One of the reasons for success or failure of projects is team management. Projects are often undertaken by individuals with different qualifications that determine the roles and responsibilities. However, these individuals must always come together and work towards achieving the intended objectives of the projects as a team, which is still under the control of the project manager. Many aspects impact the effectiveness of a project team, and as a result, hinder the progress or completion of the project. Similarly, the organizational structure and expectations influence the roles of the project manager and his team during the execution of the plan. This essay aims to review an article highlighting certain aspects that impact team management (Kissi, Dainty " Tuuli, 2013).
The article by Courtright et al. (2017). Quality charters or quality members? A control theory perspective on team charters and team performance depicts that high-quality team charter is one of the foundations required for a project team to perform efficiently. Therefore, organizations ought to develop charters that influence the team members to focus on collective action. Moreover, the quality of the charter impacts the team performance. The study also focuses on team level behavior control. Courtright et al., 2017 argue that management of the team plays a significant role in the success of a project; the manager can align the actions of the workers with the company’s interest so that employees collectively pursue the organization’s goals. In so doing, the objectives are met because the team’s activities are appropriately governed.
The article provides a very comprehensive theoretical framework, which discusses crucial aspects of the team charter and relates it with primary concepts in organizational structure. It posits that a high-quality team charter is introduced in the initial change phase of team development that involves teamwork process planning. Therefore, the manager must ensure that the charter is appropriately initiated and understood by every member of the team. Another notable factor is team conscientiousness, which allows that traits of individuals in the organization are aligned with the team’s objectives. The discussion further touches on the organizational control theory, which suggests that “control mechanisms regulate and direct the actions of individuals towards collective goals” (Colomo-Palacios et al., 2014).
Not to mention, the article contains four substantial hypotheses that guide the scope of the study. The methodology employed in the research is appropriate because it is the most effective way in which information about project teams could be gathered. Moreover, the authors engaged an excellent sample size; however, it was not diverse since the participant was majorly university students. The researchers should have involved project managers who worked with various teams and either succeeded or failed in the long run. Also, they should have scrutinized failed project to ascertain whether the failure can be attributed to team charter, management or specific organization structure (Crawford " LePine, 2013).
The results of the study are correctly structured portray the significance of high-quality team charter in team performance. Moreover, accurate figures are incorporated in the results section. The variables of the research are clearly outlined in the methodology section. Thus, it is easy for the reader to understand whatever is being analyzed. Despite taking a theoretical approach, the article highlights the practical implications of the study and provides a very vivid explanation of the results.
It is imperative to note that the claims in the study are backed up sources, which are included in the reference page. One of the shortcomings of the research is the use of undergraduate project teams as participants in the study. However, the article succeeds in providing substantial information on the significance of team charter and involvement of every member in collective actions during the duration of the project. Personally, I feel the information in this article has offered me with insights on the importance of working together and fostering cohesion of a team, which has distinct goals.
References
Colomo-Palacios, R., Casado-Lumbreras, C., Soto-Acosta, P., García-Peñalvo, F. J., " Tovar, E. (2014). Project managers in global software development teams: a study of the effects on productivity and performance. Software Quality Journal, 22(1), 3-19.
Courtright, S. H., Mccormick, B. W., Mistry, S., " Wang, J. (2017). Quality charters or quality members? A control theory perspective on team charters and team performance. Journal of Applied Psychology,102(10), 1462-1470. doi:10.1037/apl0000229
Crawford, E. R., " LePine, J. A. (2013). A configural theory of team processes: Accounting for the structure of taskwork and teamwork. Academy of Management Review, 38(1), 32-48.
Kissi, J., Dainty, A., " Tuuli, M. (2013). Examining the role of transformational leadership of portfolio managers in project performance. International Journal of project management, 31(4), 485-497.
