The document discusses the benefits of implementing team-based rewards over individual rewards for Alaskan Tire Corporation after redesigning its production facilities around a team-based system. Three key reasons are provided for why team-based rewards should be introduced: 1) They motivate employees to work collectively towards common goals and encourage participation, 2) They help develop trust between employees working as a team, and 3) They reduce competition and increase cooperation between employees. Team-based rewards are argued to better support the newly redesigned team-based production system compared to individual rewards which could increase conflict.

1. Team Dynamics
“Team members must resolve several issues and pass
through several stages of development before emerging as an
effective work unit” (McShane & Von Glinow, 2013, p. 235).
Considering the brief amount of time that we have to work with
our groups before we must submit finished projects, quickly
developing team cohesiveness is very important to our success.
Developing a team contract could be instrumental in aiding the
acceleration of the team development process.
Cohesion among team members refers to the level at
which members socially identify themselves with the team, feel
a commitment toward the team, and want to remain a part of
that team (McShane & Von Glinow, 2013, p. 239).
Cohesiveness has been shown to improve interpersonal
communication and the potential for learning (Williams &
Duray, 2006). In this class, we do not have a lot of time to
develop team cohesion, but efforts to get to know our
teammates should benefit our success and make it easier to work
with one another.
One way we might do that would be to go back and reread
discussion posts from our assigned team members. This will
help remind us of their writing and communication styles. It
will also give us a chance to reevaluate any personal
experiences team members may have shared. Some of the most
valuable posts from our team members that we can reread are
the introductions we all wrote about ourselves. Reminding
ourselves of details and strengths about one another will help us
discern who might be best in certain roles and help us feel more
comfortable trusting one another to carry out separate parts of
the project.
A team contract would be helpful in defining team goals,
establishing roles and expectations of team members, and
reinforcing commitment to the team and the learning process.
There are normally three stages of the team development

2. process before the performing stage: forming, storming and
norming (McShane & Von Glinow, 2013, p. 237). In light of
the very brief timeframe of this project, developing a team
contract will help to accelerate this process.
A contract would help reinforce expectations of each member of
the group and stand as a reminder of our commitment to
learning and succeeding together. Reinforcement of desired
actions from each member will help to increase the
effectiveness of the team and its ability to work together
(Williams & Castro, 2010). It should emphasize the value of
everyone contributing and working together to accomplish our
goal so that every member of the team has an equally rich
learning experience (Williams & Castro, 2010).
A team contract should include a clear outline of what steps
must be accomplished to achieve team objectives. It should
assign roles and show a clear division of labor among team
members according to their strengths. The amount of work per
person should be divided as equally as possible. A contract
should also include a commitment statement that holds each
member accountable and reinforces commitment to team goals.
The amount of time we have to work together as teams may be
short, but that does not mean we cannot perform well and
succeed in achieving team objectives. Since we do not know
one another well and have never met in person, it may be more
challenging to develop effective teamwork strategies, but that is
all the more reason to commit ourselves to working as a team.
Developing team contracts will be instrumental in helping us
complete our projects successfully.
References
McShane, S. L., and Von Glinow, M. A. (2013). Organizational
behavior: Emerging knowledge, global reality (6th ed.). New
York,
NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Williams, E. A., and Castro, S. L. (2010). The effects of
teamwork on individual learning and perceptions of team
performance.

3. Team Performance Management, 16(3), 124-
147. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13527591011053232
Williams, E. A., and Duray, R. (2006). TEAMWORK
ORIENTATION, GROUP COHESIVENESS, AND STUDENT
LEARNING: A STUDY OF
THE USE OF TEAMS IN ONLINE DISTANCE
EDUCATION. Journal of Management Education, 30(4), 592-
616. Retrieved
from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.davenport.edu/docview/1
95716751?accountid=40195
Michelle C. Lerma
Davenport University
MGMT 645
Dr. C. AUSTIN
Communication
Introduction
It takes a collaborative effort to raise children in today’s
society. Parents whether they are in a mutual relationship or
not must find a way to be consistent in their communication and
decision making process involving the child or children.
Ultimately, the decisions made between both parents require the
most positive outcome for the child’s welfare. It takes a team
of two parents (or depending on one’s situation 3-4) to guide
their child in a direction most beneficial for the child’s future.
“Teams are groups of two or more people who interact and
influence each other, are mutually accountable for achieving
common goals associated with organizational objectives, and
perceive themselves as a social entity within an organization”
(McShane, 2013). In this analogy the parents are the
organization and the achievement of the common goal is the
success of a young child becoming a well-rounded responsible

