Kudler_Fine_Foods

Week 4 Learning Team Assignment Part A: Trust and Interpersonal Relationships Introduction Team trust is “the belief that an individual or group (a) makes good-faith efforts to behave in accordance with any commitments both explicit and implicit, (b) is honest in whatever negotiations preceded such commitment, and (c) does not take excessive advantage of another even when the opportunity is available” (Cummings & Bromley, 1996, p. 303). Trust is an integral part of a team’s success. We will discuss the assumption of truth within a team, analyze the implications of assuming trust on team performance, and discuss ways how trust can be kept and lost when working in teams. Trust is Assumed In a team, trust is assumed primarily because of the time constraint and diversity among the members. Swift trust explains the paradoxical trusting behavior displayed by members of new temporary project teams (Robert Jr., Dennis, & Hung, 2009). Team members immediately form trust and begin engaging in trusting behaviors. Each member relies on each other and put their trust on each other to perform until trustworthiness is compromised. The members know their capabilities; therefore assume the others will bring forth the same effort, energy, and attention to the team. According to Jordan D. Lewis (2000), “Mutual need creates the opportunity for an alliance to meet the defined objectives of each partner. Strong interpersonal relationships make the alliance strong.” Trust induces open communication and provides a comfortable atmosphere. “When trust exists in an organization almost everything else is easier and more comfortable to achieve” (Heathfield, Susan). Members can relax because their team members will take care of their responsibilities in a timely and agreed manner. Implications of Assumed Trust on Team Performance The basis for trust in any interpersonal relationship is an effective communication tool which also requires not only speaking, but listening to others as well. Lack of trust restricts communication between team members and leads to conflict over misunderstandings. Performance is based on interactions between members; therefore lack of trust impacts performance, which limits communication. In performance-based organizations trust can be the critical factor that leads to team success. According to the Journal of Applied Psychology, groups who demonstrate low levels of trust performed less effectively in creative problem solving and acted defensively toward each other. Defensiveness has shown to lead to decreases in problem solving (Meadow, Reese & Parnes 1959). Ways Trust is Lost When Working in Teams Not Doing Your Part – Unresponsiveness or failure to meet obligations are two elements that lead to distrust. A team member who fails to complete the respective task puts additional stress on members and will lead to team failure. Studies have revealed a strong relationship between trust and the degree of performance level among team members (Dirks & Ferrin, 2001, pp 450-451). Withholding Information – By withholding information, that individual is knowingly working against the goals of the team. “In the workplace, keeping information to yourself that others have a need or a right to know is not appropriate. (Obviously an exception would be if the information needs to be held in strict confidence.) In most cases, if you are working on a project with another person or an entire team, giving regular updates is paramount--whether that is your natural inclination to do so or not” (McRae 2006). Not Performing to Standards – “Teams need to have a clear understanding of where they want to end up and then make choices along the way to find the most efficient way to reach their goals” (Zigon, 1997). If a team member does not perform to the standards set forth, it puts the entire team at risk for failure. Trust, in turn, is lost between the team and that particular member. Ways to Keep Trust Among Team Members Participation – Trust among team members is achieved by participating actively in group activities. Interaction provides the chance to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses. According to Robert Jr., Dennis, and Hung (2009), “individuals develop trust gradually over time based on positive outcomes of repeated behavior” (p. 6, 82, 94). Communication – Establish an environment, which makes it easy for others to express themselves. Each member has distinguished backgrounds, whose opinions, attitudes, personalities, point of views and work ethics differ. Not everyone is born with good communication skills. However, if you talk about issues openly and ask for others for their thoughts/opinions then you will have good communication. Glaser (2006) stated, “It is about heart, soul, and spirit power, which are released by creating healthy environments, and healthy environments are determined by the type of leadership genes expressed.” (pp. 1-10, 10p). Accountability – Holding team members accountable for their responsibilities is essential in ensuring the successes of a team’s goals. Holding each other accountable builds trust within a team because it fosters the creation of a good group work ethic. Positive Reinforcement – This positive motivation builds trust by increasing the communication among team members in a positive way through encouragement and shared