Effective teamwork in Indian IT companies: challenges and solutions

Effective teamwork in Indian IT companies: challenges and solutions

Article Type: HR at work From: Strategic HR Review, Volume 15, Issue 1

Satyendra C. Pandey and Pinaki Nandan Pattnaik

Satyendra C. Pandey is Assistant Professor at the Centre for Management Studies, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, India. Pinaki Nandan Pattnaik is based at the Centre for Management Studies, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, India.

Introduction

Research shows that contemporary organizations are heavily investing in team-based structures to put up with the growing complexity of the modern day work environment in which their employees operate (Katzenbach and Smith, 1993). Teamwork can be defined as a set of interrelated thoughts, actions and feelings of each team member that are needed to function as a team and that combine to facilitate coordinated, adaptive performance and task objectives resulting in value-added outcomes (Salas et al., 2004). The Webster’s New World Dictionary defines teamwork as “joint action by a group of people, in which each person subordinates his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group”. The most effective teamwork results when individuals rise above their own interests to harmonize their contributions toward a pre-defined common goal.

It has been observed that among factors that affect team effectiveness, diversity of skills and personalities is critical and so is directing team effort toward a common goal. Good communication among team members, harmony and healthy relationship work as catalysts for the functioning of effective teams. Another important reason for the success of teams is when members use their abilities and capabilities to the fullest and also compensate for each other’s weaknesses. On the other hand, different personalities may lead to conflicts rather than complementing and balancing each other. Another outcome could be authority or dominance wars in areas of expertise. Similarly, the team might lack commitment to the pre-defined goals or on the means of achieving those goals leading to individuals developing prejudiced opinions (Pineda and Lerner, 2006).

Characteristics of effective teams

Effective teams and the characteristics thereof have evoked considerable interest owing to the fact that success or failure of enterprises or even in some cases the full industry depends on teams. Substantial research has been conducted in this area by many academicians and researchers. For instance, Larson and LeFasto (1989) suggested clear and elevating goal setting, a results-driven structure, having competent team members, unity in commitment, having a climate of collaboration, setting standards of excellence, creating external support and recognition led by principled leadership increases the effectiveness in teams.

Objective and methodology

The information technology (IT) industry in India not only employs considerable number of qualified people but is also embedded in the concept of teamwork. Thus, the success or failure of any IT company depends on the level of effectiveness of various teams working in the company. It is therefore worthwhile to examine the kinds of challenges that these companies face and how they respond to these challenges. The authors have conducted structured interviews and have rendered surveys in three mid-sized Indian IT companies, Happiest Infotech, Mindworks Technologies and IdeaSoft Technologies to list out the most common problems and solutions (Table I).

Table I - List of problems/challenges and solutions applied

Analysis

The main challenge depends on meeting the psychological, social and professional needs of the team members. As the team works in the organizational setup which is often dictated by external factors, at times, it becomes difficult to meet the satisfaction of stated and perceived needs in a fast paced competitive environment. In any team, clarity of pre-determined goals and result-driven structures are the most important criteria of effectiveness in teams. In addition to these, it was also found that building a collaborative culture of openness, sharing and mentoring also plays a vital role in achieving high standards of team success. It was further observed that support from top management by communicating expected outcomes can motivate team members even in difficult situations. Apart from ensuring such characteristics, it is highly beneficial if organizations develop an acceptable mechanism to incentivize team members.

Conclusion

It is argued that an effective team always has clarity that encourages the members to work toward the pre-determined common goal. The authors have also found that critical factors like relevant skills, frequency of team meetings, proper resource allocation, etc., go a long way in creating a composite culture that is well-coordinated for effectiveness. Respect, patience and understanding are the fundamental skill sets that the IT industry required. The applicability of the eight principles proposed by Larson and LeFasto (1989) were found relevant thereby proving the effectiveness of a framework in today’s corporate world that is going through rapid changes in itself.

References

Katzenbach, J.R. and Smith, D.K. (1993), The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization, Harvard Business Press.

Larson, C.E. and LaFasto, F.M. (1989), Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong, Sage, Vol. 10.

Pineda, R.C. and Lerner, L.D. (2006), “Goal attainment, satisfaction and learning from teamwork”, Team Performance Management: An International Journal, Vol. 12 Nos 5/6, pp. 182-191.

Salas, E., Sims, D.E. and Klein, C. (2004), “Cooperation at work”, Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology, Vol. 1, pp. 497-505.

Corresponding author

Satyendra C. Pandey can be contacted at: mailto:u510003@stu.ximb.ac.in