The Impact of Teamwork on Organizational Productivity
Chapter One
Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study is to examine the impact of teamwork on organizational productivity. The specific objectives are;
- To identify the benefits of employee teamwork.
- To assess the relationship between employee teamwork and productivity.
- To identify the sources militating against teamwork in the workplace
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This chapter review relevant literature on the impact of teamwork on organizational productivity. To this end, extract shall be made of opinions of authorities as well as concept, theories and factual statements on the subject matter in line with the objective of the study.
Concept of Teamwork
Teamwork involves everyone working together to support the organization to achieve its set goals and objectives. Teamwork is usually an integral part of the workplace that facilitates synergy and joint effort (Paula, 2007).
Similarly Adoga (2009) Opined that teamwork is the action of individuals, brought together for a common purpose or goal, which subordinate the needs of the individual to the needs of the groups. In essence, each person on the team put aside his or her individual needs to work toward the larger group objective. The interactions among the members and the work they complete is called teamwork.
However, Oko, (2007) defines teamwork as cooperation between those who are working on a task. Commonly teamwork is understood as cooperation and willingness to work together. This implies that teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments towards organizational objectives. He further opined that teamwork represents a set of value that encourage behaviours such as listening and constructively responding to points of view expressed by others, giving others the benefit of the doubts, providing support to those who need it, and recognizing the interests and achievements of others. Teamwork is thus the ability to work together toward a common goal and the cooperative or coordinated effort of workers to achieve organizational goal.
Nevertheless, Rasana (2010) opined that a team is a collection of individuals who get together or are assigned to achieve a common goal. In this case, teamwork simply means the process through which they could achieve the expressed common goal. Teamwork is the collective effort of employees to accomplish their work in order to attain organizational goal. Team work is indeed an integral part of an organization that facilitates collective action and synergy in goal attainment.
The Impact of Teamwork on Employees Productivity
Teamwork can increase productivity because every team member brings their specific education and training to accomplishing the work task assign to them. This often maximizes the variety of work the team can accomplish as well as the number of tasks completed without additional research. it’s true that more minds can sometimes work better than a single one for example, in a still mind industry, workers operate 24 hours a day, giving them to time to increase yield. But with teamwork, the result was higher productivity for the work team. This is so because the teams worked together brainstorming effective management plans. with a high performing team an organization can achieve something much bigger, more effectively and more enjoyable than a group of the same individuals working on their own. It like free extract project (Johanna, 2009).
However, Kerber (2008) opinion that effective teamwork is essential to the success of any business. As “No man is an island”, the positive effect of productive teamwork can energize an entire organization, just as the negative effects of a lack team work can cripple an organization. There are many benefits of using teams due to the increased number of options and resources they provide. The flexibility, responsiveness, lower costs, and improved resource utilization necessary to meet ever-changing task requirements in high turbulent and moreover, the use of team provides an opportunity to coordinate complex businesses tasks across a potentially far-flung confederation of organization. This allows companies to better communicate and coordinate even though sometime teams are constraint with their own problem that tend to bring conflict among them.
Similarly Lider (200() observed that a teamwork facilitate the pooling of talents to provide focused attention to the attainment of organizational goal. In this regard teamwork allows organization to bring together critical contributors who might not otherwise be able to work together. This allows workers to in harmony which increases the pace of work and result in high yield in quality production and consequently increases the organizational productivity.
However, Hayworth (2010) opined that team work allow organizations to unite the varying perspectives of different cultures and business customs to avoid counter-productive ethno-centric.
It’s true that more minds can sometimes work better than a ingle one for example, in a steel mill industry, workers operate 24 hours a day, giving them no time to increase yield. But with teamwork, the result was higher productivity for the work team. This is so because the teams worked together brainstorming effective management plans with a high performing team an organization can achieve something much bigger, more effectively and more enjoyable than a group of the same individuals working on their own. It like free extract profit (Johana, 2009)
However, Kerber (2008) opined that effective teamwork is essential to the success of any business. As “no man is an island”, the positive effect of productive teamwork can energize an entire organization just as the negative effects of a lack team work can cripple an organization. There are many benefits of using teams due to the increased number of options and resources they provide. The flexibility, responsiveness, lower costs and improved resource utilization necessary to meet ever-changing task requirements in high turbulent and dynamic global business environments moreover, the use of team provides an opportunity to coordinate complex business tasks across a potentially far-flung confederation of organization. This allows companies to better communicate and coordinate even through sometime team are constrain with their own problem that tend to bring conflict among them.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter presents the research methodology which include; Research design , study population, study area, instruments of data collection, data processing, Study instruments, sources of data and data analysis.
Research design
The research was descriptive research design. The design exploited both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative approach included use of interviews, while quantitative approaches involved use of descriptive statistics that were generated inform of frequency tables, graphs, and Charts. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted to enable the researcher to get and analyze information concerning respondents’ opinions about the impact of employee teamwork and performance of Nipost in Kaduna State.
