Introduction

Development of a business based on the analysis of the current market trends and policies can be a challenging task and requires meticulous research and detailed classification of information to narrow down on the most critical aspect of the business. This ideology guided the group assignment, which I took part in, and this reflective work highlights the essential elements that I have understood and the knowledge that I have gathered in conducting the assignment related to entrepreneurship.

Primary Reflection 

While conducting group work, I played a significant role in generating the idea for the business. Since the establishment of the business, the idea was the most critical part of the assignment. Therefore I understood the importance of the task that I had in hand. Based on my role, it was my responsibility to lay down the right plan that could help the group to proceed with the work sequentially. Hence in order to do that, I followed a sequential style of information gathering that could help in the development of the entire assignment in a systematic and structured manner. In terms of idea generation, my sequential research pattern followed these three steps –

1. Selecting a specific topic to focus the business on- In this case, it was a Microbrewery related business.
2. Studying the current market trends in the Brewery industry- Gathering essential market data and the recent trend analysis of the customer could help in forming the idea that could drive the business towards success (Anwar et al. 2018). Hence I narrowed down on a Craft Brewery that works on crafts malt and focuses on customized blending options as per the choice of the customers.
3. Evaluation of market competition- I then proceeded to analyse the amount of competition this new establishment can face owing to the presence of market competition of similar nature.

Hence these steps involved extensive brainstorming, which paved the way for the rest of the group to proceed with this business idea and set up the organization. The primary idea-generating technique that I have used here is Lateral Thinking as set up by De Bono in 1970, where the existing market problem is identified, and all the possible solutions are explored. Out of all the solutions, only one is chosen by discarding the rest. My group followed this exceptionally well in the subsequent steps as well. Another essential tool used for this process was Mind Mapping, where the relevant aspects of the new business were developed through a mind map construction (Kraus et al. 2018). However, my group did not do well in this regard as the communicative skills were not appropriately developed to facilitate open discussion. This stage defines the description and feelings part of the “Gibbs Reflective cycle (GRC)”. [Referred to Appendix 1]

Secondary Reflection 

As per the GRC, in this part, the Evaluation and Analyses are presented. During the teamwork, I focused on the main tasks that I had in my hand and therefore worked towards the establishment of the goals that I have set up for myself at the beginning of the task. I have followed a timeline which was set up at the beginning of the process, and everyone in the group had to adhere to it. However, there have been specific issues regarding communication within the group as our group did not get sufficient time to sort out the indifferences that arose during the work processes and therefore the majority of those conflicts remained unsettled. Hence, I often found it challenging to establish a proper communication channel with the group members to engage in a productive discussion (Lohuis et al. 2016). A critical aspect of the entire process that I have learned very well is the necessity of critical thinking and developing the capability to apply analytical skills in the development of a rationale. To train ourselves with critical thinking, we have followed approaches involving “180-degree thinking” as well as Synectics. These two techniques have helped in developing the right solution for brainstorming ideas that aided in completing the assignment. From this group work, I have learned the two most important things. One of which is the importance of time management and the way it helps in completing the tasks methodically and strategically. At the same time, the other important lesson was the necessity of communication to solve several interpersonal conflicts related to role-conflicts and cross-cultural issues (Longva et al. 2020). I have realised that a group must spend adequate time in settling the conflict issues first through proper communication and then proceed towards working out the task in hand.

Future Intentions 

This segment highlights the conclusion and action plan part of the GRC, thereby focusing on future activities based on this particular group work experience. The following factors might help in tackling the interpersonal conflict issues within the group-

1. Using exercises for team building fostering group cohesion- Before setting the course for the task in hand, the formation of the group is to be paid special attention. Based on Tuckman’s group formation theory, adequate time for settlement is required for a group to sort out the problems related to team building and function effectively with the tasks in hand (Rudhumbu et al. 2016). Therefore, in future projects, I must keep in mind the development of an active group through following proper communicative strategies to minimise the functional conflicts in the later stage.

Fig 1: Tuckman’s Stages of Group Evolution

(Source: Self-Created)

2. Development of SMART goals- Before processing the tasks, I must understand the objectives and develop the goals that are realistic and follows a SMART approach that allows the targets to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based.
3. Identification of leader- Before forming the group, a leader must be identified that could help in group formation and the development of appropriate strategies for group work.
4. Generation of group process feedback and interim reports- Measurement of the performances must be done while the tasks are in progress (Widmann et al. 2016). Therefore I have understood the importance of feedback while conducting the tasks. This can help in analysing the way in which the group has performed.

Conclusion 

This reflective piece, therefore, highlights the specific issues that have occurred while conducting the group task. I have presented the role played by me and the critical lessons I have learned in conducting a group work which has to be further improved in future for better work processes.

Reference List

Journals

Anwar, S., Menekse, M., Heo, D. and Kim, D., 2018. Work in progress: students’ reflection quality and effective team membership. In Salt Lake City: Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition https://peer. asee. org/work-in-progress-students-reflection-quality-and-effective-team-membership. pp. 201-250

Kraus, S., Burtscher, J., Vallaster, C. and Angerer, M., 2018. Sustainable entrepreneurship orientation: A reflection on status-quo research on factors facilitating responsible managerial practices. Sustainability, 10(2), p.444.

Lohuis, A.M., Sools, A., van Vuuren, M. and Bohlmeijer, E.T., 2016. Narrative reflection as a means to explore team effectiveness. Small group research, 47(4), pp.406-437.

Longva, K.K., Strand, Ø. and Pasquine, M., 2020. Entrepreneurship education as an arena for career reflection: the shift of students’ career preferences after a business planning course. Education+ Training. pp. 131-152

Rudhumbu, N., Svotwa, D., Munyanyiwa, T. and Mutsau, M., 2016. Attitudes of students towards entrepreneurship education at two selected higher education institutions in Botswana: A critical analysis and reflection. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 5(2), pp.83-83.

Widmann, A., Messmann, G. and Mulder, R.H., 2016. The impact of team learning behaviors on team innovative work behavior: A systematic review. Human Resource Development Review, 15(4), pp.429-458.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Gibbs Reflective Cycle

(Source: https://www.eln.io/blog/filemanager/photos/4/5ce62d9f7a727.png)