Question 2
I intend to use only scholarly academic sources that are peer-reviewed journal articles,
reports from organizations, or books. Each article or source used in this assignment will be
relevant in terms of its coverage of the subject matter, publication date, and application in the
topic. I will use internet sources relying heavily on the school digital library database and
google scholar to access and select scholarly sources for use in this research. Initially, I will
select as many sources as possible then settle on an appropriate number that is valid and
matches my research area. I will limit my sources to the year 2010 and devote my search to
more recent articles published from 2015 unless a source has vital information that needs
inclusion to enrich the research.
In conducting my search for sources, I will use terms related to the workplace
environment and teamwork/collaboration. However, since this will yield thousands of
articles, I will further limit my search to articles that deal with teamwork in the workplace.
The keywords to use in the search will include "teamwork in the workplace", "collaboration
in the workplace", and "group work in the organization". These terms will help in generating
articles to help understand the topic generally. However, since my area of interest is to
examine the current status of teamwork in the target organization, I will need articles on how
to improve teamwork and collaboration in areas where there are notable gaps. Therefore, I
will also use the following terms to generate appropriate articles: "Strategies to encourage
collaboration in organizations”, “ways of improving teamwork in the workplace”, “how to
enhance collaboration at work.” Hopefully, I will get adequate articles that will facilitate the
completion of the literature review section.
This research will use two approaches to exclude some sources. Firstly, the year of
publication will be used to ensure only recent evidence is used to inform this research. The
literature will rely on articles published between 2010-present with a specific focus on
articles published from 2015. The second approach will be based on credibility: that is the
relevance to the subject and scholarly standards.
Question 3
The articles that are most connected to my topic are:
Assbeihat, J.M., 2016. The Impact of Collaboration among Members on Team’s
Performance. Management and Administrative Science Review.
Kozlowski, S.W., 2018. Enhancing the effectiveness of workgroups and teams: a reflection.
Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(2), pp.205-212.
Manca, C., Grijalvo, M., Palacios, M. and Kaulio, M., 2018. Collaborative workplaces for
innovation in service companies: barriers and enablers for supporting new ways of
working. Service Business, 12(3), pp.525-550.
These three articles are essential since they focus on specific issues that are related to
teamwork/collaboration in the workplace. The first article by Assbeihat (2016) examines the
benefits of working in teams and how such workplace structures impact individual
employees. This is a vital aspect of the research as it helps in understanding the importance of
teamwork for the organization and the employees. In this aspect, issues such as employee
satisfaction, increased productivity, enhanced organization performance, and employee
loyalty are expected to be discussed. The second article by Kozlowski (2018) looks at ways
of enhancing the effectiveness of workgroups and teams. After understanding what teamwork
and workgroups are, and identifying their benefits to individuals and organizations, it is
imperative to analyze ways of enhancing their effectiveness so that we can achieve more
productivity and enhance team cohesion, as well as employee satisfaction. In this article, the
author examines core team processes that enhance collaboration and make teams more
successful. This literature is essential both in designing the questionnaire and in writing the
literature review. Finally, the article by Manca et al. (2018) looks at the barriers and enablers
that lead to the success or failure of collaborative workplaces. Having established the
importance of teamwork and identified how to enhance teamwork, it is important to
acknowledge factors that make teamwork a success and those that make it fail. This helps in
advising the organization on what to do and not to do to enhance their collaborative culture.
Question 4
Forte, A.M. and Flores, M.A., 2014. Teacher collaboration and professional
development in the workplace: A study of Portuguese teachers. European
Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1), pp.91-105.
This article investigates collaboration in the workplace by focusing on teaching. It
shows that time and working conditions are key factors that influence collaboration. The
authors also show that lack of training in collaboration, and issues related to lack of
incentives and motivation as well as interpersonal relationships affect teamwork.
Sanyal, S. and Hisam, M.W., 2018. The impact of teamwork on work performance of
employees: A study of faculty members in Dhofar University. IOSR Journal of
Business and Management, 20(3), pp.15-22.
This article examines how teamwork is an important aspect of an organizational
environment that promotes performance and productivity. The authors note that factors such
as trust, leadership, as well as structure and performance evaluation, and rewards play a
critical role in influencing teamwork and increasing team performance and productivity.
Mohamed, Z.N.J.M.M.L., Newton, J.M. and McKenna, L., 2014. Belongingness in the
workplace: a study of Malaysian nurses' experiences. International Nursing
Review, 61(1), pp.124-130.