4. adult. Parents must be in constant interaction with each other
and are accountable for the safety and security of the child. In
an organization, the achievement of the common goal is the
progression of the positive growth on the financial statements.
All employees no matter what position one holds in the
organization must be in constant interaction with each other and
be held accountable for the success of the organization.
Abstract
Alaskan Tire Corporation collectively made a decision to
redesign its production facilities around a team-based system.
Decision makers within the organization recognized “that under
the right conditions, teams make better decisions, develop better
products and services, and create a more engaged workforce
than do employees working alone” (McShane, 2013). In the
ever evolving industrial era we live and work in, it is imperative
that the workforce continues to improve on the processes of the
organization. “Personnel has become a more and more
important asset for today’s growing organizations, due to this,
motivating ones personnel has become of high priority for the
directors and management of these organizations” (Alhgren,
Andersson, Skold, 2007). One of the advantages of building a
team based system is the creativity and knowledge employees
can share with one another. Employees are highly motivated in
a team environment for three reasons: “employees have a drive
to bond and are motivated to fulfill the goals of groups to which
they belong, people are more motivated in teams because they
are accountable to fellow team members who monitor
performance more closely than a traditional supervisor, and
under some circumstances performance improves when
employees work near others because coworkers become
benchmarks of comparison” (McShane, 2013). The president of
Alaskan Tire Corporation has an obligation to the organization
and its employees to explore the idea of team based
performance. An opportunity lies in visiting companies very
similar to the dynamics to Alaskan Tire Corporation using a
team based performance. The president can then formulate a

5. plan and build an individual and team based performance
reward system. According to a study conducted, “a 75/25 rule
apply…a well-balanced performance reward program consists of
75% emphasis on individual behavior and 25% emphasis on
team behavior” (Mitchell, 2013). The president of the Alaskan
Tire Corporation should model the team based performance
based on various resources and observations. In doing so, the
organization and employees can thrive on individual
accomplishment as well as that of the team accomplishment.
Conclusion
It is difficult to gage the reward system in all organizations.
There are organizations that develop products and/or services
more efficiently and effectively by means of teams and
individuals alike. I do not believe that one set way of
rewarding employees is best. Having a combination of both
individual and team based reward system in place will ensure
the growth of the organization. It will solidify the
organizations’ stability and longevity in a global market.
References
Ahlgren, A., Andersson, I., Skold, H. (2007). Bachelor
EssayIn Management Control. Individual vs. Team Based
Reward Systems. School of Business Economics and Law:
Goteborg University.
McShane, S. & Von Glinow, M. (2013). Organizational
Behavior (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Mitchell, B. (2013). Snowfly. Individual vs. Team Rewards
75/25 Rule.

