Introduction
Teamwork may be regarded as a highly complex process based on multiple conditions and principles. A competent leader should consider the factors of team and communication effectiveness. At the same time, he should be aware of how to identify the reasons for potential conflicts and approaches for their management. In this paper, the team management of West Coast Transit will be evaluated within the framework of efficiency, group formation, behavioral roles, communication, conflict management, and motivational issues.
Effective Teams
Team effectiveness is immeasurably vital for positive performance outcomes. According to Uhl-Bien et al. (2021), there are three criteria for a team’s efficiency: task performance, team viability, and member satisfaction. Task performance presupposes meeting work results within quality, quantity, and timeliness (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021).
Inefficient teams, their members can achieve identified goals time-sensitively, accurately use shared resources, and adapt to unpredictable events (Marques-Quinteiro et al., 2019). Team viability refers to people’s ability to work together in one group based on long-term performance potential (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021). This cooperation is closely connected with the third criterion that presupposes satisfaction with interpersonal relationships, tasks, and accomplishments.
In the case of West Coast Transit, it is possible to assume that the team responsible for a project cannot be regarded as adequate. First of all, the first meeting of members was highly unproductive. While Lea Jing came up with suggestions based on a reviewed agenda, Jon Mahoney and Katarina Tanney stated that the project was “massive and unattainable” due to inappropriate work conditions, workloads, and time constraints (Oke, n.d., p. 2).
Moreover, the case demonstrates that the team is not viable either. In particular, Tanney refused to work with Denson due to his potential disrespect for her family issues. All members were generally dissatisfied with this task as it negatively affected their work-life balance due to mandatory overtime and the absence of extra payment.
Five Stages of Group Formation
Teamwork may be highly efficient for corporate task performance. However, building an efficient team is time-consuming. Therefore, within the framework of his group dynamics model, Brice W. Tuckman presented the five stages of group formation and development (Graffius, 2022). These stages include forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021). They explain how a group of newcomers gradually transforms into a cohesive unit dedicated to shared objectives.
In forming, members’ entry may be regarded as the primary concern. People meet to know each other and discover their teams’ goals, tasks, rules, and acceptable behavioral patterns to identify themselves with other members and the group (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021). In turn, “the storming stage is a period of high emotionality and tension among the group members” due to multiple changes (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021, p. 6-18). Premature performance expectations, resistance to new conditions, differences in people’s traits, and attempts to dominate lead to conflicts, hostility, and confrontation between coalitions.
The norming stage is characterized by a positive balance created by forming a coordinated unit. Team members realize the necessity to work together to achieve common goals, praising closeness and discouraging deviations from the group’s norms, minority viewpoints, and unreasonable criticism (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021).
Subsequently, the performing stage indicates the creation of a mature, stable, viable, well-organized, and fully functioning team with a high level of adaptation to changes. Its members are satisfied with working together, managing complex tasks, and efficiently dealing with disagreements between each other (Graffius, 2022). Finally, at the last stage of adjourning, a team disbands when a project is finished. The efficiency of cooperation is evaluated based on the achievement of identified goals and members’ willingness to work together again in the future.
In the case of West Coast Transit, it is evident that the team is at the stage of storming. Its members had no agreement, cohesion, understanding, or respect. While Jing demonstrated her willingness to cooperate, she was not committed to the appropriate results as her involvement was temporary. Tanney refused to disrupt her work-life balance with unpaid work, having serious family issues (Oke, n.d.). Denson realized the importance of teamwork. However, he did not consider the significance of others’ feelings and issues. The conflict of personalities led to the confrontation between Tanney and Denson, typical of the storming stage.
Behavioral Roles
Due to individual differences, team members cannot demonstrate the same behavioral patterns. Therefore, E. Schein identified three behavioral roles: objective thinker, friendly helper, and tough battler (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021). The objective thinker is a single-minded, reflective, and reserved person focused on personal goals. In the case of West Coast Transit, Lea Jing is the objective thinker. Although she came up with suggestions concerning achieving the project’s goals, she focused on her contribution before leaving the group.
The friendly helper is characterized by the willingness to support and motivate others, seek allies, and minimize tension. In West Coast Transit, Jon Mahoney took this role – he encouraged other members to combine their efforts as they had been selected as the most competent workers suitable for this critical project (Oke, n.d.). Finally, the tough battler is a person who may reject authority or act aggressively due to frustration caused by a lack of identity. Katarina Tanney is the tough battler – why she had already experienced negative feelings due to family issues and a lack of respect from colleagues for her problems triggered her offensive response.
