Please read the Case Study Dragon boat racing on the Thames and answer ALL Questions relating to the Case Study. Dragon boat racing on the Thames FT A pain is spreading down my arm. Twenty of us, seated in ten rows, two to a bench, are paddling furiously aboard a 40 ft dragon boat. It is a disconcerting, not to mention exhausting, experience. As we plough down the Thames in Londons Royal Albert Dock, we take orders from a helmsman and keep time to a drum. Its almost as if were slaves in a galley, except were supposed to be doing this for fun. Im racing with the Thames Dragon Boat Club, and Im quickly learning that perfectly synchronised paddling is the key to survival. Without it theres no way to generate speed through the water. Watch the strokes at the front of the boat and keep in time with them, shouts team coach Liam Keane, seated beside me in the boat. Ideally, we want everyones paddles entering and exiting the water at exactly the same time. You could have twenty enormous beefcakes powering a dragon boat, but if theyre not paddling in time with each other, they wont be effective. When people first start this sport, they just go for power, Keane adds. But you need to get into a team mentality. Get your timing locked in and feel the rhythm of the boat. His voice starts to waver as the helmsman suddenly barks out the orders to increase the pace, at which the 10-year-old drummer, Amy, seated at the prow, ups the tempo accordingly. Weve reached 65 strokes a minute, which is close to race pace. My arms and shoulders are beginning to protest as the lactic acid builds up, and my heart pumps wildly. Although each paddling action is identical, one has to concentrate hard to get the timing and the angle of entry into and out of the water just right. On more than a few occasions I catch a crab and splash the right ear of the female paddler in front of me with ice-cold water. In due course I get my own dousing courtesy of the chap sitting behind me, who is also a beginner. Theres neither the time nor the spare breath to apologise. Im told later that we achieved a top speed of about 8 knots. With a full crew of experienced paddlers in a race situation, this might reach 9 knots. The tight teamwork required and the simple technique make dragon boating the perfect corporate team sport. Anybody can do this, Keane stresses. You can put a bunch of novices into a boat and within ten minutes theyre paddling. You couldnt do that with rowing because its more of a fine art. They might end up capsizing the boat. Paul Coster, the club chairman, insists that dragon boating is the truest of all team sports. The camaraderie is so important he says. We train together, we race together, we get drunk together. Thats why lots of companies do this. Its great for team-building. Back on the water, our practice is beginning to pay off. Suddenly we all lock into the same rhythm 20 paddlers in perfect unison. It almost feels as if weve ceased to be separate athletes and have joined forces into a single entity, like a shoal of fish or a flock of birds. And for a blissful moment, I forget the pain. Is dragon boat racing the truest of all team sports? Tight teamwork and simple technique make dragon boat racing the perfect corporate team sport.

Question 1 Explain how Dragon Boat Racing can use elements of Team Effectiveness model to be an effective team. Describe how Dragon Boat Racing use Tuckmans stages of team development model to build a winning team. (2 marks + 4 marks) Question 2 Discuss advantages and disadvantages of having informal groups in an organisation with a diverse workforce. What are the challenges for a manager in managing informal groups in a diverse workforce? (4 marks + 4 marks) Question 3 Define motivation. Describe how a manager can use position and personal power to motivate employees, provide examples to support your response. (2 marks + 4 marks)