1/28/2020 0 Comments Groups and Teams PaperGroups and Teams Britny McCoubrey MGT/311 January 16, 2013 Marcia Smart, Ph. D. Groups and Teams Cooperation has been an essential tool for humanity throughout its history; people have used teamwork for hunting, gathering, farming, and protection as well as for community and social fulfillment. As industry and technology have reshaped and extended the dynamics and demographics of trade, traditional proprietorships have readily given way to partnerships, in turn gave way to corporations.Within these businesses, cooperation serves again as a driving force toward a common goal—often on a huge scale that operates on the work of smaller groups and teams. This paper will examine different kinds of working groups (supplemented where possible by examples from an organization for which the author has worked), and the importance of the fundamental differences between working groups and teams. It will also address the five stages of team-building, how conflict (a much-maligned term), actually assists this process, and personal experiences of the author with this process.Different Groups Within an organization, different kinds of groups cooperate on different levels for different reasons. Robbins and Judge (2011) identify six types of groups: formal, informal, command, task, interest and friendship. Organizational structure determines formal groups, which work together to achieve organizational goals (p. 276). All of the associates working in a single Walmart store comprise a formal group. An informal group does not rely on the organization for structure, assembly or goals and gathers instead to satisfy social needs of the people comprising it (p. 76). The Walmart associates chatting at the break-room table constitute such a group—they may not be friends outside of work or even know each other, but they assemble to eat together and banter about their professional or personal exploits. Four subgroups exist within these groups: formal subgroups include command and task, while informal subgroups include interest and friendship (p. 276). Formally classified command groups report to one manager; at Walmart, a single Customer Service Manager supervises and assists up to 16 cashiers in a command group.In a task group, members don’t necessarily report to one manager, but rather transcend different managers, groups, and departments to accomplish a specific task within the organization. When a man ran out of Walmart with a stolen backpack full of other stolen sporting goods equipment, several managers from several departments chased him out the door and tackled him on the concrete in the parking lot. Those managers then had to cooperate with the Loss Prevention associate, the Sporting Goods bullpen associate, and even the police in order to handle the situation and move forward with prosecution.In many cases of crime or other special circumstances, associates of different areas have to come together to complete tasks that affect all of them (and often the store). While all command groups are task groups in some way, task groups are more transcendental and therefore not always command groups (p. 277). Informal interest groups include people gathering for common interests, whether that common interest is quilting caps and blankets for the March of Dimes effort or lobbying for or against organizational or managerial actions or policies (p. 77). Friendship groups, on the other hand, gather for a sense of community; this often transcends the professional sphere and carries into the personal sphere, with people meeting outside of work and building personal relationships with coworkers. Groups vs. Teams While the terms ‘group’ and ‘team’ seem to be used interchangeably, fundamental divergences separate them. According to Robbins and Judge (2011), work groups take on the responsibilities of formal groups as defined earlier.They mainly work together to make decisions that help them fulfill their responsibilities and meet broad organizational goals, which thye do on an individual basis and without need or practical ability to utilize teamwork or collective effort. Work teams, on the other hand, functions on collaboration and synergy, powered by the efforts of several people working together to accomplish shared goals. While a group of cashiers will process transactions as fast as they can to control front-end congestion, the accounting team that handles the cash works together as a real team to andle their tasks, which include getting change for cashiers, taking in cash drops when tills close, and auditing those till drops. They work together in one little room, working out certain decisions and coordination on their own for their own specific goals. While groups work together individually, teams work together collectively, even though all work in the company of one another. Teams are often more valuable than mere groups because management can harness that synergy and collectivity, and use it to increase performance. The Five Stages of Team-BuildingRobbins and Judge (2011) identify the five stages of team-building as forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning (p. 279). Forming sees the team take shape amid structural, leadership, and purpose-oriented ambiguity. Much like a pack of creatures establishing dominance, the team members will push limits and test boundaries until they find what works and begin feeling like a team. This can happen when an associate is newly hired and must establish his place among his