Effective Communication
Team communication may be integral to team processes that determine task performance outcomes. According to Marlow et al. (2018), it is “an exchange of information, occurring in both verbal and nonverbal manners” to establish contact, share knowledge, define responsibilities, and develop mutual understanding (p. 149). At the same time, the effectiveness of communication is determined by the correctness of the content’s perception due to its dissemination in an appropriate way (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021). In addition, effective communication presupposes the involvement of all team members in the conversation with equal rights to express their opinions, expectations, needs, and concerns.
In the case of West Coast Transit, communication may be regarded as inefficient. First of all, most team members had no intention of communicating productively, as only Jing had reviewed the project material that had been sent to everyone in advance (Oke, n.d.). In addition, all team members pursued their interests instead of sharing their expectations and concerns. As a result, poor communication and misunderstanding led to a conflict.
Two Types of Conflict
In general, conflicts may be regarded as functional and dysfunctional. Functional conflict may be regarded as a constructive discussion within the ethical standards framework to find a solution (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021). In turn, dysfunctional conflict occurs when people pay attention to personal satisfaction and ambitions rather than cooperation. Moreover, conflicts may be substantive, goal-based, and emotional-based. The conflict of West Coast Transit’s team is dysfunctional and predominantly emotional. Team members demonstrated their adherence to personal goals and interests. Stressed by workloads and time constraints, they focused on confrontation and expressing negative emotions rather than productive cooperation.
Direct Conflict Management Approach
The appropriate approach to direct conflict management in this situation is accommodation. It is essential to understand that an identified confrontation is a lose-lose conflict caused by emotional distress (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021). Therefore, all team members are equal in the project’s conditions. Thus, creating peaceful co-existence based on respect for individual issues and shared goals is beneficial. That is why team members should organize another meeting for respectful and active listening to each other to increase understanding, release emotional tension, and identify the next step in goal achievement.
Leadership, Maintenance, and Disruptive Activities
In general, leadership and maintenance activities may be regarded as those that aim to improve a team’s performance and increase its productivity. In the case of West Coast Transit, they should be within the framework of distributed leadership and include the submission of ideas and the creation of an open dialogue between members (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021). In particular, the project team is a group of formal leaders who should be involved in collaborative and autonomous practices for mutual understanding and collaboration.
In other words, they should develop an efficient communication system for sharing ideas, knowledge, and opinions, expressing concerns, and receiving support from each other. In addition, opening communication lines will help prevent such disruptive activities as conflicts between team members based on misunderstanding and a lack of emotional intelligence (Alkhaqani, 2022). Denson was involved in a confrontation with Tanney, who had emotional distress due to family problems and workloads. Therefore, an open dialogue between team members would increase understanding and allow the development of conflict management mechanisms to prevent this behavior in the future.
Motivation Problems and Solutions
Every team member has personal motivational problems that may be addressed using different theories. First of all, Jing is not motivated due to uncertainty related to her contribution, which her leave will disrupt. At the same time, she may be characterized as a highly responsible worker with a need for goal achievement. Jing may be motivated based on the content theory of learned needs (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021). In particular, she may be encouraged by emphasizing her unique abilities, skills, and experience essential for the project.
In turn, Tanney lacks motivation due to family issues that the project will exacerbate. Therefore, she may be motivated by using the process theory of operant conditioning that may presuppose unfixed reinforcement intervals (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021). In other words, Tanney may be allowed to focus on her responsibilities in the most comfortable manner, and the results of her work should be valued.
Finally, Mahonney has motivational problems due to a lack of belief in his ability to organize the performance of his subordinates. In this case, he may be encouraged to use the reinforcement theory, which refers to responses caused by stimuli (Uhl-Bien et al., 2021). In the case of Mahoney, he may be motivated by addressing his belief in his exceptional competence, which is essential for the project.
Conclusion
The paper aims to evaluate the performance of West Coast Transit’s team within its efficiency, conflict, and motivation. It was generally discovered that it cannot be regarded as efficient due to conflict of interests, misunderstanding, emotional distress, and poor communication. Therefore, an open dialogue between members was suggested to be created to release tension and apply various motivational strategies to ensure collaboration.
References
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Marlow, S. L., Lacerenza, C. N., Paoletti, J., Burke, C. S., & Salas, E. (2018). Does team communication represent a one-size-fits-all approach?: A meta-analysis of team communication and performance. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 144, 145-170.
Marques-Quinteiro, P., Vargas, R., Eifler, N., & Curral, L. (2019). Employee adaptive performance and job satisfaction during organizational crisis: The role of self-leadership. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 28(1), 85-100. Web.
Oke, M. (n.d.). West Coast Transit case study. Grand Canyon University. Web.
Uhl-Bien, M., Piccolo, R.F., Schermerhorn, J. R. & Bachrach, D.G. (2021). MGT-420 organizational behavior and management with WileyPLUS. Wiley & Sons.