Date of Award

1997

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Business Administration

Department

Business

Abstract

This thesis will focus on the study of The Team Concept in today's work environment. People are the greatest asset any company possesses and how they are utilized directly affects the success and failure of that organization. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of what is required to implement a team approach.

Both knowledge and skills associated with the subject must be fully attained before any results can be achieved. This study provides knowledge around the team concept and provides some tools necessary for implementation. Knowledge is what any student can learn about a subject, but the skills come with the experience of dealing with the people. Both must be mastered and understood . Remember everyone wants to be connected with a company that aspires to be the best -- that wants to be a leader in everything it does -- and is willing to embrace the high standards necessary to consistently achieve high goals.

In this study various practical examples and research findings have been assembled from the automobile manufacturing industry. The history of the successes and failures of the team environment concept demonstrates that automobile manufacturing is the most difficult industry to implement it in, due to the multiple age groups and educational backgrounds of employees.

In the author's mind, the effective team leader is the one who takes the time to understand what he or she is really asking each member of the team to do . The one who has actually been in that employee's position or a similar position . The one who treats each employee as a colleague rather than a subordinate. The one who is willing to get his or her own hands dirty if that's what it takes to achieve the kinds of change needed for the team.

People will come and go, but the values that bind an organization or institution must be permanent. They can never change, and these kinds of values are more than ethical principles -- they are good business -- and they are rules of living.

It won't be easy , but we cannot afford to revert to old ways whenever change seems difficult. We cannot fall back on elaborate charts and words to explain away shortcomings or cover up the severity of new challenges. That would be suicidal. What we need are deeds, not words. To build that kind of motivation in your team, you have to have respect and credibility of the team. Respect and credibility are also achieved through deeds, not words.

In the end , the truest measure of leadership is when the entire team steps back and looks at what it has accomplished; just as you can now look back at what you have accomplished , and they all say to themselves, "We did it together."

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