peers. Specifically, when Walmart remodeled Garden Center, people from different departments and ranks were pulled together to work on it.This was an awkward time at first, because no one really knew who of the many evenly-ranked employees was ‘in charge’. Storming actually needs conflict to iron out these details and determine who will lead the team, and to allow team members to come to terms with team-related constraints. The associates argued for a few days on whose breaks and lunches took priority, as the remodel occurred on a single shift each day and lunches were difficult to coordinate without some having to wait longer than others to go.Finally, two leaders took charge and managed the schedules moreeffectively. More about team conflict management will arise later. Norming sees the team cohering and ‘settling’ into their roles and codes of conduct. Certain Walmart associates involved with the remodel had different skills and backgrounds, so as Goodwill (2011) suggests, leaders assigned associates to different duties, and once these and systems of evaluating success were established, teamwork became easier and tasks more defined.Performing is like fourth gear for the team; it is rolling and fully functional, firing on all cylinders and turning out real achievement. In the remodel, Walmart associates dug in and did what they knew they had to. This is the final stage in permanent groups, but in temporary groups assigned for a specific task within a timeframe, adjourning sees the team tie up loose ends, add finishing touches, and finally disband. The remodel team was likewise disbanded after shelves were replaced and reassembled so that actual Garden Associates could arrange and stock them.Those associates went back to their normal duties. Regarding these stages, Weinclaw (2010) makes an excellent point when she advises that these stages are not necessarily linear, and can repeat or occur at different stages or even in cycles. Just because a team has moved past one conflict, for example, or established leadership, this does not mean new conflict or leadership will not arise, and the team may have to go back through certain stages if this occurs.Conflict Management in Teams As mentioned previously, conflict actually helps to shape teams. However, this does not mean that all conflict at any level is conducive to efficient performance by a team. According to Robbins and Judge (2011), a certain amount of conflict can allow teams to strengthen rapport, engage creativity and remain dynamic, whereas the total absence of conflict can stagnate a team and render it static, which can cost the team drive.Conflict management sounds like a strategy for removing conflict, but Robbins and Judge (2011) define this phrase as using both resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve as optimal level of conflict, which implies that conflict may need to be stimulated occasionally as well as resolved. Sykes (2010) addresses ways that conflict can arise, including cultural differences (as a result of globalization, for example) and clashing communication styles.She emphasizes the importance of identifying the cause and creating a solution. In her opinion, a major element in managing conflict is to prevent it as much as possible (although she asserts that conflict management is not about absolute elimination, which would be impossible). Of course, a major aid in managing conflict on individual and group levels is to incorporate conflict management training into the workplace, so that employees are prepared to respond appropriately and effectively to conflict should it arise.At Walmart associates are trained, for example, on how to use the chain of command to report conflicts, and how to use the open door policy to get around additional or command chain-related conflict as well. Understanding conflict as a potentially positive influence on a team and knowing beforehand how to respond effectively to it so that it can have that positive influence can decrease drain on teamwork from conflicts not only by preventing them when possible, but by reducing the time and stress that they siphon from real tasks. ConclusionTeamwork, according to Goodwill (2011) remains a major theme in modern business, and understanding the complex processes of developing teams and managing conflict to keep a team dynamic and performing satisfactorily allows for an appreciation of all that really goes into keeping those teams running smoothly. In a business world that increasingly thrives on teamwork and the output of its synergy, would-be employees and leaders alike need to embrace this form of collaboration. Teamwork has, after all, gotten humanity this far—surely it will carry it much further as time goes on.References: Goodwill, M. (2011, February 10). How to succeed at team-building. People Management, 30. Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational behavior (14th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ:Pearson/Prentice Hall. Sikes, B. , Gulbro, R. , & Shoesy, L. (2010). Conflict in work teams: Problems and solutions. Allied Academies International Conference: Proceedings of the Academy of Organizational Culture, Communications & Conflict (AOCCC), 15(1), 15-19. Wienclaw, R. A. (2010). Teams & team building. Teams & Team Building – Research Starters Business, 1-6.CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I certify that the attached paper is my original work. I am familiar with, and acknowledge my responsibilities which are part of, the University of Phoenix Student Code of Academic Integrity. I affirm that any section of the paper which has been submitted previously is attributed and cited as such, and that this paper has not been submitted by anyone else. I have identified the sources of all information whether quoted verbatim or paraphrased, all images, and all quotations with citations and reference listings.Along with citations and reference listings, I have used quotation marks to identify quotations of fewer than 40 words and have used block indentation for quotations of 40 or more words. Nothing in this assignment violates copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property laws. I further agree that my name typed on the line below is intended to have, and shall have, the same validity as my handwritten signature. Student's signature (name typed here is equivalent to a signature): Britny McCoubrey
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12/23/2019 0 Comments Exam Paper for Distribution ManagmentPatricia Mae D. Perez Distribution Management 5. Major concepts related with supply chain A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials into intermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products to customers. Supply chains exist in both service and manufacturing organizations, although the difficulty of the chain may vary greatly from industry to industry and firm to firm. It is a dynamic system that evolves over time. Indeed, not only do customer demand and supplier capabilities change over time, but supply chain relationships also evolve overtime. For example, as the customer’s power increases, there is increased pressure placed on manufacturers and suppliers to produce an enormous variety of high- quality products and to produced customized products. Characteristic of supply chain management There are numbers of characteristics of supply chain. The most important is that the firms understand that their future depends to al arge level on the success of channel and they involved themselves as part of the channel. Relationships are viewed as long term, and the corporate cultures, philosophies, and missions are similar. There is joint planning of products, locations, and quantities of inventory to be kept in the system. Great deal information sharing between firms in order to coordinate the efficient flow of goods. The modern computing and communication technology, such as electronic data interchange, is used to rapidly provide information within the channel as needed. Cost advantages are exploited wherever possible. Other characteristics are: Competing goals and objectives Cost reduction and on time delivery of goods Dynamic operating conditions Emphasis on responsiveness to design changes Process of supply chain management The planning process needs to account for demand and cost parameters varying over time due to the impact of seasonal fluctuations, trends, advertising and promotions, competitor’s pricing and strategies. The process is made up of the flow of materials, flow of information and services and monitoring the control of this flow, that includes raw materials procurement, production, inventory management, processing of orders, warehousing, transportation and distribution. Sources: http://www. se. ufl. edu/Supplychain/done/Day2/Deshmukh/sld002. htm http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/encyclopedia/Str-The/Supply-Chain-Management. html http://lcm. csa. iisc. ernet. in/scm/supply_chain_intro. html 8. Key concepts related to customer service and performance measurements in the SCM function Four methods of developing customer strategy Stay in touch Show your customers how you value your business through keeping in touch with them by sending them updates about your company. Use newsletters, individual letters or emails to deliver new things and products and promotions of the company. You can also send a thank you note if a customer made a major purchase and ask them for some feedbacks and suggestions. With all of this information you gathered from your customer, you can come up with solutions to the problems and meet their needs. Empower your staff There are some cases where there is no policy and the policy need to be flexed. To do this you have to empower certain people to make decisions, bend the rules and use wise judgments. Have them documented these special cases by providing a pad paper of forms and let them input some information to the computer. You can also designate one person per shift as chief problem-solver. Manage customer relationships Once you have gathered information about your customer, you can identify them and give them rewards. You can offer the frequent customers discounts for their next purchase and make a follow up call to those customers who need repair work. Use the information gathered about the customer to make customer service a science. If you give them quality service and you satisfy them, they will continue going back to you. Make great service a priority For you to serve your customers excellently, you have to train your staff. Because they are the one who faces and interact your customers not you. So train them very well. Always put in mind that customers must always comes first. Start with small things like greeting them politely and staff must courteously greet anyone who enters the shop. Relationship between customer service and inventory investment Improving the inventory is critical to customer service. despite of whether your company deals b2b or b2C, insufficient inventory