Essay Example on Maximizing Team Performance With Lean System: Achieving Goals Together

In the first case, the lean system is dependent on all the employees working together to make the process convenient and achieve the desired goals within the least time possible. Every employee is given equal chances to contribute to the success of the organization by the lean system. Team building is emphasized, and the employees are encouraged to involve themselves in the group's activity. When the management value the ideas and contribution of a group member, the overall performance of the team will improve. Allowing new ideas to be tried by the unit enhances the productivity of the organization. Langfred (2005) suggests that "it may be difficult to incorporate considerable individual autonomy and group autonomy in the same workgroup". Langfred words are an indication that in the process of adapting to teamwork, individual autonomy is lost. According to Van, Rutte, Vermunt, Kompier, and Doorewaard, "High individual autonomy is beneficial to any organization" (2006). The lean system needs to maintain a desirable level of individual autonomy. The team's performance is not measured based on personal achievement.

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In the second case, students, performance is measured and graded. As students participate more in their groups, the overall performance is enhanced. Although this is a motivation for the students to work more, it may not be the best way of encouraging teamwork. Some of the students may fail to be involved in the group's activities because the consequences of non-involvement will affect the whole group. The professor's technique may fail to enhance teamwork as opposed to the lean system because in the lean system, individuals are given opportunities to present their ideas. The ideas are neither measured nor graded, and the individual's participation in the team is encouraged. However, measuring the students' involvement in groups based on the performance of the group members encourages individual autonomy rather than the group's autonomy. To enhance performance, the professor needs to devise better methods of improving student involvement.

References

Langfred, C. W. (2005). Autonomy and performance in teams: The multilevel moderating effect of task interdependence. Journal of Management, 31(4), 513-529. Retrieved from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Langfred%2C+C.+W+Autonomy+and+performance+in+teams%3A+The+Multilevel+Moderating+Effect+of+Task+Interdependence.+Journal+of+Management%2C+31%284%29%2C+513-529.+%282005&btnG=

van Mierlo, H., Rutte, C. V., Vermunt, J. K., Kompier, M. A. J., & Doorewaard, J. A. M. C. (2006). Individual autonomy in work teams: The role of team autonomy, self-efficacy, and social support. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 15(3), 281-299. Retrieved from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=meaning+of+individual+autonomy&btnG=