Free Essay

Team Work Production Model

In:

Submitted By test123
Words 634
Pages 3
The Model: Team Work Production Function
The Team-Work Production Function is the idea that collectively working on a project or task decreases the amount of work by an individual whilst simultaneously increasing their leisure. The effect of this is an increase in utility experienced by one person. However if everyone acts in a rational manner and everyone maximizes their respective utilities in the same manner then overall the utility is diminished below the original level, or rather the level of a single individual working on the same problem.
The Application of the Model: School Projects
The Team Work Production function is extremely relevant to students at Cornell University who are often subjected to work on group projects, or study together, or collaborate in any way large or small on differing topics. For the purpose of this paper I will apply the model to a group project in another PAM class.
The assignment was to write a 20-page policy paper with four other students over the course of a semester and to formulate a plan that provided solvency to the problem and utilized original research. The group immediately divided the 20-page paper in an egalitarian manner doling out 5 pages each on subtopics however each section of 5 pages was dependent on the section preceding it. The division of labor created a new budget constraint one that reduced work and increased leisure. However as all members of the group realized the same increase in leisure each member had a greater opportunity cost in doing the work early and as such was incentivized to consume more leisure. This problem compounded overtime resulting in a complete system collapse. In the end everyone was made worse off as the semester drew towards a close because in the end each individual had failed to do his or her part and the final product was a slap-dash attempt to finish the project. The final grade in the class was determined by the strength of the paper and group evaluations
Analysis: How To Better Maximize Utility
In this scenario the winners were the individuals of the group before realizing that everyone was maximizing their own utility in the same way which ultimately made us all the losers. It is possible to be a winner under this function however it is unlikely as rational actors always try to maximize their own utility and the free-rider dilemma is well known.
A better way to maximize our utility would have been to establish peer-graded checkpoints. This would incentivize each group member to complete their piece of work within the allotted time frame thereby giving each other respective member just enough time to complete their portion. Each individual would still enjoy an increase in leisure and a decrease in workload but there would be consequence for the over indulgence of leisure. Therefore the group would have avoided a poor final project, achieved a higher grade, and each individual member would have been a winner.

Graphical representation of the Team Work Production. The Y-axis represents the overall Grade and the X-axis represents leisure. Thick Black Line represents the initial utility of a single group member. The red lines indicate the new constraint and resulting increase in utility that are a result of the division of labor. The red lines only hold true if one person acts this way. However all members of the group have the same incentive to do less. The third blue utility curve U’’ is the result of everyone consuming the level of leisure from the red utility curve. As you can see each person reacts to maximize their own utility and as a result the team will reduce work effort, output and utility. This is very similar in to the free-rider problem.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Execute an Analysis of Managers or Leaders in Your Organisation on the Basis of the Leadership Grid as Was Propounded by Jane Morton and Robert Black. the Characteristics-Traits Used to Classify the Managers – Leaders Should Be Established.

...should be established. 1. Introduction It is important to understanding how organisations are managed, how activities of people are directed towards achievement of objectives and goals of the organisation. Managers and leaders are different but have complementary activities. Their activities (managers and leaders) takes place in order to make things happen to get results. 1.1 Difference between a leader and a management To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to conduct. Management is the process of deciding what to do and then getting it done through the effective use of resources. It is about what managers do to make things happen. They define goals, determine the resources – people, finance, work systems and technology – required to achieve the goals, allocate those resources to opportunities and planned activities and ensure that those activities take place as planned in order to achieve predetermined objectives. All this adds up to managing for results. To lead is to inspire, influence and guide. Leadership is the process of getting people to do their best to achieve a desired result. It involves developing and communicating a vision...

