Teams Drive the Fast Cars: Racing teams and Their Success Factors

Question 1 

The formal groups would be composed of individuals from the management crew, pit crew, and drivers among others. On the other hand, the informal group will consist of a mix and match containing members from the above-stated crews. The formal group has a vital role in ensuring that they collaborate and work together in ensuring that they find solutions to the most debilitating solutions that appear irrespective of their particular informal group. On their part, the informal group gathers crew members from various formal teams and established a bond between each one of them. As such, thus guarantees a better work connection among members of different formal groups. The overall impact is that it increases the chances of winning because the acquired cohesion leverages team performance to the maximum. 

Question 2 

First, it remains fundamental to appreciate that decision-making is an essential aspect of racing teams. Many choices have to be made with keen interest on the available guidelines. For instance, the manager utilizes the authority rule in his bid to call off a team practice as a result of calling for changes in the team formation and ensuring safety concerns are regarded by the team. On the contrary, teams rely on the minority rule in decision-making such as when they contemplate whether or not to overtake a car that is in front of it. Also, majority rule type of decision-making becomes increasingly apparent when the team creates a schedule to guide it during the season practice. Consensus decisions arise as a result of the failure of the decisions made using the authority rule favored by the manager. Therefore, the team gets an alternative strategy of making a choice where they use the majority favor alternative (Osborn et al., 2014). In unanimous consent, the team makes a uniform decision such as deciding the type of uniform to be worn in the race. 

Question 3 

The first team building activity that the team will practice is known as snakes. Here, all members of the team except the captain are blindfolded. The team will proceed to form a crew with the captain remaining at the back. The team will then traverse a particular passage created by the instructor while remaining blindfolded. The leader will lead the team from behind. Important to note is that the captain can only be allowed to use a non-verbal form of communication rather than speaking in guiding the team. The second team building activity that the team can consider involves creating the longest newspaper bridge. The team will receive a newspaper, scissors, and cello tapes (Dyer & Dyer, 2013). Using the resources, they will be required to create the longest bridge that meets specific criteria such as being stable and attractive, having a slope, and measuring 5 inches above the surface. Other essential activities that members can consider include the survival simulation games and carrying out a SWOT analysis on each individual team member (Dyer & Dyer, 2013). 

Question 4 

The racing team of interest to me is Team Penske. It is an American professional racing team that competes in several leagues such as the Monster Energy Cup Aeries, IndyCar Series, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is regarded as one of the most successful in the history of racing sports. Cars owned and prepared by the team have major accolades ranging from over 500 competitive wins, 33 championships, and up to 570 pole positions. In 2018, the team experienced a record-breaking success having won 36 races and three series championships (Team Penske, Official Website). Team Penske has leveraged its position mainly due to a firm belief in teamwork. The team participates in up to four leagues, and their success stems from their belief in collaboration with one another. Other than having a team of 14 drivers, the team also enjoys support from other informal members such as doctors and mechanics. 

References 

Dyer, W. G., & Dyer, J. H. (2013). Team building: Proven strategies for improving team performance. John Wiley & Sons. 

Osborn, R. N., Uhl-Bien, M., & Schermerhorn Jr., J. R. (2014). Organizational Behavior. (J. Manias, Ed.) George Hoffman. 

Team Penske, Official Website https://www.teampenske.com/