management process will affect customer service and customer satisfaction levels. A successful inventory management anticipates analyses, plans for, and delivers inventory standards which do not mix into customer service disaster. Not only focus on the correct inventory supply levels, but also the factors in the expertise of the personell who deal with inventory process. The relationship with the suppliers and distributors, as well as those who perform the maintenance functions, and the communication processes used to express the current and prospective requirements between both the suppliers, distributors and end users. Sources: http://marketing. about. com/od/relationshipmarketing/a/crmtopten. tm http://ezinearticles. com/? Improved-Inventory-Management-Processes—Critical-to-Customer-Service-Excellence&id=4148576 11. Impact of inventory management on operations Major operational benefits of lean manufacturing systems Lean manufacturing concepts were developed over the last five to six decades, primarily in Japan, particularly for the Toyota production system. These concepts met various tests for many many years and passed the test of time very easily. It is defined as an approach to help reduce waste and eliminate waste in the assemble line at the time of manufacturing the products. By doing it right, it helps in reducing the cost and continuous improvement. It eliminates waste by means of identifying non-value added activities which leads to poor product quality in the production process that will not be able to meet the customer’s expectations in the market place Benefits of Lean Manufacturing are: Improvement in the delivery performance Less/ reduced lead times Increased in sales revenue Less operating costs and increased profits Improved customer satisfaction and supplier relations Reduction in inventory An increased in the employee moral and retention Better quality Reduced warehouse space Creation of additional working capital for new projects Improvement in supplier relationship In lean manufacturing, the customers can be able to get what they want. With this, they get satisfied and it brings benefits for the employees as they are the very important in the manufacturing line. The system focuses on the improvement of the manufacturing line of the organizations. The companies have been able to eliminate and reduce the redundant and looping processes from the organizations. It has made things very easy for the organizations. The tools used in the lean manufacturing can help the organization to find out different problems in the production. Organizational and process considerations involved in implementing lean systems There are other implementing lean manufacturing tools that an organization can use to get the improvements they want. There is the Value Streaming and Process Mapping. These two can effectively eliminate waste and in implementing lean manufacturing, they can streamline work processes. Value streaming is use to identify opportunities while process mapping use to identify specific waste and improvements. Considerations: Strategic Flexibility unexpected problems arise to change any plan. Unforeseen opportunities also arise. This is where stragegits excel. The only sure thing is change. Tasks in the future are lesslikely to change than months away. The long term plan sets direction and budgets. The short term tracks specific tasls and accomplishments. Concentration “concentrate the maximum force in the smallest area†Beachhead Stragtegies focuses on small area or a product. All the essentials elements for a self reinforcing, sustainable system are deployed locally. This can happen quickly. The small area become the beachhead of lean manufacturing The Kaizen Blitz is a focused implementation that suits a beachhead strategy. It has a strong appeal. It is fast, dramatic and effective. Source: http://www. strategosinc. com/mpping0. htm http://www. articlesbase. com/software-articles/10-benefits-of-lean-manufacturing-2475092. html http://www. altiusdirectory. com/Business/lean-manufacturing. html http://manufacturelean. com/lean-manufacturing-system/ http://www. leanmanufacturingsecrets. com/blog/2008/03/28/implementing-lean-manufacturing/ ttp://www. strategosinc. com/lean_implementation3. htm 7. Role of SCM and Logistics in the economy and the organization Total Quality Management is an approach that seeks to improve quality and performance which will meet or exceed customer expectations. This can be achieved by integrating all quality-related functions and processes throughout the company. It looks at the overall quality measures used by a company including managing quality design and development, quality control and maintenance, quality improvement, and quality assurance. It takes into account all quality measures taken at all levels and involving all company employees. For this to work, everyone in the organization has to get involved. This theory is to work towards using the best processes to offer the best possible products and to produce best customer satisfaction. Supply Chain Management in the management of distribution across organizations. All the members of the channel, from suppliers to end users, coordinate their business activities and process to minimize their total costs and maximize their effectiveness in the market. The goal is to achieve the coordination and continuity of a vertically integrated channel without centralized ownership of the entires comprising the channel. The firms form along term partenrshipin order to