The Twin Paradoxical: Acme and Omega Electronics Study Case

For example, he might explain procedures for routing mail and requesting supplies in the office. He also delegates tasks to efficiently manage administrative operations, giving appropriate clerical tasks and instructions to filing clerks, typists or receptionists in the same office.

In Charles Duhigg’s “Smarter, Faster, Better,” Duhigg discusses the science behind productivity in both everyday life and the business world. In the second chapter of this book, named “Teams,” Duhigg discusses productivity as it relates to what the title suggests: teams, and what characteristics go into making the best teams possible. He asserts that it is not leaders or the strength of the individuals alone that create the strongest team, rather it is the parts of each member and their established positive norms that create the overall strongest teams.

Both of these companies were successful, are still around today, and widely known around the globe.

“Teamwork is critical to successful use of talent, skills, knowledge and labor in a globally competitive marketplace. All members of a team and organization have something to share with others and something to learn” (Kaye, & Hogan, 1999). Combined “Learning Team D” has a lot of strengths some of the innate tendencies are that a majority of the team is tenacious. As a whole they seek to get things done quickly. The members all express confidence in their ability to achieve and make things happen. They are able to create a plan of action and follow-up routines. The team is able to take calculated risks when making decisions. The team is able to see things in black and white. This makes it easier for them to delegate and take charge when it is required. Members often downplay

    Teamwork is essential to the success of any organization, large or small. The necessity of teamwork was especially emphasized through Pocock’s comparison between a rowing crew and a symphony, stating “If one fellow in an orchestra was

One of the assignments he thinks that he will enjoy the most is working as a member of the core committee which organizes and runs the yearly community festival for the neighborhood. Because of his experience with community events, Mark has been placed in charge of logistics coordination, planning, security, and public safety. While this appears to be an extensive workload, Mark has a great deal of previous experience and understands the tasks that need to be completed. Because the planning for the festival started a year in advance, he knows that as the festival grows closer there will be additional volunteers to assist him, so he will not be individually responsible for each one of these areas; for now, the workload is sufficient for one person.

Teamwork is important to complete any task and without it you have chaos. Everyone knows the saying “a team is only as strong as the weakest player,” this saying can be put to use for sports but it doesn't come into play for other industries. If doctors, pilots, food industries, and construction workers used this for everyday work they would be more efficient. Furthermore, every industry that has ever existed knows that there is always going to be something unexpected. Gawande recommends that when a team is working together and they can't seem to figure out what the problem is they should, “stop and talk through the case together”(101). When a group of workers uses this democratic way of thinking they critique each other and end up improving one another by showing them a different way of thinking. For example, many think surgeons rule the operation room and what they say goes, but in actuality they make mistakes like everyone else so this rule will actually save lives.

At Omega, employees used to work in teams and balance their actions so as to accomplish tasks in an efficient way.

When I have to work in a team, I try to reach success with others participants in assigned activities. I do not take the role of leader or follower. I consider myself just another participator, but always thinking about doing everything right and clean. I have always had in mind that teamwork are all those actions and activities that are carried out collectively. In order for there to be an excellent group work, I think is necessary is that the actions are developed collectively. This means that to carry out group work, the existence of an entertainer or coordination is not necessary. The collective performance of an action is sufficient, within the framework of mutual interaction.

Many types of studies have been conducted and share the common outcome that performance is often better within the workplace when outcomes are judged as a team rather than specific individuals. Additional studies have been shown than teams are more likely to come up with effective and necessary management tactics than appointing a

While team dynamics and cohesion play a great role in the success of any team, we believe that external factors (situation, system) can profoundly affect behavior and performance. The importance of creating an environment that supports great people and encourages them to support one another so the whole is far greater than the sum of the parts is undermined by this statement. Even a great team can’t be guaranteed to fix a mediocre idea or come up with good ones every time. The system/environment have a big role in the success of a team.

Teamwork has become an important part of the working culture and many businesses now look at teamwork skills when evaluating a person for employment. Most companies

Every decision made within the group becomes a team effort with the goal of producing maximum results.

Finally Acme discovers the way to reduce the cost by 20% and they won the contract.  Omega may have won the battle, but Acme has won the war because its mechanistic structure fosters a concern for technical efficiency and cost reduction in what is a routine manufacturing environment. In this particular case, Acme decides to run a "tight ship" (mechanistic structure) in order to increase productivity and efficiency, and to decrease costs. The advantage of this strategy is that they can undersell their competition (Omega) by selling at a lower cost. Omega, on the other hand, is nearly too opposite. They run a more organic structure, which relies heavily upon communication, delegation and teamwork. This strategy allows Omega to effectively compete with Acme by stressing reliability and by placing emphasis on quality.

If you run your business like a relay race, some positions readily lend themselves to several hands on the wheel. However, positions of responsibility require one person to see the job through from start to finish—one person capable of taking responsibility for the outcome rather than several, each denying culpability in the event of a glitch. Part time employees sometimes lack initiative because they view their positions as not having much value. They do not make the same investment in the job as do full time employees receiving benefits.