Group Dynamics

Directions: Read the following Vignette and answer the questions accordingly. You will be required to reply to a minimum of two peers, and written with a minimum of 200 words. You will want to use two citations within your work, and the book can be counted as one of them. Yes or no answers / responses will not be appropriate. Follow guidelines for APA formatting (i.e. Times New Roman, 12 pt Font).

When replying to peers, please be sure to not engage in rude remarks, or argumentative behavior. Please respect differences of opinions, and use this discussion to add thoughtful insight within your own post, as well as your responses to others.

Vingette:

You have just become the manager of an insurance office with five professional agents and several clerical assistants. The office is part of a larger company headquartered in another city. Your office handles both sales and the processing of insurance claims. The office has been traditionally organized, with the manager running the office and supervising each employee individually.

You have heard a lot about the advantages of shifting to teamwork – it is popular in the business press. Shifting to teamwork is supposed to improve customer service, make the office more responsive to changes, and improve morale. However, you have also heard that it can be difficult to create and manage teams. You are comfortable and capable as a traditional manager but think maybe you should try something new, such as teamwork.

( When thinking about teams in an office setting, you can choose any type of “office” you may like. Each business/office setting is going to look different from each other depending on the type of work they do. Be creative.)

1) What are the pros and cons of recognizing the office into a team

2) Who should be on the team? Should the team include both the professional and the clerical assistants?

3) How much authority or control should you maintain over the team?