Of employees who have ever worked on teams, 68 percent say they were part of a dysfunctional unit at some point, according to a new University of Phoenix national survey.
Ninety-five percent of those who have worked on teams report that teams are an important function in the workplace; however, only 24 percent of respondents say they prefer to work on teams. Thirty-six percent of respondents age 18-24 who see the importance of workplace teams say they would rather work alone all of the time.
The survey also finds that 65 percent of respondents believe collaboration and team-building are both required skills for students entering the work force. Other important skills are conflict resolution at 64 percent and team management at 61 percent.
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"Employers and students should expect education to mirror the dynamics in the workplace," says Dr. Bill Pepicello, president of University of Phoenix. "This is why University of Phoenix integrates learning teams into curriculum at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Learning team projects help prepare students to be more effective in work environments that include team members with diverse skills and experience."
Among respondents who have worked on teams, 40 percent say they have seen verbal confrontation between team members while 15 percent report that confrontations have become physical. Another 40 percent of respondents say they have seen one team member blame another for mistakes, and 32 percent of respondents say team members have started rumors about others on the team.
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