sacrifice, eliminating all the negative emotions associated with jealously. Resolving Issues – Resolving issues keep trust within a team by working together to accomplish the mission, maintain integrity by keeping a commitment and not offend. Confront difficult issues in a timely manner, set high expectations, listen carefully, and show respect for each other. Conclusion We have described how trust and interpersonal relationships play an essential role within teams. Despite the absence of past working relationships and the feeling of unease, trust is assumed within a team. Though there can be implications to assuming trust, developing effective communication skills within a team is key to maintaining that trust. Because trust can be easily lost in many ways, participation, accountability, and positive reinforcement are ways trust can be kept among members. References 1) Cummings, L.L., & Bromiley, P. (1996). The Organizational Trust inventory: Development and Validation.. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 2) Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2001). The role of trust in organizational settings. Organization Science, 12, 450–467. Lewis, J. D. (2000). Trusted Partners. : EBSCO Glaser, Judith E. Business Book Review Library, 2006, Vol. 23 Issue 29, p1-10, 10p Heahfielf, S. M.  Trust Rules. Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/trust_rules.htm Lewis, J. D. (2000). Trusted Partners. : EBSCO 3) Meadow, A., Parnes, S, J., & Reece (1959) Impact of trust on problem solving. Journal of applied Psychology, 43, 413-416 4) McRae, B. (2006). Misconception about Withholding Information. Colorado Springs, Colorado 5) Robert Jr., L. P., Dennis, A. R., & Hung, Y. C. (2009, Fall). Individual Swift Trust and Knowledge-Based Trust in Face-to-Face and Virtual Team Members. Journal of Management Information Systems, 26(2), 241-279. 6) Zigon, J. (1997). Team Performance Measurement: A Process for Creating Team Performance Standards. Compensation and Benefits Review, 38-47. Week 4 Learning Team Assignment Part B: Kudler Fine Foods Key Issues Kudler Fine Foods Key Issues Kudler Fine Foods is a business created and owned by Kathy Kudler (Kudler Fine Foods, 2003). Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) is ‘the premiere gourmet grocery store for those savvy shoppers who are searching for the finest meats, produce, cheeses, and wine’ (Kudler Fine Foods, 2003). Key issues are identified in the KFF Strategic Plan of 2003. These key issues will now be discussed in further detail. Kudler Fine Foods provide perishable foods to their customers. These perishable items have a shorter shelf life and require a higher rotation of inventory with new fresh items. This is a costly endeavor when the customers are not buying the estimated inventory that was purchased. When the perishable item is purchased by KFF in the off season then, the item will cost more turning into more losses. KFF also has a higher variety of items they offer. For example, Kudler foods stock 16 different varieties of apples as well as 350 fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices (Kudler Fine Foods, 2003). They carry more than 250 varieties of cheese from 21 countries (Kudler Fine Foods, 2003). This should be limited in the inventory by removing the items that do not sell as often. Kudler Fine Foods relies on the owner, Kathy Kudler, to purchase all of the goods for her stores. The responsibility falls entirely on her and no one is available to step in and do this if she falls ill or goes on a vacation. If she could delegate her duty to someone she could rely on in her absence, it would help with her time management. She could dedicate more time to her customers. The staff of Kudler Fine Foods has an unusually high payroll cost. The owner has hired the top butchers, wine connoisseurs, and other staff members to run their perspective departments. They require higher pay and their return on investment is to be evaluated. Because the payroll is higher, Kathy cannot hire more members for her staff. This results in fewer members who have greater responsibilities. This could be trouble for the company in the future. She could hire more members at a lesser salary and divide the responsibilities more evenly throughout the company. The state of the economy will greatly affect Kudler Fine Foods. KFF is a commodity item for most customers. If the economy were to take a fall, customers will want to save more money and purchase more affordable items at the competitors’ stores. Although KFF is an all-in-one gourmet store, customers could find wine down the road at the local liquor store or choose to buy groceries at the larger food chains at the fraction of the cost. The strategic plan of Kudler Fine Foods is based solely on demographics of a certain area. This shouldn’t be the sole major determination of where she opens the stores. The Del Mar store is a perfect example of this type of decision making. Although the area meets the economic demographic requirement for a successful area, the town is not large enough to support the store (Kudler Fine Foods, 2003). Kudler Fine Foods may be thriving in today’s market. But its’ strategic plan has some key issues that need to be addressed. If these issues are addressed and corrected, KFF may have a strong future and thrive for years to come.