Bpp learning Media is an acca approved Content Provider

 EXAM FOCUS POINT 
Aspects to look out for in exam questions include the distinction between teams and groups; factors in 
team success; Belbin's team roles and Tuckman's team development model. Revise teambuilding 
carefully: it is another key issue.
BPP Tutor Toolkit Copy

---

PART D: LEADING AND MANAGING INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS 
 
362
 
 
3
Teams 
A 
team
is more than a group. It has joint 
objectives 
and 
accountability
and may be set up by the 
organisation under the supervision or coaching of a team leader, although 
self-managed teams
are 
growing in popularity. 
A 
team 
is a group of people with complementary skills who have a 
common
 
purpose
and objectives for 
which they hold themselves accountable. 
3.1 Strengths of teamworking 
Teamworking may be used for: 
organising
work; 
controlling
activities; 
generating
ideas; 
decision-
making
; pooling 
knowledge
. 
Teams are particularly well adapted to the following purposes. 
Type of role
 
Comments 
Work organisation
Teams combine the skills of different individuals. 
Teams are a co-ordinating mechanism: they avoid complex communication 
between different business functions. 
Control
Fear of letting down the team can be a powerful motivator: team loyalty can be 
used to control the performance and behaviour of individuals. 
Idea generation
Teams can generate ideas, eg through brainstorming and information sharing. 
Decision-making
Decisions are evaluated from more than one viewpoint, with pooled information. 
Teams make fewer, but better evaluated, decisions than individuals. 
3.2 Limitations of teamworking 
Problems with teams include