Team \Vork And Employee Performance: A Case Study Of Kampala District

ABSTRACT

The study sought to find out the relationship between team work and employee performance

in selected organisations in Kampala District. Specific objectives of the study were: to find out the

nature of team work in selected organisations, effect of team work and employee performance in

selected organisations and suggest ways in which organisations can ensure that team work enhances

employee performance. An explanatory survey design was used with qualitative and quantitative

approaches. The study population was made up of top managers, line managers and employees of 5

randomly selected organisations where a total of 60 respondents (IO key informants and 50

employees) were interviewed. Questionnaires and interview gnides were used to collect data.

The findings indicate that team work was mainly done tlu·ough: goal setting as a team

(64%), clearly allocating roles for team members to play, communication, interdependence, mutual

understanding and leadership. The study found out that teamwork positively affects employee

performance tlu·ough: improvement in attendance, improvement in communication with fellow

employees, accomplishment of tasks and assignmentsand meeting set goals/objectives on time.

Team work was also noted to increase discipline at work and trust amongst employees; workers are

dependable at work, they show high profile and ethical behaviour at work and their personal

conduct and appearance increased. Results show that organisations can ensure that team work

enhances employee performance through: increasing employee involvement, delegating duties to all

employees, horizontal communication, increase in pay and incentives, awards at the end of the year

and training of employees in team building skills

The conclusions are: the nature of team work in selected organisations in Kampala District

is through goal setting as a team, clearly allocating roles for team members to play, communication,

interdependence, mutual understanding, guidance and leadership. The effect of team work μnd

employee performance was improvement in attendance, improvement in communication with

fellow employees, accomplishing tasks and assigmnentsand meeting set objectives on time. Ways

in which organisations can ensure that team work enhances employee performance were suggested

for example: increasing employee involvement, delegating duties, horizontal communication,

increase in pay, awards at the end of the year and training of employees in team building skills.

The recommendations of the study were: Organisation managers should ensure that there is

commitment to team success, interdependence is important in teams, Open Communication and

positive feedback is also needed and team work should be based on commitment to team processes,

leadership and accountability.