Teamwork vs. Individualism

by Andrew Latham, Demand Media Google
Creating a sense of group and common purpose are basics of effective teamwork.


Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images

Teamwork and individualism are particularly interesting human characteristics because despite being antonyms, they are both universally valued and their importance to society is considered a truism. However, in order to practice teamwork or individualism you must, by definition, subordinate one to the other. Businesses use both of these qualities to motivate their workers and reach their goals. The way you organize your company will determine which of these traits dominates the culture of your business, as well as the results your company generates.


The concept of individualism is, at once, an ethical, psychological and political concept. From an ethical and psychological perspective, individualism is the idea that humans should act, think and judge independently following only their own minds. From an ethical and political standpoint, individualism is strongly linked to the supremacy of individual rights. Businesses that highlight individualism among their employees play to their desire to achieve personal success as opposed to collective success. This requires businesses to provide workers with high levels of personal accountability and independence, as well of offering them the opportunity to follow their own initiative.


Teamwork involves the interaction of individuals to a common purpose where the interests of the individual are secondary to group unity and the efficiency of the group to perform the task assigned. Creating productive environments where teamwork thrives requires workers with highly developed communication and interpersonal skills and an organizational structure that promotes collaboration and partnership instead of competition and rivalry.

Benefits of Individualism

The pursuit of personal success and happiness is a powerful motivation. The entire capitalist society is based around the assumption that people will further their own interests. If a business can align the interests of the worker with the interests of the business, this increases moral and productivity. Individualism also has been linked to creativity and innovation. According to research by Professor Barry Staw from the University of California at Berkeley published in the May 2006 issue of "Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes," firms that promote an individualistic behavior are better at generating innovative and creative ideas than firms that a team-based culture.

Benefits of Teamwork

Effective teamwork allows workers to accomplish projects which are too complex or large for an individual to do alone, which includes all but the smallest of projects. Imagine an individual trying to build a hospital, find the cure to a disease or run a government agency without collaborating through teamwork. Teamwork also allows a group to investigate a problem from many perspectives through brainstorming, which allows a team to incorporate different perspectives and ideas. A group approach also increases the chances of detecting flaws in a solution an individual might miss.

About the Author

Andrew Latham has worked as a professional copywriter since 2005 and is the owner of LanguageVox, a Spanish and English language services provider. His work has been published in "Property News" and on the San Francisco Chronicle's website, SFGate. Latham holds a Bachelor of Science in English and a diploma in linguistics from Open University.

Photo Credits

  • Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
Suggest an Article Correction

Have Feedback?
