Nepotism and tribalism in teams: An initial investigation

Abstract

Teamwork is recognized as one of the key strategies for the success of today’s business organizations. While
organizations invest in building strong and cohesive teams, individual employees on the other hand may feel
reluctant to participate in them. Their act of unwillingness to participate in the activities of teams is subject to
investigation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine employees’ perception on team and their
willingness to participate in teamwork. Questionnaire was used to collect the data from 50 officers in the Ghana
police service. The findings of the study indicate that respondents recognized team as the most applicable
professional techniques for the success of the police operation. However, the results of the actual perception on
teamwork interestingly reveal that, there might be a gap between the officers’ perceptions about teams and their
actual intentions to participate in team. The results show that the respondents may be opposed to the idea of joining
teams due to the rampant problems of conflicts, nepotism and tribalism in teams. Theoretical and practical
implications of these findings are discussed.