This article examines the importance of belongingness in the workplace which is an
important aspect in facilitating collaboration. The article argues that when team members feel
disconnected they suffer from stress, anxiety, and lack of self-esteem which affects their
productivity and relationship with others.
Shuffler, M.L., Diazgranados, D., Maynard, M.T. and Salas, E., 2018. Developing,
sustaining, and maximizing team effectiveness: An integrative, dynamic
perspective of team development interventions. Academy of Management
Annals, 12(2), pp.688-724.
This article argues that organizations invest in teams to improve their effectiveness
and such investments are critical as they enable teams to minimize errors and maximize
expertise. In effect, each investment targeting groups and individuals within it help the
organization to advance its gains.
Fapohunda, T.M., 2013. Towards effective team building in the
workplace. International Journal of Education and Research, 1(4), pp.1-12.
The article examines the essential components of building an effective team. The
author focuses on aspects such as self-development, communication skills, leadership, and
the ability to work in teams. The article discusses eight points that are essential for effective
team development.
Salas, E., Reyes, D.L. and McDaniel, S.H., 2018. The science of teamwork: Progress,
reflections, and the road ahead. American Psychologist, 73(4), p.593.
This article argues that teams in different organizations and professions are different
based on the unique needs of the organization. However, teamwork-supportive organizational
conditions and environments are essential in facilitating mechanisms to resolve confidence,
ensure safety, mitigate error, learn, and improve performance. Therefore, teamwork
competencies such as coordination, communication, and adaptability help to support team
progress.
Flores-Fillol, R., Iranzo, S. and Mane, F., 2017. Teamwork and delegation of decisions
within the firm. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 52, pp.1-29.
This article examines the impact of organizational structure on teamwork. The authors
show that a structure that supports the delegation of decisions from top managers to
employees enhances cooperation and teamwork.
Kashyap, S. (2020). Importance of team collaboration at workplace. Retrieved from
https://www.proofhub.com/articles/importance-team-collaboration-workplace
This article examines the importance of team collaboration in the workplace. It gives
several reasons why workers should collaborate and notes that teamwork provides an ideal
environment for learning from each other, enhance participation, improve problem-solving,
and productivity among others.
McEwan, D., Ruissen, G.R., Eys, M.A., Zumbo, B.D. and Beauchamp, M.R., 2017. The
effectiveness of teamwork training on teamwork behaviors and team
performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled
interventions. PloS one, 12(1), p.e0169604.
This article explores the impact of teamwork intervention (team training) on
performance. The authors note that teamwork training had a positive impact on both new and
intact teams. They also note that the most effective training methods are didactic
lectures/presentations, workshops, simulation training, and review-type activities conducted
in situ.
Haas, M., & Mortensen, M. (2016). The Secrets of Great Teamwork. Retrieved from
https://hbr.org/2016/06/the-secrets-of-great-teamwork
In this article, the authors examine the factors that make teams a success. They note
that modern workplace teams are diverse and collaboration is complex. However, successful
teams have a shared mindset, compelling direction, supportive organizational structure, and a
supportive context that include a reward system that reinforces performance.
Question 5
The objective of the study
The objective of this study is to explore the nature of teamwork in the target company
and investigate ways that the companies have used to provoke collaboration as well as
identify new strategies that the company can use to enhance team collaboration.
Research Questions
i.
What is the nature of teamwork and collaboration in the organization?
ii.
What ways does the management use to encourage teamwork in its workplace?
iii.
What best strategies can you recommend to make collaboration more effective in
this environment?
According to Patrick White, one of the criteria of developing research questions is by
using the research topic, aim, and objective. In formulating the research questions above, the
objective of the study was used by asking relevant questions to meet the objectives.
Question 10
Since the research will focus on two or one real organization, it might be necessary to
request special permission from the management to have access to important and confidential
reports or information that might be used by competitors. For example, in engaging with the
employees to understand the nature and effects of collaboration in the workplace, selfadministered questionnaires will be sent to them using their workplace emails. These emails
are essential since they are used in sharing vital information about the organization. As such
they are targeted by hackers and competitors would want to have them gather internal
information about the organization to enhance their competitiveness. To address this issue of
a possible and potential leak of the organization's confidential information, all research
participants will be required to create a one-time email account to share their completed
surveys.
Another ethical issue will be a possible disclosure of employees' views to the
employer. As a standard practice, the research findings will be shared with the participating
organization to help them understand how teamwork works in their company and the possible
ways to improve. To understand this issue, data is collected from individuals employees.
