work more productively in teams than individually. Team work requires
cooperation, which motivates people much more than individual competition does".
The speaker is correct when he states that productivity increases when people
work in teams. Teamwork requires cooperation and this enhances the motivation of
people than individual competition.
In manufacturing industry, the production of product depends on a number of
complex processes. A number of departments dealing with materials, technical
services, finance, marketing and production have to interact and only after
their cooperative work all the products roll out in time. When the operations
involved are highly technical and production processes are complex, interactive
cooperation becomes very essential. Even in the research organizations,
researchers must collaborate to bring out the product designs. Here cooperative
interaction will speed up the work. If individuals are in competition but
without cooperation they may work in cross purposes and delay in schedules.
There are a number of benefits when people work in a team rather than
individually. When people work as a team, their basic need of belongingness is
satisfied. They feel secure and wanted by the members in the team. Good inter
personal relations develop. This motivates them to put in more hard work to meet
the goals and time schedule set for the team. When sales persons work as a team,
each one tries very hard to meet the targets set for the sales of the team. Each
one tries to help the other members. But if each one is competing with others in
meeting the individual sales targets, the jealousies, back stabbing and other
unethical practices will develop which will be counter productive to the
organization. Even the best of leaders of industrial and business organizations
acknowledge that without the cooperation of the subordinates and workers, they
would not have achieved success. Thus, we can see cooperation and not
competition as the key to success of organizations.