Words: 3116 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Leadership Style Theories

...Leadership Style theories Kurt Lewin (1939) ONE DIMENSIONAL Group of researchers led by psychologist Kurt Lewin set out to identify different styles of leadership. While further research has identified more specific types of leadership, this early study was very influential and established three major leadership styles. In the study, schoolchildren were assigned to one of three groups with an authoritarian, democratic or laissez-fair leader. The children were then led in an arts and crafts project while researchers observed the behavior of children in response to the different styles of leadership. Authoritarian Leadership (Autocratic) Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders, provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. There is also a clear division between the leader and the followers. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently with little or no input from the rest of the group. Researchers found that decision-making was less creative under authoritarian leadership. Lewin also found that it is more difficult to move from an authoritarian style to a democratic style than vice versa. Abuse of this style is usually viewed as controlling, bossy, and dictatorial. Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group. Participative Leadership (Democratic) Lewin’s study found...

Words: 2122 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Toyota Case Study

...was approaching the final assembly lines, where shiny Camrys took shape. He heard a cheer go up. Team members on the lines were waving their hand tools towards a signboard that read “no overtime for the shift.” Smiling broadly, Friesen agreed: everyone in the plant surely deserved a relaxed Derby weekend. The plant had been hectic lately, as it was both supplying brisk sales of the all-new Camry sedan and ramping up station wagon versions for the European as well as North American markets. Overtime also had been necessary early in the week to make up lost production because the line utilization rate was below the projected target. In addition to these immediate problems, a growing number of cars were sitting off the line with defective seats or with no seats at all. The seat problem had been the subject of an urgent meeting called by Mike DaPrile, general manager of the assembly plant, that morning, May 1, 1992. At the meeting, Friesen learned of the situation firsthand from key people in both the plant and the seat supplier. He then spent the afternoon on the shop floor to learn more about the problem while the issues discussed were fresh in his mind. By the end of the day, it became clear to Friesen that the seat problem needed solving once and for all; the trouble was that trying to do so could hurt line utilization. This was not the first tough question Toyota’s famous production system had encountered, nor would it be the last. But this seat problem was especially delicate...

Words: 7545 - Pages: 31

Premium Essay

Job Description

...between job design and technology. 3. Explain the job characteristics enrichment model and its relationship to work motivation. 4. Describe the sociotechnical systems model and its relationship to organizational effectiveness. Preview Case: Texas Nameplate Company COMMON JOB DESIGN APPROACHES Comparative Framework Job Rotation Job Engineering Job Enlargement Competency: Managing Change—Westinghouse Air Brake Job Enrichment Sociotechnical Systems Ergonomics Competency: Managing Diversity—Benteler Automotive Corporation JOB DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY Role of Workflow Uncertainty Role of Task Uncertainty Combined Effects of Workflow and Task Uncertainty Role of Task Interdependence Competency: Managing Communication— David Berdish Fosters Dialogue Interrelationships among Job Design and Technology Concepts JOB CHARACTERISTICS ENRICHMENT MODEL Framework Job Characteristics Individual Differences Job Diagnosis Implementation Approaches Job Characteristics and Technology Social Information Processing SOCIOTECHNICAL SYSTEMS MODEL Competency: Managing Across Cultures—Job Design in the Malaysian Nursing Context Social Systems Technological Systems Moderators Core Concepts Implementation Issues Competency: Managing Teams—Consolidated Diesel’s Engine Plant CHAPTER SUMMARY Key Terms and Concepts Discussion Questions DEVELOPING COMPETENCIES Competency: Managing Change—Data Entry Operators Competency: Managing Teams—GE’s Aircraft-Engine Assembly Facility PREVIEW CASE TEXAS NAMEPLATE COMPANY ...

