Question

Jason Jones has been asked to assemble an eight-member self-managed work team of experienced employees to work on a project that combines the functional areas of research, production, marketing, and distribution. Jason is apprehensive about managing a team so large; he knows from prior experience that larger teams do not always result in greater productivity. Jason has also been informed by the management that this team is being established as the project must progress according to the predetermined timeline. The work lagging behind by one division will cause a cumulative delay in all the successive stages of the project's execution. Which of the following measures, if adopted by Jason, would best ensure that the team members are working efficiently?

A) instructing the team members to finalize the plan for the project right at the beginning and ensuring that it is implemented without any changes
B) discouraging team members from restricting themselves to their own functional areas by experimenting with and learning the jobs done by other members of the team
C) implementing a group-based incentive he has planned for this team
D) implementing a training program to provide the team members with the necessary technical and human relations skills for the project
E) assigning the specific tasks of the project to each team member by keeping in mind their preferences and abilities

Answer 1

The correct answer is E) Assigning the specific tasks of the project to each team member by keeping in mind their preferences and abilities.

Step-by-step explanation:

One of the most effective techniques to work efficiently in a group, especially in big groups is to divide the total work or assignment. This implies each of the members of the group would focus on specific tasks or stages of the project rather than on all the assignments.

This strategy is recommended in the situation described because it makes the process to be efficient as each member can use his/her abilities to better develop specific tasks and this would save time. Moreover, this strategy is ideal for Jason Jones because he can better monitor all the work and make sure each of the stages and all the project is finished on time as he will know who is responsible for each stage. According to this, the correct answer is E.