improve service to the ned consumer, reduce channel costs, and create competitive advantage. It has also developed other terms like Just In Time supply chain management. That is to say that a company tries to stock nothing ahead of time and its suppliers will provide what is needed just in time for production or shipping. There are a lot of variables for a good supply chain management like the trustworthiness of suppliers, reliability of shippers, and planning contingencies for worse case scenarios. Still, business are still trying to figure how much they need to inventory and how much can be ordered as needed. There are some key characteristics of SCM. The most important of all is that the firms involved see themselves as part of the channel and understand that their future depends to large extent on the success of the whole channel. The relationships are viewed as long term, and the corporate cultures, philosophies, and missions are similar. Just in time is a philosophy of manufacturing based on planned elimination of all waste and on continuous improvement of productivity. It also has been described as an approach with the objective of producing the right part in the right place at the right time. Waste results from any activity that adds cost without adding value, such as the unnecessary moving of materials, the accumulation of excess inventory, or the use of faulty production methods that create products requiring subsequent rework. JIT should improve profits and return on investment by reducing inventory levels, reducing variability, improving product quality, reducing production and delivery lead times, and reducing other costs. In a JIT system, underutilized (excess) capacity is used instead of buffer inventories to hedge against problems that may arise. JIT applies primarily to repetitive manufacturing processes in which the same products and components are produced over and over again. The general idea is to establish flow processes by linking work centers so that there is an even, balanced flow of materials throughout the entire production process, similar to that found in an assembly line. To accomplish this, an attempt is made to reach the goals of driving all inventory buffers toward zero and achieving the ideal lot size of one unit. Sources: http://logistics. about. com/od/qualityinthesupplychain/a/TQM. htm http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/encyclopedia/Str-The/Supply-Chain-Management. html http://www. thinkingmanagers. com/business-management/total-quality-management. hp http://personal. ashland. edu/~rjacobs/m503jit. html http://hubpages. com/hub/supply-chain-management-definition http://personal. ashland. edu/~rjacobs/m503jit. html 2. Organizational issues related to purchasing Purchasing is wherein all significant purchases are monitored for the right authorization of the right item, at the right price, quality and quantity, from the right supplier and terms. Objectives of purchasing 1. Procure the necessary quality and quantity of goods or services in an efficient, timely and cost effective manner, while maintaining the controls necessary for a corporation. . Encourage an open competitive bidding process practicable for the acquisition of goods and services and equitable treatment of all vendors. 3. Ensure the maximum value of an acquisition is obtained by determining the total cost of performing the intended function over the lifetime of the task. This may include, but not be limited to, acquisition cost, installation, disposal value and cot, training cost, maintenance cost, quality of performance and environmental impact. 4. Procure goods and services with due regard to the preservation of the atural environment and to encourage the use of environmentally friendly products and services. Material management Materials management is part of logistics and refers to the location and movement of the physical items or products. There are three main processes associated with materials management: spare parts, quality control, and inventory management. Materials management is important in large manufacturing and distribution environments, where there are multiple parts, locations, and significant money invested in these items. The first process in materials management is related to spare parts. A detailed business process is required to determine the order point for the spare parts, identify the ideal quantity to order, process receipt of the parts, and then make sure they are in the correct place. Spare parts are integral to the continuing operation of production lines and related equipment. Poor management of this process can cause downtime and loss of production. Quality control is a large part of materials management. The creation of material standards, inspections, and returns process is a primary responsibility of the materials management group. All parts and materials must be tested to ensure that a specific level of quality is met. This is typically completed before a purchase order is issued to a supplier, to ensure that the supplier has met the conditions of their contract. It is used to ensure that the company delivers quality products to their customers, and to minimize waste in the production Sources: http://www. wdo. ca/files/domain4116/Final%20WDO%20Purchasing%20Policy%20for%20posting. pdf http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/purchasing. html http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-materials-management. htm
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