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IOP2607 Assignment 2 2024 - August 2024
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IOP2607 Assignment 2 2024 - August 2024
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ASSIGNMENT 2: LEARNING UNIT 3, 4 AND 5SEMESTER 2
ASSIGNMENT 02: COMPULSORY
ASSIGNMENT Closing date: 30 August
2024
Total: 30 marks
CASE STUDY: "BALANCING INDIVIDUALITY AND UNITY IN A DIVERSE
WORKPLACE" BACKGROUND: Solar Works, a South African renewable
energy company, prides itself on fostering a collaborative and inclusive
environment. With a diverse team of engineers, researchers, and support staff,
the company aims to innovate in the renewable energy sector. However, Solar
Works has recently encountered challenges related to balancing individual
contributions and collective unity, particularly in their R&D department. CEO
Sipho Nkosi has decided to address these issues through targeted
interventions.
SCENARIO: The R&D department, composed of fifteen team members from
various cultural backgrounds, has been tasked with developing a new solar panel
technology. Despite their technical prowess, the team struggles with cohesion.
Some members feel their individual efforts are overshadowed by the group's
collective identity, while others feel pressured to conform to the group's norms,
suppressing their individuality. To address these dynamics, Sipho Nkosi plans to
hold a series of workshops to explore the concepts of me-ness, we-ness, and
the underlying psychodynamics affecting team attitudes.
, QUESTION 1: BASIC ASSUMPTIONS OF ME-NESS AND WE-NESS (10
MARKS)
1. Me-ness in the R&D Department
In the Solar Works scenario, me-ness refers to employees' unconscious focus on
individuality over group unity. In the R&D department, this manifests as some
members feeling their individual efforts are overlooked, and fearing their unique
contributions are being suppressed. This leads to a heightened sense of self-
preservation where personal boundaries and protection of one’s own ideas become
paramount, preventing collaboration.
For example, in a meeting, individuals might speak mechanically and avoid deep
engagement with their colleagues, prioritizing their own tasks over the team's
objectives. This dynamic creates a culture where innovation can be stifled, as
employees withhold ideas or fail to contribute fully to group discussions. The R&D
team could experience a breakdown in communication, leading to fragmented efforts
and slowed progress on collective projects. Team members may feel isolated,
resentful, or competitive, which undermines the team’s ability to create new solutions
cohesively.
Potential consequences include:
Reduced trust and collaboration.
Decreased innovation due to withholding of ideas.
Isolation and reduced morale as individuals feel disconnected from the group's
purpose.
2. We-ness in the R&D Department
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