MANAGEMENT

Fundamentals of Management questions

Compare and contract (a) self-managed and cross-functional teams and (b) virtual and face-to-face teams. Additionally, how would you explain the popularity of work teams in the United States, a nation whose cultural norms place a high value on individualism?

Self-managed and cross-functional teams

A self managed team is one which can work and perform independently without direct support from the top management. They are able to motivate themselves without the need of external input, and can perform as a separate business unit. A number of researches show that self-managed teams are able to improve the performance of any task they take on, and aim to accomplish. Studies have proven that self-managed teams have more control over their work, and feel much more secure in their jobs, while experiencing greater job satisfaction that those employees who are part of established teams (Batt, 2011).

There is a possibility that self managed teams may be discouraged by line manager because they give the teams the ability to manage themselves, removing the need of the line manager. These teams may not require supervision, but their capability may be limited to the limited ability of the team members. On the other hand, a cross-functional team can be described as a team consisting of three members in the least, from different and diverse areas and functions of the organization, working together on a mutual goal. The ability and high performance of a well placed cross functional team can only be believed after it is observed. Unlike self-Managed teams who require no or little outside assistance and guidance, these teams may at times require outside guidance and support and occasional motivation. The group has a number people from different departments, contributing diverse knowledge and experience to the team's abilities, but not insuring effective conduct and team management independently. Therefore, these teams are best suited for tasks which require extensive and diverse skills and knowledge in the presence of managerial support (Morgeson, F. P. 2005).

Virtual Teams and Face-to-face teams

Virtual teams are regular teams working together in a synergetic patter to achieve mutual goals, without interacting physically. Usually interaction or meetings are done via virtual technologies like the audio and video conferencing. As with all teams, not all virtual teams are the same either. Virtual teams may differ on the basis on their distribution in terms of geographic, time, cultural variety, organizational variety, technical diversity and the difference in the times they meet physically as compared to meeting purely virtually (Jury, 2011).

There as some schools of thought who believe that the ratio between the times a virtual team meets physically and physically can affect it productivity. Unlike Virtual-teams, Face to Face teams as the name entails, are teams which function within the same physical surrounding area, with members interrelate with each other personally to achieve their goals. Even-though, the need for face to face meetings may seem useless because of the tremendous leaps in technology, there are a number of objectives and goals which cannot be accomplished without physical ...