The importance of studying the development of the work team lies in building solid relationships between the members and striving to work in harmony with each other (Deakin University, 2020). In this paper, I will discuss the Tuckman Theory of group development and its application to the Bechtel Corporation.
The Tuckman Theory:
According to (Maples, 1988), Tuckman's model describes the development of a work team; Tuckman divided the stages of formation of work groups into the following:
1. Forming: This is the stage of getting acquainted with team members and defining each individual's tasks. It is a stage of independence and introversion.
2. Storming: It is the stage of dealing with the real problems of the work, and it is a stage of conflict between different ideas and personalities
3. Norming: This is when team members begin to work together and develop mutual trust.
4. Performing: This stage is when team members become dependent on each other and is the stage of smooth work.
There is another stage that has been added:
5. Adjourning: The phase of laying off team members and closing the project.
Application on Bechtel Corporation:
Brief overview:
According to (Kwaket al, 2014). In 1931, a significant tender was issued for the construction of the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. The project budget amounted to $49 million; during the Great Depression, none of the major companies could pay the $2 million bond, so cooperation took place between the 6 most prominent construction companies at this time; the share of Bechtel Corporation exceeded 30%, the dam was carried out by more than 16,000 workers, in deplorable working conditions, and in high temperatures. (Bechtel, 2022).
Team Development:
According to (Tassava, 2003), the 6 companies that united to implement the project had great competition and struggled to obtain construction projects before that project; even after the end of this project, they did not join again when applying Tuckman's model, Tuckman'se as follows:
Forming: The organizational structure of these six companies agreed to work together to complete the project as one entity, and the price was agreed upon (PBS, 2021).
Storming: According to (Kwak et al. 2014), the stage of conflict over the work implementation and coordination of the schedule between them and who will do the work first.
Norming: According to (Denton, 2016), the tasks of the executive management of the dam were assigned to engineer "Frank C.", wh" in turn, "lamented several strict policies, including the distribution of work among these companies according to their ability to achieve maximum efficiency for project trades, so it is the actual start of teamwork.
Performing: After a while, the work became very smooth, even despite the great difficulties of working to change the course of the river and the endless problems of workers, so that companies began to pay the fines imposed on them by one administration for all of them, and the project was completed two and a half years before its planned end date (Tassava, 2003).
Conclusion
According to Wcupa (2022), although Tuckman has confirmed that any work team goes through the previous stages, he stressed that any stage can be repeated again if there is a change in people or events, so it is possible to return to the Storming stage and repeat the stages after that.
References
Bechtel. (2022). Hoover Dam.
https://www.bechtel.com/projects/hoover-dam/
DEAKIN UNIVERSITY. (2020). Why is team development important to a leader?
https://www.cmo.com.au/brand-post/content/662563/why-is-team-development-important-to-a-leader/
Denton, S. (2016). The Profiteers: Bechtel and the Men Who Built the World. New York, NY.
Kwak, Y. H., Walewski, J., Sleeper, D., & Sadatsafavi, H. (2014). What can we learn from the Hoover Dam project that influenced modern project management?. International Journal of Project Management, 32(2), 256-264.
Maples, M. F. (1988). Group development: Extending Tuckman's theory. Tuckman'sfor Specialists in Group Work, 13(1), 17-23.
PBS. (2021). The Men of Six Companies.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/hoover-companies/
Saldanha, A. (2018). Study of the impact of team morale on construction project performance.
https://digitalcommons.harrisburgu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1043&context=pmgt_dandt
Tassava, C., 2003. Multiples of six: the Six Companies and West Coast Industrialization, 1930–1945. Enterprise and Society 4 (1), 1–27.
Wcupa. (2022). COLLABORATIVE ONLINE RESEARCH AND LEARNING.
https://www.wcupa.edu/coral/tuckmanStagesGroupDelvelopment.aspx