eamwork: Pros and Cons :: essays research papers fc

Teamwork: Pros and Cons There are several types of teams and reasons for forming them. There are academic teams, consisting of a group of students in a learning environment, whose purpose would be to reach a common goal such as a class project. Teams in the workplace could consist of a group of administrators or employees whose purpose could range from deciding on what type of food to serve at a company picnic, to laying out plans for better customer care. â€Å"Advantages of group work, as opposed to individual work, include producing a better end result, providing satisfaction for the individual and the organization, and assisting the organization through coordination and work allocation† (Marsh, 1988). Some things I’ve learned in the past about why we form teams are to help an individual understand different points of view on any given topic, to help prepare for a career where teamwork is essential, and learning to become a leader, as well as a follower. Some economical and social benefits from forming teams, as stated by Kircshner and Van Bruggen (2004) in an article about virtual teams and the adult learner, â€Å"There are, among others, economical motivations such as bringing one learning module to a larger audience of learners, and pragmatic reasons such as achieving flexibility in time and space for learning, which is especially important for adult learners.† Another social benefit from working in teams is that you learn more about the personalities and work ethics of your peers. â€Å"Disadvantages of group work include producing a poorer end result, producing eccentric behavior, developing pressure for change, becoming permanent, helping management evade responsibilities, and the time and energy needed to become efficient† (Marsh, 1988). Some problems I have ran into personally with virtual teams, like the ones here at the University of Phoenix on-line campus, are timing issues (i.