Impact of team review on case study outcomes

Impact of Teams - Review of Case Study
Introduction
It is important to note, from the onset, that there is need to add the number of working teams at Sanderson Soaps. This assertion is largely founded on several factors. With the company’s gross sales having hit $3 million last year, Sanderson Soaps appears to be on track to becoming a much larger enterprise. Indeed, the company was barely able to fill orders last quarter. The future growth of the company will be largely dependent on how well the management of the company harnesses the power of teamwork to further advance the organizational agenda. It should be noted that at present, the company does not work as a cohesive team keen on accomplishing specific organizational objectives and goals. This is true at both the executive/managerial level and at the employee level. If the company does not embrace teamwork and increase the number of working teams, the Sandersons dream of expanding into other markets and eventually having a nationwide presence will most likely not be accomplished.
Working Teams Change Recommendations
a) At the Organizational Level
There will be need for a governing committee at the organizational level. This is a team that will help in not only the formulation of the overall strategic direction of the organization, but also help direct the mission of Sanderson Soaps. The governing committee will also be charged with the evaluation of recommendations from various departments with an aim of harmonizing organizational operations. Further, the committee will be charged with conflict resolution.
b) Product Development and Production Division
The team in James’ division will need to be increased and have its diversity enhanced. At present, the division employs a total of six employees. While two of the six work in the development and testing of new products, the other four work in the production arm of the division. It is recommended that the team be increased to at least 10 employees. It is also recommended that team diversity be embraced in the division. This is more so the case given that at present, 50% of the current team comprises of employees drawn from the Sanderson family. Also, Sanjay is the only non-white employee at the division (as well as across the entire organization).
c) Marketing and Sales Division
Margaret needs a larger team. At present, the division has only two employees despite the fact that it is one of the most critical divisions as far as the continued growth of Sanderson Soaps is concerned. Diversity considerations should also be taken into account in this case.
d) Distribution Division
The distribution team will also need to be further enhanced. At present, the division employs a total of ten employees. It is important to note that of the ten, five are drawn from the Sanderson family. It, therefore, follows that diversity also ought to be taken into consideration in this case.
e) Accounts Division
This division is the organizational model division. This is more so the case when it comes to the promotion of teamwork. As presently constituted, i.e. with a total of eight employees that function as a team, no additional team players are required in this case.
Proposed Changes Rationale
It should be noted that at the organizational level, the company does not work as a team. For instance, opinions cannot be freely aired during executive staff meetings due to the reservations some members have regarding their colleagues. In this case, John appears to be the most dominant force and other members (such as Anthony) appear keen to avoid getting in his way. This is an indication that only a few individuals have executive authority in this case – which could negatively affect the morale of other members of the said team. Towards this end, there will be need for a governing committee as has been described above. The decisions of the said committee will be ratified on the basis of voting – ensuring that no single member has unequal sway.
When it comes to the production division, sales in this case appear to be heating up – with the company having been barely able to fill orders last quarter. An expanded team will come in handy in anticipation of increased sales. However, going forward, the company’s survival will largely be based on its ability to serve a cosmopolitan customer base. For this reason, there is need to ensure that the production division is made up of a more diverse team that can successfully formulate products to meet market tastes and trends.
At present, the company’s largest customer base comprises of women aged between 24 and 70 – with a significant percentage (65%) of this group being 45-65 years old. Further, it has also been found that a large percentage of the company’s client-base (70%) resides in Maine. If the company is to further promote its bottom-line and enhance its stability in the market, it ought to expand its reach – both geographically and with regard to gender. Margaret will need a team larger than the one she currently has to accomplish this feat.
As sales continue to heat up, the distribution department will have to accommodate a larger team. As a matter of fact, the employees at the department complain of being overworked at present and there appears to be no collaboration at all. The lesson for John in this case should be that “leaders can’t achieve goals or desired results without effective collaboration” (Heyman, 2011).
Insights
The relevance of teamwork cannot be overstated in an organizational setting. Indeed as Morgenson, DeRue and Karam (2010) observe, the utilization of teams in organizations continues to increase. At Sanderson Soaps, teamwork does not appear to have a place in organizational operations. Also, the company appears reluctant to embrace (or unable to appreciate) the relevance of diversity. Understandably, Sanderson is a family business. Even then, the proportion of family members to non-family members is likely to impede the company’s growth and ability to compete effectively going forward. This is more so the case given that the company also appears to have a significantly high male-to-female ratio despite the fact that a large percentage of those who purchase the company’s products are female. In the final analysis, there will be need to promote teamwork as well as diversity if the organization is to continue being relevant in an increasingly competitive marketplace. As Fox (2007) observes, diversity creates innovation. Further, according to the author, “language barriers and cultural differences can often act as a bit of an obstacle for a company who want to expand their business over shores” (Fox, 2007, p. 112).
Conclusion
Amongst other things, teamwork will help blend complementary strengths at Sanderson Soaps. For instance, John loathes personnel issues, while Rachel and Scott have different strengths. It is not difficult to see how persons having different skills and abilities could work together to eliminate these weaknesses and promote efficiency. Antony’s division could be considered the model division when it comes to teamwork. This is more so the case given that as a result of the deliberate actions by Anthony to embrace understanding and appreciation for performance at the division, employees in the Accounts Division happen to be a motivated lot. Alongside the other recommendations that have been highlighted elsewhere in this text, Anthony’s model ought to be replicated across the entire organization. I am convinced that if nothing is done going forward and the company continues operating as at present, decline will be largely inevitable. This is more so the case given that the balance the company enjoys at present is likely to be upset with the retirement of the founders.













References
Fox, W. (2007). Managing Organizational Behavior. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Heyman, P. (2011). Collaboration: Create a Team Culture. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Creating-a-Culture-of-Collaboration&id=6369127
Morgenson, F.P., DeRue, D.S. & Karam, E.P. (2010). Leadership in Teams: A Functional Approach to Understanding Leadership Structures and Processes. Journal of Management, 36(1), 5-39.