Management Strategies

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In any organization, both teamthink and groupthink has its both advantages and disadvantages. Teamthink puts the wellbeing of the team to be imperative with the organization welfare above any other personal interests (Manz & Neck, 1995). The teamthink optionally requires that the team members be courageous to air any unpopular opinion for the greater good of the team. Additionally, it contributes to the individuals contributing to the team through adding knowledge, personal insights and personal skills. Through groupthink, there is innovation, harmony and sustainability that is fundamental for group existence. The main disadvantage of groupthink is that it puts the ego and the personal agenda as the main considerations before the well-being of the team (Sims & Sauser, 2013). The members additionally fear airing their grievances and issues and they just go along with other members and this is critically unhealthy for group survival. Teamthink on the other hand leads to inherent conflict and longer processes in decision making as all insights of the members have to be considered (Sims & Sauser, 2013).

In conclusion, the process of evolution of the groups to teams is essentially characterized with the group devising their mission and purpose to ensure that they are critically focused. Every group can evolve to become a team. The transition process calls for intrinsic leadership that attempts to light up the way for the members of the groups and the teams. Through adopting effective leadership styles such as transformational leadership, it is highly possible for the teams and groups to survive as all the members will be essentially motivated and empowered. Despite the active engagement and the importance that groups and teams bring to the organization, it is imperative to consider the disadvantages of group and team think as these attempts to claim the survivability of the group.

References

Druskat, V. U., & Wheeler, J. V. 2003. Managing from the boundary: The effective leadership of self-managing work teams. Academy of Management Journal, 46: 435-457.

Manz, C. C., & Neck, C. P. (1995). Teamthink: Beyond the groupthink syndrome in self-­managing work teams. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 10(1), 7.

Sims, R. R., & Sauser, W. I. (2013). Toward a better understanding of the relationships among receive wisdom, groupthink, and organizational ethical culture. Journal of Management Policy and Practice 14(4), 75-90.

Stewart, G. L., Manz, C. C., & Sims, Jr., H. P. (1999). Teamwork and group dynamics. New York, NY: Wiley

Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of small-­group development revisited. Group & Organization Studies (pre-­1986), 2(4), 419-427.

Wageman, R. 2001. How leaders foster self-managing team effectiveness: Design choices versus hands-on coaching. Organization Science, 12: 559-577.

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