to market conditions and more effective in their

    operation. Has the team dynamics evolved over a period of time and if so how?

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    Explain some of the modern trends and changing attitudes of Teamwork

    management.

    As our company has expanded from a compliment of 18 people to nearly 70 people, our

    views of teamwork have had to change as well.

    Our top-level management has delegated much responsibility for team-leading to the

    Middle management.

    Where our teams used to be limited departmentally (camera dept was a team and lighting

    another), as our company has grown it has become necessary to comprise the groups

    differently with a member from each dept being grouped together so as to have a cross-

    section of the company.

    10. Team working is an increasingly popular way of achieving greater organizational

    flexibility as well as other benefits such as reduced costs of supervision, faster

    lead times, innovation, more effective decision making, more customer service

    and enhanced employee morale. What are the implications of the above-

    mentioned factors in your organization?

    We already run our various depts. In this way, although each dept has a manager and

    staff who fall beneath him, we recognize that each of these staff members is a responsible

    adult who should be able to operate without constant supervision. We expect that they

    will complete their work to Media-standards.

    Although each position has strictly-defined guidelines and responsibilities, we also

    expect staff to think outside the box and overlap other positions wherever they feel

    inspired to do so, in order to create an interesting synergy between departments and

    positions.

    Each staff members understands how their individual decision affect the company and

    are encourage to ask for advice if needed, however they are trusted to make decisions

    relevant to their department.

    11. How does Media recognize and/or reward the teamwork of its members?

    Media takes teams out for dinner or night away as recognition for effective teamwork.

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    The company also expects that each team set up will be reliable enough to responsibly

    reward itself for its work.

    A group of 4 girls has just volunteered to be an in-house maintenance (or Handygirl)

    team to see to all of the little paint/garden/maintenance jobs in and around the building

    and has asked for a monthly supper as a thank you. The Directors were ecstatic at the

    suggestion and more than happy to agree!

    12. Can you narrate an incident/s where the effectiveness of your team work were

    challenged and/or magnified in a particular situation?

    I have come to realize that the greatest threat to a team is an individual who feels

    excluded as they then tend to become rebellious which then jeopardizes the teams efforts.

    As such, Ive had to work hard to ensure that all staff inside MY team feel included and

    valued at all times.

    This has the positive spin-off of greater communication and interaction which is crucial

    for team-work anyway!

    13. Any suggestions or tips for effective Teamwork Management?

    Ensure that the team understands that, even though you may be the team leader, you are

    still part of the team and willing to get your hands dirty and do exactly what your role

    requires for the team to be successful!

    14. The Forming Storming Norming Performing model ofteam development

    was first proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965, who maintained that these phases

    are all necessary and inevitable - in order for the team to grow, to face up to

    challenges, to tackle problems, to find solutions, to plan work, and to deliver

    results. This model has become the basis for subsequent models of team dynamics

    and frequently used management theory to describe the behavior of existing

    teams. Identify the present stage of the teamwork model that your team is

    presently operating in using the attached questionnaire.

    Storming Stage.

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