Data sources
Both primary and secondary data sources were the main sources of data to be used in the study. Concerning the primary data method, the study used a questionnaire and interview guide. The researcher collected secondary information from different sources like; text books, internet, news paper, report at the company, and journals. This information was reviewed by visiting places like libraries and internet cafes and this type of information supplemented the collected data from different categories of the respondents.
Study population
Study population is a complete set of individuals, cases or objects with some common observable characteristics. The researcher obtained information from Nipost staff, and clients who directly come at the NIPOST service centre for the Agencies services. The researcher involved all these categories in the study because they were assumed to possess the necessary study information.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE STUDY FINDINGS
Introduction
The study looked at employee team work and performance of an organization.
The findings from the study were presented and analyzed orderly based on the formulated study objectives. This was made possible with help of SPSS where by graphs, charts and tables were generated.
The chapter begins by presenting the biographic characteristics of respondents in terms of gender; age, marital status and education levels. The inclusion of background information served to inform if such variables had an impact on team work and performance in organizations. The study there after discusses findings as per the formulated objectives of the study like benefits of team work, relationship between team work and performance and challenges faced by NIPOST.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF THE STUDY FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
The chapter of the study deals at length with exploring the objectives of the study as; to find out benefits of employee teamwork at NIPOST, to access the relationship between employee teamwork and performance of NIPOST, to investigate the challenges faced by NIPOST
The chapter further summarizes the main findings of the study by making conclusions, and recommendations
Summary of the study findings
The study findings revealed reducing on the cost of operation as a reason for team work. It was explained that costs of operation lower down when work is handled by many people and the task is accomplished in shortest possible time. The study got informed that at NIPOST failure to use team work could raise cost of the organization. Accordingly when a team is at work, clients are served and they get retained by the organization.
In addition, respondents pointed out efficiency and effectiveness as reason for team work. It should be noted that efficiency is doing things right while effectiveness is doing the right thing. Under team work things are done right and the right things are done due to combining of skill and efforts. For instance when there is a technical problem with a staff’s computer but has to serve the clients, another colleague staff can lend to put it right hence customers are served.
Also highlighted were reduced employee mistakes. Respondents argued that teams help in training staff most especially new recruits. Such training ensures that preventive techniques to likely mistakes are imparted in the new employee and when a signed full responsibility, occurrence of mistakes is minimized. Similarly when employees work as a team, a colleague easily alerts the other if a mistake is suspected to occur in nearby future, this enables company to avoid costs.
The study further established that team work helps in advertising the company. It helps in winning more clients when they hear about the togetherness in accomplishing tasks as well as the precision in handling customer queries is concerned. It was added this practice enables the company to sell its name hence being advertised in the public. Team work is applied by organizations due to reason of easy communication in the organization. Where there is team work, “says the manager of NIPOST”, there is easy flow of instructions where by information is passed on to only a team member and the information flows to others freely. Also team work has enabled the provision of Postal services easy to the public hence making NIPOST the number one Postal Agency in Nigeria.
Further findings from the study revealed that team work enables productivity at work place and ensures satisfaction to clients. Team work enhances division of labour, tasks get accomplished with zeal in short time, large volume of work is handled and according to 8% (08) respondents productivity is high. Other reasons for working as a team were cited. Respondents said employee motivation when they back up, training of new skills where a colleague discover a skill, shares it with other members hence leading to a multi-skilled staff to the organization.
Conclusions
The study concludes that team work is critical in the functioning of an organisation and reasons for employee working as a team at NIPOST Nigeria are; to reduce on the costs, to encourage efficiency and effectiveness, to promote productivity, to act as advertising, for easy communication and to reduce on employee’s mistakes.
The study in making had to establish the influence of employee team work on the profit level. The study concludes that team work has a high influence on profit levels given the fact that all of respondents signed against it, also it is summed that the kind of influence is positive according to majority of them, this is exhibited further in the trend of sales performance where the study concluded that the sales performance was increasing.
The study also makes a conclusion that there is a strong relationship between team work and performance of Nipost and that the kind of relationship is a positive one that translates to increased performance.
The study deduces further that Nipost has numerous challenges as acknowledged by majority of respondents and the overriding ones are; labour turnover, competition, high transport cost, and inflation.
The study concluded that providing quality services, motivation of staff through offs and allowances, efforts to erect boosters, ensuring that enough fuel is always put in generators, prosecution of theft accomplices and making employees pay for the shortages they incur on addition to withdrawing the dealership from dealers who are reported to overcharge clients as well as revising of rates per unit product were the measures that NIPOST staff respondents and clients raised.
Recommendations
The study recommends that there is need to organize workshops and training to inform staff on team work which is not fully exploited hence training on how to improve team work and how work in teams needs to be put in place this will ensure increased performance of NIPOST.
The study recommends that there is need to further motivate the employees of NIPOST. This is because emerging Postal companies are looking out to source the experienced and well trained Nipost staff. Motivation could be in things like allowances; holiday retreats, increased salaries and promotions as well as recognition of efforts through annual awards
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