Brian - week nine

Managing Marketing Teams 
Journal of Business & Economics Research

In an ever-changing global market, marketing management has become an art that requires “constant reassessment of mission, vision and strategy” (Edwards et al., 2011) to gain and/or maintain competitive advantage in an unstable business landscape. Edwards et al. (2011) state that information technology should play a key role in marketing management and should be implemented by integrating useful technology, and IT personnel, in addition to training members of a the marketing team to effectively utilize it/them (Edwards et al. 2011).

It is important to note that in “Managing Marketing Teams” (Edwards et al., 2011) the authors refer to “marketing teams” as “two or more individuals collectively working toward the same (marketing) goal (Edwards et al., 2011, p. 79). These teams are not necessarily comprised of specialized marketing and communication professionals; they can be of the cross functional variety as well.

Edwards et al. (2011) assert that by bringing team members with unique strengths and expertise together, a firm is able to gain a competitive advantage by more closely and effectively linking business strategy to customer needs. But as we know, when a diverse group of people is brought together to accomplish a strategic goal, effectiveness can be slowed or stalled due to individual differences or lack of understanding of the team’s goal and direction. Since information exchange processes become more complicated as they grow beyond a two-way flow, conflict often arises (Hill, 1995).

I believe Hill’s (1995) article from this week’s readings provides useful information on how to sidestep barriers in the way of achieving productivity within teams:

·      Set an agenda: ensure that team members have a clear understanding of the task at hand; this will help avoid confusion and duplication of effort. By gaining a more complete understanding of the team and organizational mission, members are able to see how they fit into the equation and appreciate their role within it (Hill, 1995).

·      Determine what type of teamwork is needed: A manager must determine what type of teamwork is needed (Hill 1995). In this week’s readings, Drucker (1992) states that there are three types of teams; they resemble those of baseball, football and tennis doubles. A manager must determine the level of coordination is necessary and organize and conduct his or her team’s structure and actions accordingly (Hill, 1995).

·      Choosing appropriate team members: Hill (1995) recommends that managers should choose team members not in their own image, but members with experiences and skills similar to each other, as this results in an increased level of comfort between them. It should be noted, though, that team members should not be “clones” of one another, as this does not add value to the team as a whole.  

Additionally, Hinds and Mortensen (2005) state that managers should create a strong sense of shared identity, a “one team, one fight” mentality; and shared context, members having access to the same information, resources and culture (as mentioned above); to aid in preventing and resolving conflict. Although their research related to conflict in geographically distributed teams, I believe that it could also be effectively applied in a marketing team made up of employees from various departments since these team members are typically removed from each other in their everyday responsibilities.

References

Drucker, P. (1992). There’s more than one kind of team. Wall Street Journal, February 11, 1992, 16. Retrieved from CMGT 500 course pack.

Edwards, J., Honeycutt, A., & Cleveland, C. (2011). Managing marketing teams. Journal of Business & Economics Research, 9(1), 79-83.

Hill, L. (1995). Managing your team. Harvard Business School, 1-22.

Hinds, P. H., and Mortensen, M. (2005) Understanding Conflict in Geographically Distributed Teams: The Moderating Effects of Shared Identity, Shared Context, and Spontaneous Communication. Organization Science, 16, 290-307.