Words: 15346 - Pages: 62

Premium Essay

Success

...Duration:  4 days Course Time:       9AM-4PM Course Dates:      Management Training Courses Calendar Course Fees:       $3,999 | Option 2: Operations Management Courses Online: $995 Why IIM?:            CEO Club | Training Excellence | Client Testimonials Course Audience:  * COO's Team: Operations Managers, Procurement Managers, Supply Chain Managers, Production Managers, Manufacturing Managers, Warehousing Managers, Inventory Managers, Quality Managers, R&D Managers, Innovation Managers, Project Managers, Entrepreneurs, and Operations Management Consultants. Course Objectives:  * Provides an understanding of operations management framework * Offers experiential analysis to understand the challenges of COOs and Operations Managers * Provides an understanding of the functions and practices of production and operation managers * Training topics include supply chain management, research and development (R&D), manufacturing, project management and quality management * Provides insights on how to develop strategies, initiatives and programs to introduce and sustain competitive operations in organizations * Focuses on lean six sigma best practices, tools and models to develop and implement an effective operations management system * This course emphasizes operations management decision-making. It does not cover  engineering, technical or mathematical topics Course - Training Focus: * Develop the core operations management skills and competencies...

Words: 1175 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Analysis of Two Great Coaches

...And, Coach K and Coach Knight have both achieved brilliant success during their college coaching careers. But that’s where their similarities end. Their leadership styles have been the subject of debate around coffee tables, pizza places and beer joints for years. For the curious, there are models of management, though, that can give us yet some more insight into their methods and madness. Robert Katz identified a leadership leaning that made simple the behaviors of leaders based on people and results: Task and Human Skills Approach. The Task Approach favors task and production foremost, while the Human Approach favors relationship and people foremost (Northouse, 2012). Embracing this model, we can understand these coaches a little more by looking at the Katz approach. Coach K was all about the people-relationship skills as priority for results; while Coach Knight was highly adept at task-producing skills for results. Following the Robert Katz studies, it is clear Coach K identifies as promoting development and growth within the team. His Human Skills shine in his ability to relate with his team in order to influence them to produce the desired goals; his team trusts in him and grow into faith with him and each other. He...

Words: 978 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Week Review, Eco 561

...Learning Team Deliverable: Week 2 Emily Gumataotao, Pamela Hernandez, Mark Sanschargrin, Terra Stefan ECO/561 February 10, 2014 Peter Oburu Cost Concepts – Pure Competition; Demand for Resources; Identify Production Level to Maximize Profits (Chapters 9, 12) Topics comfortable Team member Terra felt comfortable with the purely competitive concepts. She felt they came natural for her because she has been in the retail business for over 20 years. Team member Mark felt comfortable with learning the topic of the Four Basic Market Models consisting of the Pure Competition, Monopolistic Competition, Oligopoly, and Pure Monopoly structures. Team member Pamela felt comfortable with the definition of purely competitive concepts and how they relate to a certain type of industry for example agriculture. Team member Emily felt comfortable with the idea of pure competition and the fact that each market no matter how big or small is purely competitive. Topics struggled Team member Mark struggled with the two methods to determine the level of profit maximization, the Total Revenue Total Cost approach as well as the Marginal Revenue Marginal Cost approach. The MR=MC rule seemed unclear in that the more marginal revenue should overcome the costs in all ranges of production. The topic became a little clearer with the cost and revenue curve simulation. Team member Pamela struggled with the charts and few real life examples to better understand the concepts...

Words: 1651 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Ford Motor Company : Supply Chain Strategy

...Summary As Director of Supply Chain Systems and decision maker on if we should proceed with the Virtual Integration Model I have carefully analysed all aspects of this model to see if it could work within Ford and the Automobile industry. We have a rich history of success and working through difficult challenges and I have no doubt that we will do so again with the right decision on this model. The Automobile industry is a complex one with many suppliers, parts, dealerships, competitors and all this is now happening in a global market. This complexity makes efficiencies difficult to implement and drives up the costs our supply chain. Many efficiencies would require the cooperation of both internal and external parties and would require significant investment. Ford’s main problem with their current system is the inefficient usage of their huge data base, the complex network of suppliers, the presence of many independent distributors who are making forecasting difficult and the lack of direct communication with customers. Through my review I have come to the conclusion that the full implementation of the Dell Model would not work; the way customers buy cars and computers in this day and age is to different. With the high value of a vehicle customers want to test out the product and therefore we will need to maintain the dealerships but I do believe aspects of this model need to be implemented to lead to major cost savings with Fords Supply Chain. In this report I have laid out the...