6. Post DQI by day 2, Alaskan Tire Corporation redesigned its
production facilities around a team-based system. However, the
company president believes that employees will not be
motivated unless they receive incentives based on their
individual performance. Give three (3) explanations why
Alaskan Tire should introduce team-based rather than individual
rewards in this setting
It is believed that only a limited amount of employees view
their relationship between job performance and the amount of
pay they receive equal. The team incentive is set up so that
either everyone gets the incemtive, or no one gets it (McShane
& Von Gilnow, 2013). During our life span we will all
encounter a period in time where we are a part of a great team
and other times when we must work in isolation towards our
goal. There are many great benefits to an organization
developing teams for its employees to work within. When
working as a team employees are able to create ideas that will
receive a more favorable result, employees develop a support
network within the team, tasks are often achieved at a quicker
pace, employees may acquire new skills from their team
members and they tend to be more satisfied with work.
Organizations are finding that individually based reward
systems do not necessarily support today's team-based
organizational environments (Zingheim and Schuster 1997).
Team-based approaches towards organizing work is on the rise
and has illustrated the need to identify methods that reinforce
and foster teamwork among workers. By Alaskan Tire
introducing team based rewards rather than individual based
rewards the organization will help employees develop trust in
their fellow employees, team trust can be influenced by rewards
set in place. Implementing compensation plans to reward
employees for teamwork success produces great synergy
throughout the organization. Team based rewards allow
organizations to tie rewards to specific goals, such as increased
customer satisfaction scores or reductions in unnecessary

7. receivables.
References
McShane, S. L., & Von Glinow, M. A. (2013). Organizational
Behavior. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Zingheim, P.K., and J.R. Schuster. "Best Practices for Small-
Team Pay."ACA Journal. Spring 1997. 6(1):40-49.
Knowles
Different types of organizations follow different kinds of
strategies for designing incentive plan. Generally, design of
incentive plan is based on nature, size, and policies of the
organization. In individual based incentive system, incentives
are provided on individual contribution. On the other hand,
team based incentive means where incentives are based on the
performance of whole team (group of people), instead of
individual contribution. This system should be properly defined,
designed and implemented to gain higher productivity, better
performance and accomplishment of organizational goals.
Here, in this given situation, Alaskan Tire Corporation has
redesigned its production which favors team-based incentive
system. If individual-incentive system is adopted, it will lead to
conflict, competition and distrust between the employees. Thus,
by keeping the nature of production facilities in mind, the
corporation should adopt the team-based incentive plan which
can support productivity of the organization. The discussion
points in favor of team based incentive plan are as follows:
First, with the use of team-based incentive based plan,
employees will be motivated to work collectively in a team
towards common goals. Employees have the potential to

8. encourage one another, participate in brainstorming sessions
and support each other in their efforts. This approach also has
the potential to effectively use the talents of individual staff
members in a group setting. The advantage is the full utilization
of collective staff knowledge and experience (Lisa McQuerrey,
n.d.). This system will act as a motivating factor for the
employees to work in a team and coordinating the efforts of
employees.
Second, this system will help in developing mutual trust and
understanding between the employees working in a team. Being
in a same team, one teammate can relies on another in every
aspects. Interpersonal trust is defined as “an individual’s belief
that another individual makes efforts to uphold commitments, is
honest, and does not take advantage of the given opportunity”
(Ferrin and Dirks 2003).This will increase the potential of the
employees, unity among employees by which team work can be
perform its work in most effective and efficient manner.
Third, it helps in reducing competition and increasing co-
operation. When a group of employees is working toward a
collective goal, chances increase that ambitious workers will
encourage greater levels of participation from their less
ambitious colleagues (Lisa McQuerrey, n.d.). This gives a
chance to slow or weak performers to perform better and
increase their level.
All in all, we can say that the main motive behind selection of
incentive plan is to acquire and retain good talent in the
organization so that organization can perform better.175
scientists and engineers involved in research and development
work found that team rewards were particularly effective in
overcoming competition, and encouraging the sharing of results,
especially since team progress in the sort of setting tends to go
in leaps, and it is difficult to attribute to the success of the work
of single individuals ( Gomez-Majia and Balkin,1989)

9. References:
Lisa McQuerrey (n.d). The Advantages of Team Based Incentive
Pay Plans. Retrieved from
http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/advantages-team-based-
incentive-pay-plans-7115.html
Courtney Calinog (n.d.). Team-Based Rewards Structures and
Their Impact on Team Trust. Retrieved from
http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/msloc/knowledge-
lens/stories/2011/team-based-rewards.html
Cummings J, Reilly P, Bevan S (2001). What Does Team Pay
Have to Offer? Institute for Employment Studies. Retrieved
from http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/pdflibrary/mp6.pd