Effects of Distance on Team Dynamics
EFFECTS OF DISTANCE ON TEAM DYNAMICS AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Conflict: is conflict good, bad, or ugly? Conflict itself is none of these. Conflict can make a team successful or conflict can make a team fail. The good, bad, or ugly is the direct result of how people working in a team handle the conflict. Managing the conflict can be as challenging for a team as the work the team is trying to complete.
A Team by definition is "A team is a formal work group consisting of people who work together intensely to achieve a common group goal." (The learning team toolkit, chapter 15)
Team dynamics by definition is "the unseen forces that operate in a team between different groups of people." (http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/team-dynamics.html, para 1) These forces act upon a team and become the conflict and challenges. The manner which the team handles the conflict and challenges will determine if they become a benefit or an issue.
With the vast changes in technology in the 21st century, many companies have gone regional and/or global. With this globalization comes a workforce with more challenges that ever before. These challenges create conflict. Challenges including language differences, time zone differences, and even differences in culture have become present in today 's workforce. These challenges will create the team dynamics we will work under, for better or worse.
Having a team, work or learning, spread across different geographic locations has benefits. When working on a product that will target people all over the world, team members for each of the different regions will be able to contribute facts on the region that team member resides. Facts like buying trends, income trends, and targeted audiences. Having regional team members will also help with differences in social climates and language issues. One word or slogan can be perfectly acceptable in one region but not another region. Education can come in to play as well. It might not be possible to get the
Conflict: is conflict good, bad, or ugly? Conflict itself is none of these. Conflict can make a team successful or conflict can make a team fail. The good, bad, or ugly is the direct result of how people working in a team handle the conflict. Managing the conflict can be as challenging for a team as the work the team is trying to complete.
A Team by definition is "A team is a formal work group consisting of people who work together intensely to achieve a common group goal." (The learning team toolkit, chapter 15)
Team dynamics by definition is "the unseen forces that operate in a team between different groups of people." (http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/team-dynamics.html, para 1) These forces act upon a team and become the conflict and challenges. The manner which the team handles the conflict and challenges will determine if they become a benefit or an issue.
With the vast changes in technology in the 21st century, many companies have gone regional and/or global. With this globalization comes a workforce with more challenges that ever before. These challenges create conflict. Challenges including language differences, time zone differences, and even differences in culture have become present in today 's workforce. These challenges will create the team dynamics we will work under, for better or worse.
Having a team, work or learning, spread across different geographic locations has benefits. When working on a product that will target people all over the world, team members for each of the different regions will be able to contribute facts on the region that team member resides. Facts like buying trends, income trends, and targeted audiences. Having regional team members will also help with differences in social climates and language issues. One word or slogan can be perfectly acceptable in one region but not another region. Education can come in to play as well. It might not be possible to get the
References: Bright, V. (1999) Delivering BPR via task groups. Work Study, London Vol. 48. Iss 7; p.261 Retrieved December 30, 2005 from the ProQuest database via the University of Phoenix Rabey, G. (2001) Is Your Workplace in Drive Mode?, New Zealand Vol. 48. Iss 1; p.54 Retrieved December 31, 2005 from the EBSCOhost database via the University of Phoenix Online Collection. University of Phoenix, 2005 The Learning Team Toolkit, Apollo group, Inc, week 4 chapter 12, pg 247. rEsource. GEN300—Skills for Professional Development. . Retrieved January 1, 2006 from http://mycampus.phoenix.edu GEN 300 rEsource page