Words: 3143 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Bmw Case Study

...BMW’s leadership paradigm is organic with teams working collaboratively together among the different facets of the organization. BMW’s core values and vision to produce a premium brand automobile was a factor in this auto’s industry model. They faced competitive conditions in the auto industry such as over capacity, economic and market downturns, increasing competition from other makers such as Ford, Daimler-Chrysler and other major auto manufactures. Although BMW performed well during this period of competitive conditions, with production steadily increasing and commanding a premium price for their product, BMW reported a net loss in 1999. However, it was back making a profit in 2000. In 2001, BMW was able to increase retail sales by 10% in a stagnating world market. I believe, their customer service, environmental concerns; made to order, as well as their brand was and is a contributing factor to their success. Maintaining the brand at a premium level in every market sector from the mini to the Rolls-Royce makes them very consistent in the auto making industry and this is what consumers want to purchase. Due to the market downturn, consumers were purchasing less expensive automobiles such as cheaper brand names like Ford, Chevrolet, or overseas made auto’s such as Honda, Toyota or used verses new. For BMW to survive this economic downturn they needed to rely on their brand and produce a quality product for people to purchase. Helmut Panke the current CEO was trained...

Words: 2367 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Wgu Jct2 Supply Chain Task 1

...high-end systems that we would produce. B1. Using Budgets and Pro-Forma Statements to Plan Production Capacity One of my key lessons from this simulation was the importance of working in teams and openly discussing decisions that need to be made before making them. I approached the simulation as the only team member because the simulation didn’t include other participants. In retrospect, I would have assigned other members, at least in my mind, to gain additional team insights. I was not careful enough in setting pricing for my two products correctly in the second quarter when we actually began sales. I priced my high end Mercedes line accidentally at the price I had planned for my mainstream Workhorse line and vice-versa. I did not look closely enough at my pro forma cash flow or income statements to recognize the forecasted loss and as a result did not dig deep enough to see the reasons and to make the adjustments in pricing. I was overly focused on cash at that point to fund production capacity. I discovered the error when evaluating second quarter actuals. Going into third quarter planning, I looked at the pro forma cash flow and income statements to determine that my cash balances would not require any emergency borrowing while allowing me to expand production levels to meet or exceed my forecasted sales. I decided to be somewhat conservative in setting production capacity to try to avoid excessive inventory holding costs. As it turned out I significantly underestimated...

Words: 2496 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Sdfdsfdsfdsf

...What-If Analysis and Activity-Based Budgeting Forecasting Resource Demands Excerpted from Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing: A Simpler and More Powerful Path to Higher Profits By Robert S. Kaplan, Steven R. Anderson Harvard Business Press Boston, Massachusetts ISBN-13: 978-1-4221-2227-3 2227BC Copyright 2008 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America This chapter was originally published as chapter 5 of Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing: A Simpler and More Powerful Path to Higher Profits, copyright 2007 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to permissions@harvardbusiness.org, or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163. You can purchase Harvard Business Press books at booksellers worldwide.You can order Harvard Business Press books and book chapters online at www.harvardbusiness.org/press, or by calling 888-500-1016 or, outside the U.S. and Canada, 617-783-7410. chapter five WHAT-IF ANALYSIS AND ACTIVITY-BASED BUDGETING Forecasting Resource Demands the full benefits from Time-Driven ABC only if they adjust the supply of...

Words: 7486 - Pages: 30

Premium Essay

Ibm Case

...plant, which normally produced 20,000 PCs a week, was shut down. The date was April 6, 1999. On this date, the plant was to ‘go live’ with an implementation of the SAP R/3 system known as Production Release 2 (PR2). As John Corcoran, Director, SAP Production Project, waited for the first transaction to be processed by PR2 on April 6, he reflected on how PSG had come to this milestone event. Several years before, PSG had recognized the need for an integrated system that would allow better management of the supply chain across all of its plants and quicker response to changes in the business environment. Most recently, the success of Dell made clear to PSG the value of creating a CTO (Configure-to-Order) business model in addition to its standard MTM (Machine Type Model) business model. Having a set of autonomous plants, each with a multitude of independent legacy systems that supported different business processes was a significant obstacle to implementing this or any other new business model. On January 1, 1998, the first version of an integrated production system based on SAP R/3, known as Production Release 1 (PR1), went live in the PSG plant in Guadalajara, Mexico. Given the experience with implementing PR1 in the Guadalajara plant, the dedicated work of his 170-person international team, strong executive support, and an adherence to a disciplined project management system, Corcoran was very confident of a successful...

