Acme Minerals: Teamwork In Organization

Chapter 19: Teamwork in Organizations

Teamwork in Organization

 Suwat L. 4643287626

 Hongnapa T. 4643288 26

 Hattaya S.4643289926

 Anisha J.46432

 Edoardo B.4643293 26

 Kanyachanit S.4643294026

Case Study : Chapter 19 Acme Minerals Extraction Company

ACME successfully introduced teams at the Wichita plant in order to improve morale and productivity. For ACME it was important to bridge the gap between the employees working in the "brains" which worked with sophisticated technology and were highly educated, and those working in the "browns" which were primarily skilled and semi-skilled employees that worked in the underground extracting operations.

To solve the conflicts between the two parts ACME hired an external consultant, Suzanne Howard. At the Wichita plant Ms Howard had the luck of finding Donald Peterson which was a long time employee who had been working in almost all the lines and positions at ACME. Mr. Peterson became the key to solving ACME problems since he understood both the "brains" and the "browns".

The first step became encouraging talking across these groups. To do so monthly meetings were instituted for employees to freely participate to discuss their problems. In six months time the meetings became lively and led to many positive discussions and solutions.

The next step was creating SPITS, "select a problem and implement a tailored solution." These were multi-division teams that had a limited lifespan and were created ad-hoc to solve a problem that emerged at a discussion meeting.

From these formal meetings more informal meeting developed with employees participating in softball games and meeting for a few beers at the bar.

After the successful experience at the Wichita plant, ACME decided to implement the same team-based approach at its Lubbock plant. Ms Howard was once again in charge of implementing the strategy, but this time she didn't have the support of Donald Peterson. ACME employees did not trust her as they trusted Donald Peterson at the Wichita plant and she failed implementing the plan. Employees would not show up at the meeting, SPITS were rarely formed, and nobody wanted to participate in informal activities.

Case study questions

Q1: What types of teams described in the chapter are represented in this case?

* Formal team

* Horizontal team

* Special purpose team - SPITS

* Committee

* Self-directed team - SPITS

Q2: Why do you think the team project succeeded at Wichita but isn't working in Lubbock?

* Weak norms

* No team cohesiveness

* Unmotivated employees

* Employees uninterested in well-being of company ---selfish?

Q3: What advice would you give Suzanne Howard and her team for improving the employee involvement climate at the Lubbock plant?

* Use collaborative style

* Use mediation

* Need to be autocratic

* Worker not motivated

* Need to threaten, force, command or bribe workers

Definition of a Team

There are three characteristics of a team. A team is a group of more than two people who interact in order to accomplish a common goal. It is important not to confuse the terms group and team which although similar in form, have some specific differences. The team concept underlies a sense of common goal and shared responsibility.

Work Team Effectiveness Model

Two outcomes associated with work team effectiveness are productive output and personal satisfaction. Satisfaction means that the team satisfies the personal needs of its members and in such way maintains their membership and commitment to the team. Productive output is the quality and quantity of outputs defined by the team goals.

There are various factors that affect the team effectiveness. Some are rooted in the organization context and how it is influenced by formal structure, environment, culture, strategy, reward, and control systems. Another factor that determines team effectiveness is how the team itself is organized and structured in relation to size, type, and composition.

The environment and the structure of a team affect how it works and performs and ultimately the outcome of its activities and the satisfaction of its members.

Self-Directed Team

A