PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF TEAM BUILDING IN MEDIUM AND LARGE SCALE BUSINESSES IN IMO STATE

Abstract

This paper investigated prospects and challenges of team building in medium and large-scale businesses in Imo State. Descriptive survey research design was used in this study.  One research question and one hypothesis guided this study. Population of this study is 8,000 which comprised 3,700 males and 4,300 females in medium  and large scale businesses in Imo State. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 100 male staff of Everyday Supermarket Owerri, Imo State. In the same vein, 50 females of Ebere Links Filling Station Owerri, Imo State  were selected which gave a total sample size of 150. Researcher developed questionnaire titled “prospects and challenges of team building in medium and large-scale businesses in Imo State” was used, with four rating scale of strongly agree, agree, dis agree and strongly disagree. The instrument was validated by two specialists in Business Education, Madonna University Nigeria, Okija Campus, Anambra State. Cronbach alpha statistics was used to determine the reliability coefficient of the instrument at 0.78 and 0.97, which shows that the instrument was reliable for use in this study. The instrument was administered to the respondents with the help of two research assistants who were briefed before distributing the questionnaire. A total of 150 questionnaires were administered and collected after respondents have given their individual opinions on the questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Chi square test of independent was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 alpha level. The findings of this study revealed challenges of staff  inadequate team building in Everyday Supermarket and Ebere links Filling Station  Owerri, which include: lateness to duty, taking order from two different leaders, conflicts, insecurity of lives and property, misinformation, infighting among others. It was recommended from this study that more staff reorientation should be organized among staff of Everyday Supermarket and Ebere Links in Owerri, Imo State. This would re-enforce teamwork on both staff of Everyday Spermarket and Ebere Links Filling Station Owerri in Imo State. It was recommended from this study that medium and large-scale businesses in Nigeria should eschew personal decisions and embrace teamwork established by the leaders of their organizations. These would enkindle increased productivity and effective service delivery in their organizations.