Words: 7767 - Pages: 32

Premium Essay

Toyota Tps Model

...handling defective seats deviate from the principles of the Toyota Production System? Identify at least three deviations from the TPS Model associated with the problem prevention solving method? During seat installation, it was discovered that defected seats were being delivered by KFS Manufacturing. This resulted in a high level of cars being pulled from the assembly line and sent to an offline repair area, also known as “the repair clinic”. As the cars accumulated in the repair clinic, TMM began to address the problem as follows: First, a team member pulled the andon cord to report the problem to the team leader before installing the defective seat. As this point, the team leader pulled the andon cord to signal “ok” and to tag the cars to alert Q.C. members about the defective seat problem. The car then went through the regular assembly line as usual with the defective seat installed. This is where the first deviation from the TPS model began. In the TPS model, repair of the seat would have been attempted on the line. This did not happen. Instead, the problem started to manifest into many problems, the failure of not adhearing to andon created“Never produce a defect – never pass a defect on” occurred when the cars were allowed to continue through the assembly line According to the TPS model, problems are solved in space & time as close as possible to where the problem occurred. In the TPS Model, an attempt to resolve the problem should have taken place right there...

Words: 1263 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Internationalisation of Honda

...Debate over the transfer and adaption of industrial models prompted by the globalization of Japanese manufacturers continues to draw attention. Most discussion has concerned issues of work and employment relations, where the new multinationals have interacted most directly with host societies. Two polar views have framed the debate. On the one hand, it has been argued that Japanese management systems cannot function effectively in the West ‐ or that if they can, the workforce suffers ‐ because they are culture‐bound, exploitative, and would be resisted by trades unions. Japanese practice has been interpreted as classic “Theory X” management. On the other hand, Japanese management systems are said to offer Western production workers new opportunities for teamwork, self‐expression and workplace democracy which should be grasped eagerly ‐ here Japan is interpreted as classic “Theory Y” management. The characteristic Western “either/or” analytical approach may have set up a false dichotomy. Adler’s (1993) study of the Toyota/GM joint venture NUMMI, in California, revealed that rigid management structures were combined with opportunities for worker participation in the “learning bureaucracy”. Mair’s (1994a) study of Honda in Ohio showed how workers participated but in a way that was strictly channelled, and that the “single status” system both provided a degree of democracy and equality and permitted authority systems to function more effectively. Innovative management appeared...

Words: 7384 - Pages: 30

Premium Essay

Sippican

...What-If Analysis and Activity-Based Budgeting Forecasting Resource Demands Excerpted from Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing: A Simpler and More Powerful Path to Higher Profits By Robert S. Kaplan, Steven R. Anderson Harvard Business Press Boston, Massachusetts ISBN-13: 978-1-4221-2227-3 2227BC Copyright 2008 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America This chapter was originally published as chapter 5 of Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing: A Simpler and More Powerful Path to Higher Profits, copyright 2007 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to permissions@harvardbusiness.org, or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163. You can purchase Harvard Business Press books at booksellers worldwide.You can order Harvard Business Press books and book chapters online at www.harvardbusiness.org/press, or by calling 888-500-1016 or, outside the U.S. and Canada, 617-783-7410. chapter five WHAT-IF ANALYSIS AND ACTIVITY-BASED BUDGETING Forecasting Resource Demands the full benefits from Time-Driven ABC only if they adjust the supply of...

Words: 7486 - Pages: 30