Leadership
Task:Critically analyze issues related to team cohesiveness, diversity,and team conflict based on the case study: Excel Pro Drilling Systems.
This assignmentshould be completed individually.
TASK DESCRIPTION:
1.Read the case study available on moodle titled Excel Pro Drilling Systems and answer the following questions:
What went wrong in the formation of the Green Team? What should Excel Pro have done differently? Justify your answer.
What conditions contribute to this teams cohesiveness? What reduces its cohesiveness?
What do you think of the points plan? How should Excel Pros management help the Green Team manage its conflict?What styles of conflict resolution (based on the TKI model introduced in class) would you consider most effective in this situation?
2.The Green Team consists of members from a variety of cultures. Critically analyze the advantages of such a diverse team and the challenges leaders might face.
Expected table of contents
:-Case Introduction
-Critical analysis of Q1.
-Critical analysis of Q2.
-Critical analysis of Q3.
-Definition and types of workplace diversity.
-Advantages of diverse teams.
-Challenges related to leading diverse teams.
-Conclusions
-Bibliography
-The assignment should be written in the form of an essay and submitted via turnitin.
Formalities:
:3.Word-count: 3000 words
4.Cover, Table of Contents, References and Appendix are excluded of the total word-count.
5.Font: Arial 12pts.
6.Text alignment: Justified.
7.The in-text References and the Bibliography have to be in Harvards citation style
EXCEL PRO DRILLING SYSTEMS
Based in Alabama, Excel Pro Drilling Systems sells drilling equipment around the
world. Its factories in Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, India, and South Africa
run three shifts to keep up with strong demand in developing nations. Excel Pro
enjoys profitability, but environmental groups have expressed concern about its
impact on climate change. As executives explored their response, they saw that
achieving more sustainable resource use also could make the company more
efficient and create a more favorable business environment for the long term.
The executives decided to form a group called the Excel Pro Green Team, made
up of representatives in each of its locations. Each facilitys managers chose three
employees, one each from engineering, production, and finance, with leadership
skills, English-language ability, and interest in the topic of environmental
sustainability. These 18 employees formed the Green Team.
To save money as well as fuel, the Green Team operates as a virtual team. Its
members meet by videoconferencing once a month. Between meetings, they
share thoughts via e-mail and in a social-mediastyle page Excel Pro created for
this purpose.
Initially, all the Green Team members were enthusiastic. The Czech and Brazilian
representatives even came to the first meeting with specific ideas. Other team
members were inspired to prepare ideas for the next meeting, but several were
concerned that the team needed a plan establishing goals and a time line before
the team addressed specific actions. Most of the third meeting was devoted to
debating whether to establish an action plan or refine the ideas already
submitted. Frustrated, the South African representatives took one idea to their
facilitys management for approval and began to implement it without telling the
rest of the team.
By the fourth meeting, the representatives in India and the Czech Republic were
openly complaining that meetings were always scheduled at times convenient for
the headquarters employees. The Chinese team members agreed; in fact, one
had quietly stopped attending meetings, although she did continue to participate
in the exchange of e-mail ideas . The debate about whether headquarters should
always schedule meetings lasted for 45 minutes, after which no one was in any
mood to discuss sustainability.
Two of the Alabama team representatives took their frustration to their
managers. The executive team investigated and decided the team needed to be
unified behind a common goal. They directed the team to present three resource-
saving ideas by the end of the year, and they offered a reward system to
promote teamwork. The team members are each allocated 100 points a month.
Whenever one team member appreciates anothers actions, he or she gives that
person points. All team members point scores are viewable by the whole team at
a shared website. At the end of the year, the points earned by each employee will
be exchanged for cash rewards in the local currency. The executives hope the
program will motivate greater cooperation.
