Motivating teams Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Motivating teams - Term Paper Example The objective of this paper is to present a background and a definition of motivating teams. Certain guidelines and goals for motivating a team will also be presented. The significance of this presentation is to provide a full understanding on the needs of teams and the importance of motivation. This is in order for managers and organizations to achieve the desired performance they need from their workers. With proper motivation, workers will be more satisfied with their work and will be pleased with what they are doing. In the end, the holistic environment and outcomes within the organization will result in positivity. The challenge, however, lies on the minimal number of studies regarding team motivations. The role of leadership skills has long been evaluated and studied whereas the importance of motivational skills is still gaining popularity in the labor world. A minimal number of researchers on this topic may be due to the fact that motivation is hardly measurable. Moreover, mot ivationcannot be observed directly(Swezey et al., 1994). The scope of this study remains on the essential information regarding motivation in teams and a brief description of motivation in individuals. The topic on motivating individuals will not be defined in this paper. Background of the Study In any organization, leadership and motivation of individuals are important in order to assure efficiency and quality work outcomes. Chen & Kanfer (2006) stated that there are many studies that have proven the effects of leadership on performance whereas little is still known regarding the effects of motivation on individuals or teams. For decades, proper leadership was deemed to be the most important role of a manager. However, managerial leadership skills havebeenfound to be inadequate or incomplete without the proper motivational skills (Ceridian Corporation, 2005). Thus, motivational skills are imperative in keeping workers at their best performance. According to Clark (2005), it is mo re challenging to motivate a team than to motivate an individual. Teams are defined as a set of â€Å"two or more people who interact, dynamically, interdependently, and adaptively toward a common and valued goal/objective/mission, who have each been assigned specific roles or functions to perform, and who have a limited life-span of membership† (Salas, Dickinson, Converse & Tannenbaum, 1992, p. 4). Since teams are composed of different individuals with different missions and values, it may be hard to keep them together. This is now the challenge that is associated with motivating teams.Yet, Chen & Kanfer (2006) state that about 80% of institutions around the world are now employing the use of teams. Teams, committees, and groups can increase productivity by achieving goals that are assigned them in a shorter length of time. Lawler (2003) also stated that employees behave in a line of sight. By this, he means that employees act in a certain way when they believe that these ac tions will result to appealing results. Furthermore, Lawler (2003, p. 124) indicated that, â€Å"employees are inherently neither motivated nor unmotivated to perform effectively; their motivationdepends on the situation, how they perceive it, and what rewards they need and value.† It is therefore imperative for managers to identifythe necessary modes of