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Zeff & Higby (2002) also point out that respect is a common feature enhancing communication within teams. Therefore, quiet members can be encouraged to participate more readily in the informal and supportive team environment than they might in a group environment.
A diverse workplace benefits especially well from teamwork because of the enhanced communication potential. Moreover, minority voices are more likely to be acknowledged within the respect-oriented setting of a team. The team has no choice but to work together to achieve goals meaningful to each individual. In the group, individuals only care about their own performance. The motivation to help others in the group is low, and the desire to seek help by expressing concerns is also low especially when some members of the group are domineering. Quiet members of a group will feel dominated by the more aggressive ones ("Teams & Groups" 1996). This is especially true when a rigid social hierarchy informs roles. The managerial leadership model of workgroups can also be counterproductive in a diverse workplace environment. Rigid hierarchies will ostracize key members of the group.
Diversity usually enhances team dynamics because a multiplicity of ideas leads to more creative approaches to problem solving. Groups are usually less concerned with solving problems together than teams are. Teams "frequently come together for discussion, decision making, problem solving, and planning," ("Differences between Work Groups...
Therefore, team members have the opportunity to become familiar with a plethora of ideas that might contribute to the final outcome. "If the group meets on a regular basis, the members should start to feel at ease with each other and hence feel free to state their opinions openly," (Teams & Groups" 1996). The informality and ease of communications paves the way for high productivity within a diverse workplace.
The nature of leadership in teams also benefits from heterogeneity. A manager of a group is squarely in charge because of rank or title. The hierarchy does not permit flexibility of ideas. In a team, however, members may take turns in positions of leadership. Team members also alternate rolls, which allows individuals to explore opportunities that might not be available in a traditional group setting. The team leader and other team members are keen to know when personal conflicts arise, because any issue might impact the collective goals.
References
"Differences between Work Groups and Teams." (nd). For Dummies. Retrieved May 3, 2010 from http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/differences-between-work-groups-and-teams.html
"Teams & Groups." (1996). Retrieved May 3, 2010 from http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/MENG/MECD/gf1.html
Zeff, L.E. & Higby, M.A. (2002). Teaching more than you know. Academic Exchange Quarterly 6(3). Retrieved May 3, 2010 from http://www.rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/6jan2118j2.htm
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