Advantages And Disadvantages Of Teamwork

What Is Team Work ?

When two or more people work together to complete a specific task or to achieve a common goal is called teamwork. It is known as the  collaborative effort of a group of people to perform a task. In simple words, team work can be defined as an activity of working together to obtain certain objective. It helps to simplify the complex tasks and reduces the workload, that helps to minimize errors and mistakes and increases the productivity.


Benefits Or Advantages Of Teamwork


The main advantages of teamwork can be explained as follows:

1. Teamwork Reduces Workload

The main benefit of teamwork is that it simplifies complex and difficult tasks and divides among the members according to their skills and capabilities. So, difficult tasks can be performed easily when there is a team. In this way, teamwork helps to reduce the workload of an individual with the means of division of labor and specialization.

2. Teamwork Increases Productivity

Suppose an individual can complete a task in 10 hours. But if it is performed by 5 people, it can be completed within 2 hours. It means more tasks can be completed if we work in a team. So, it helps to perform more tasks which leads to improve the productivity of the company.

3. Teamwork Provides Learning Opportunity


A team is a combination of different talents, different skills, different experience, different culture and different backgrounds. So, interaction among the members provides opportunity to learn new skills and gain knowledge which is very useful in personal growth and career development.

4. Better Quality Of Output


Another notable advantage of teamwork is that it ensures better quality of output. Because of division of work and specialization, minimization of errors, mistakes and wastage is possible. S, it helps to increase the quality of output. 

5. It Increases Employee Motivation And Morale


Teamwork decreases the workload which reduces the  burden and stress. It also provides learning opportunity that increases the skills and abilities. So, it helps to improve employee morale and motivation which leads to job satisfaction.

6. Teamwork Increases Interpersonal Skill


It promotes coordination and sense of commitment in the organization. Better coordination helps to improve communication and interpersonal skill of the employees.

7. It Encourages Innovation


Because of different minds and abilities, new idea and better solutions can be discovered to overcome the obstacles. So, teamwork promotes innovation.

Drawbacks Or Disadvantages Of Teamwork

The main disadvantages of teamwork can be expressed as follows:

1. Teamwork Lengthens Decision Making Process

One of the main drawbacks of teamwork is that it takes more time to make decisions. It requires the agreement of all members to make any decision. So, quick decision is not possible at the time of emergency.

2. High Chance Of Conflict


There exists a chance of conflict and misunderstanding between the team members. Conflict among the employees decreases the efficiency, disturbs the working environment and hampers the smooth flow of operation.

3. May Create Challenge To The Management


It may become difficult for the management assign tasks properly to the team, to handle conflict effectively and to evaluate employees' performance fairly.

advantages disadvantages teamwork

4. Demoralization Of Team

Possibility of demoralization is another disadvantage of teamwork. Unequal distribution of work, unequal participation in the job, difference in the interests and opinions of members and presence of conflict and misunderstanding may lead to demoralization.

5. Possibility Of Factionalism


Disputes and misunderstanding between the team members leads to factionalism in the workplace. Factionalism creates conflict which negatively affects the performance and productivity of the organization. 

Pros And Cons Of Teamwork In Short

Pros:

- It simplifies large and complex tasks into small pieces of works which helps to decrease the workload and burden of  team members . 

- It helps to improve productivity and quality of output.

- It increases interpersonal skills, motivation, morale and job satisfaction

- It provides learning opportunity to the members which helps to improve their skills and abilities.

- Because of higher motivation and job satisfaction, it helps to lower employee turnover rate.

Cons:

- There is a possibility of conflict and misunderstanding among the members and factionalism in the workstation.

-  It takes long time and effort to make decision

- It may be difficult for the management to maintain better discipline in the workplace.

- There will be a chance of personality clash among the team members.