Team production and gift exchange

Team production can be influenced by many factors and all three articles shed light on different ways people are influenced. In today’s society, most careers offer financial incentives to increase productivity which was stated in “The Power of Altruism”. One example of the financial incentive would be giving employees wage increases or bonuses if they complete a quota. This idea creates the “what’s in it for me?” mentality. People tend to act on self-interest instead of helping others and being kind, and by doing so makes actions a form of economic transactions. The idea of gift exchange goes against the idea of financial incentives and allows people to receive a different form of incentives. 


There are many different ways to increase productivity in schools and in the work place. Let’s say that some key aspects in improving production it to track the amount of time you spend on tasks, create self-imposed deadlines, minimize interruptions, and support your team members. If you are working on a group project that involves research, for this example let’s say the topic is what is the best way to cook steak, you should first meet with your team to discuss the topic. You can grasp everyone’s standing knowledge on cooking and the experiences of each individual. Then you can break the research into specific sections that is suitable for each person. This doesn’t necessarily mean break up the research into equal parts, because someone that is more knowledgeable might want to take more responsibility because they are able to complete the task in a more efficient way. Some might say that this is not fair, because why should someone take on more work than others, but this can relate back to the second article. Dr. Markham said, “Try focusing on whether you’re meeting their individual needs instead of worrying whether each one is getting the exact same thing at the exact same time,” it would take someone that isn’t familiar with cooking longer to complete the task than the person who is experienced, making the overall project take longer. Relieving some pressure off team members will create more productivity within the group. The idea of “gift-giving” might not be as transparent, but if the more knowledgeable member opens discussion on the topic and helps those who don’t understand will allow the individual to obtain that knowledge at the end of the project. Creating self-imposed deadlines also might help the overall group because it allows you to feel confident in your work and make sure that you are staying on task. These deadlines will also allow your group to see that you are putting time and effort and that you are not free-riding on their work which will strengthen the group dynamic and trust. Some ways to minimize interruptions is not hold meetings unless absolutely necessary. Most things can be communicated through email or messages and this allows people to continue what they are doing and when they have the time, can look at those messages and keep them as records where they can reference if they have any questions. Gift-exchange can be simply helping your teammate with an issue they do not understand, taking on more responsibility, or asking if anyone needs help.