Some employees might give sensitive information that can trigger punishment from the
employer if the latter finds out. Since the study does not want to implicate any participant, all
employees will be protected from potential harm and any unforgeable risks. In mitigating this
ethical issue, all participants will not fill any personal information except for their age and
gender. This will ensure that any information will be confidential.
Other ethical issues concern the conduct, analysis, and presentation of the study. In
most cases, the research might experience a conflict of interest or have a personal opinion
that affects the research design as he/she focuses on achieving a specific objective. In some
instances, the organization under study might influence the research to portray it positively by
falsifying information. In ensuring these authorship and research issues are addressed, I will
strictly follow the research procedure described and formulate research questions
independently such that they reflect the aim of the study.
Question 11
Having identified the broad research area, the first step will be to review the existing
literature to have a better understanding of the study. This will be followed by writing an
introduction and literature review draft which will entail the research questions, justification
of the study, and the scope of the study. A draft for the first two chapters will be ready by the
7th week. Having identified the gaps in the literature, I will write the research approach and
method and develop a tool for collecting the data. By the 10th week, a pilot study will be
conducted to test the effectiveness of the questionnaire and make any needed revisions. Data
analysis will be the next step which will take approximately four weeks. The result chapter
will be written and revised accordingly. This will lead to the writing of the discussion and
conclusion chapters to mark the end of the project in mid-September. The last two weeks will
be essential for proofreading and editing and eventual submission.
While working on this study, the possible risk includes delayed response from the
study participants which might affect the schedule. Another possible risk is when the
response rate is too low to warrant a feasible number to conduct quantitative research which
might force an end to the study. Another potential risk is the lack of funds to conduct the
research in case the estimated cost increases significantly.
If the respondent delays the response, this will not have a significant impact since the
study has been evenly distributed which means that we can afford an extra week or two by
squeezing the schedule without affecting the quality. For example at the end of writing the
draft, there are two weeks for proofreading and submission. This can be reduced to one
without affecting the quality. If the response rate is too low and the gathered information is
insufficient, the study will be postponed or canceled. This will be relayed to the professor for
further advice. In such a case, we can opt for a second study based on the existing literature.
In an event that the funds are insufficient, there is a plan where we can get an extra 20% of
the current budget.
References
Assbeihat, J.M., 2016. The Impact of Collaboration among Members on Team’s
Performance. Management and Administrative Science Review.
Fapohunda, T.M., 2013. Towards effective team building in the workplace. International
Journal of Education and Research, 1(4), pp.1-12.
Flores-Fillol, R., Iranzo, S. and Mane, F., 2017. Teamwork and delegation of decisions within
the firm. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 52, pp.1-29.
Forte, A.M. and Flores, M.A., 2014. Teacher collaboration and professional development in
the workplace: A study of Portuguese teachers. European Journal of Teacher
Education, 37(1), pp.91-105.
Haas, M., & Mortensen, M. (2016). The Secrets of Great Teamwork. Retrieved from
https://hbr.org/2016/06/the-secrets-of-great-teamwork
Kashyap, S. (2020). Importance of team collaboration at workplace. Retrieved from
https://www.proofhub.com/articles/importance-team-collaboration-workplace
Kozlowski, S.W., 2018. Enhancing the effectiveness of workgroups and teams: a reflection.
Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(2), pp.205-212.
Manca, C., Grijalvo, M., Palacios, M. and Kaulio, M., 2018. Collaborative workplaces for
innovation in service companies: barriers and enablers for supporting new ways of
working. Service Business, 12(3), pp.525-550.
McEwan, D., Ruissen, G.R., Eys, M.A., Zumbo, B.D. and Beauchamp, M.R., 2017. The
effectiveness of teamwork training on teamwork behaviors and team performance: a
systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled interventions. PloS one, 12(1),
p.e0169604.
Mohamed, Z.N.J.M.M.L., Newton, J.M. and McKenna, L., 2014. Belongingness in the
workplace: a study of Malaysian nurses' experiences. International Nursing
Review, 61(1), pp.124-130.
Salas, E., Reyes, D.L. and McDaniel, S.H., 2018. The science of teamwork: Progress,
reflections, and the road ahead. American Psychologist, 73(4), p.593.
Sanyal, S. and Hisam, M.W., 2018. The impact of teamwork on work performance of
employees: A study of faculty members in Dhofar University. IOSR Journal of
Business and Management, 20(3), pp.15-22.
Shuffler, M.L., Diazgranados, D., Maynard, M.T. and Salas, E., 2018. Developing,
sustaining, and maximizing team effectiveness: An integrative, dynamic perspective
of team development interventions. Academy of Management Annals, 12(2), pp.688724.