The purpose of team building activities can be twofold. The first purpose is that team building operators will offer team building activities as part of their offering range to gain profit. The second purpose is that team building participants are usually sent by their
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employers to find solutions to overcome obstacles or to strengthen the bond between members.
To offer team building activities successfully, suppliers of team building offerings have to understand their customers‟ interests. Their offering has to meet or exceed customers‟ needs and wants. As defined earlier, team building is supposed to develop a team with individuals who work together and follow a common goal. Teams which achieve this are most likely to be efficient and successful. One can say that the main purpose of team building is to develop efficient teams which increase the organisation‟s overall performance. It is significant for team building suppliers to understand the components of efficient teams in order to formulate team building objectives and offer activities which build successful teams. Team building operators who meet their customers‟ expectations and develop successful teams are likely to provide a valuable tourism offering. This makes it necessary for operators to be aware of the aims and objectives of team building.
Using team building as a vehicle to initiate successful teams has numerous benefits for social and business organisations. Gibson et al, as cited in Gilley et al (2010: 11), highlight the economic benefits of partaking in team building activities. They state that team building can foster a “…sense of belonging, and products/services can be produced [by team members] at the highest quality and lowest cost and most efficiently”
(Gilley et al, 2010: 11). The activity has the potential to optimise the work process while saving costs which makes it a relevant activity for organisations.
Team building has several objectives depending on the type of team and the development stage of the unit. Most of team building objectives correlate with the different team building approaches which will be discussed in detail at a later stage.
Adair (2004: 109) lists three broad issues which are tackled through team building activities. These issues are building and maintaining the team, achieving the task, and developing the individual. Similarly, Kriek and Venter (2009: 113) state that the exercise should improve team development, productivity, the relationship between staff and achieving organisational goals. More specifically, team building activities have benefits which improve coordination such as skills of planning and organising, active learning, fostering leadership, adaptability and creativity, problem solving and strategic thinking
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(Tureac & Turtureanu, 2010: 168; Kozul & Brozovic, 2012: 1). Team building activities aim to increase team spirit (Tureac & Turtureanu, 2010: 168; Kozul & Brozovic, 2012:
1). Generalising these benefits it can be said that team building enables teams to run smoothly and achieve their goals while encouraging the individual team members.
Stredwick (2005: 384) identifies team building as a tool to develop individuals.
According to him, “…time management, planning, delegation and evaluation and to retain a degree of confidence under adversity” are part of the team building process.
Beech and Chadwick (2006: 104) state that Maslow‟s hierarchy of needs emphasises the importance of an individual‟s social needs. Team building can be used to satisfy such social needs (Beech & Chadwick, 2006: 104). The activity not only focuses on the team, but also on its individuals. An approach like this can encourage focusing on an individual‟s strength instead of pointing out his/her weaknesses. Focusing on the positive can give the individual members confidence in their skills.
Companies make use of team building activities when their objectives are not achieved, when the structure of a team changes or to motivate employees (Tureac & Turtureanu, 2010: 170). Team building enables people to identify factors that reduce their efficiency (Dyer, Dyer & Dyer, 2007: 91).
Kozul & Brozovic (2012: 1) add that team building activities can be seen as relaxation for employees. This shows that team building activities are used to improve teams‟
performance and as a reward. It is essential for team building operators to be aware of the customers‟ motives for participating in the activity.
Additional objectives for effective teams and consequently team building activities can be to:
- enhance the level of trust (Fapohunda, 2013: 4; Diego, 2006: 26);
- increase work performance (Fapohunda, 2013: 4; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- encourage self-development (Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- establish effective communication (Fapohunda, 2013: 4; Diego, 2006: 26; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- foster effective leadership (Tureac & Turturenau, 2010: 168; Gilley et al, 2010:
167);
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- cultivate the ability to work in a team-centred way (Diego, 2006: 26; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- create positive work environment (Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- motivate team members (Fapohunda, 2013: 4; Diego, 2006: 26; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- develop self-regulation techniques (Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- identify and utilise individual members‟ strength (Peragine, 2007: 12; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- increase fast response and flexibility to changes in the work environment (Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- successfully handle conflicts and problem solving (Peragine, 2007: 12;
Fapohunda, 2013: 4; Diego, 2006: 26; Klein et al, 2009: 183; Tureac &
Turturenau, 2010: 168; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- create a sense of belonging (Tureac & Turturenau, 2010: 168; Gilley et al, 2010:
167);
- foster work commitment (Fapohunda, 2013: 4; Diego, 2006: 26; Tureac &
Turturenau, 2010: 168; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- improve teams‟ decision making (Tureac & Turturenau, 2010: 168; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- clarify roles (Peragine, 2007: 12; Diego, 2006: 26; Klein et al, 2009: 183; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- set goals (Peragine, 2007: 12; Fapohunda, 2013: 4; Peragine, 2007: 12; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- unify a team (Diego, 2006: 26; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- enhance cohesiveness (Gilley et al, 2010: 167; Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- strengthen a team (Gilley et al, 2010: 167);
- teach procedures to manage human and material resources (Gilley et al, 2010:
167);
- promote active learning (Tureac & Turturenau, 2010: 168);
- increase creativity (Fapohunda, 2013: 4; Tureac & Turturenau, 2010: 168; Diego, 2006: 26);
- transit from formal to informal relations between employees (Tureac &
Turturenau, 2010: 168);
- improve social relations (Peragine, 2007: 12; Klein et al, 2009: 183); and
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- increase job satisfaction (Fapohunda, 2013: 4).
Once those objectives are met and a unit becomes a team, success is inevitable (Tureac & Turtureanu, 2010: 167). It is essential to be aware of the customers‟
objectives in team building. When objectives are clear and agreed upon, a team building provider can select the relevant activity for the team in question. It can be assumed that the appropriateness of the activity and its success in fulfilling the objectives will determine whether the team building operator succeeded in satisfying the customer. A team which takes part in the activity as a retreat might see the activity as a welcome getaway from the work environment and possibly will not appreciate the facilitator addressing work-related topics. If a team takes part in team building to solve problems, discussing the work environment will be unavoidable. Team building facilitators have to be aware of those factors.