Team-Based Structures in Organizations – Term Paper

Many organizations use team-based structures to achieve their goals. The structure emphasizes on shared leadership, collective work, and collaboration. All employees participate in the organization’s decision-making process hence making them feel part of the overall organization rather than members of a particular department. As a result, the organization runs efficiently and gives them a competitive edge in the global marketplace. Despite this, without planning and ongoing efforts to strengthen the team, the results may be inferior. Proper planning and ongoing efforts will make the team more effective because it would allow them to work together towards achieving a common goal.

A team based structure enables an organization to capitalize on the strengths of their employees and minimize their weaknesses. The advantages of the structure include minimal management, improved relationship among employees, increased productivity, and proper balancing of resources. On the other hand, its drawbacks include problems in coordination and control due to decentralization and challenges in motivating an individual member since the structure puts more emphasis on team performance. Despite the disadvantages, there are various steps that an organization can take to make a team more effective. First, the organization should match the skills of the employees to their assigned tasks. Secondly, provide a forum where teams can air their concerns and project status. Thirdly, celebrate success when the team accomplishes goals. Finally, ensure that teams have all the resources and tools they need for their assigned tasks.

Teams are essential ingredients for a successful business. However, building teams take effort and planning to ensure that they are cohesive and work towards achieving a common goal. Strong teams allow organizations to run efficiently and hence improve their competitiveness in the global marketplace.