Author: Bangie, Aysha
Supervisor: Professor Erik Schmikl
Date: September 2007

Faced with the ever-growing competition in the banking industry, one of the strategic objectives of executive management at First National Bank (FNB) Card Division is to be recognized as the number one credit card provider in South Africa, in terms of its innovative products and customer focus. Management’s proposed objectives are to achieve explosive, profitable growth and retain existing customers through credit card product innovation and differentiation, together with the delivery of outstanding service to both new and existing customers.

The Product Support Department within FNB Card is responsible for ensuring that the CAMS (Card Account Management) system is fully operational, so that all other departments within FNB Card can perform their functions in assisting the Bank’s customers with any queries they may have, as well as ensuring that system processes and functions are 100% correct. The Division’s function is also to investigate and assist in the system testing of any new functionality that will assist FNB Card in its day-to-day operations, in order for the customer to be provided with a quick, efficient and effective service.  The process followed is part of a systems development life cycle. The department is also responsible for setting up new products, such as the suite of WesBank products and the FNB Platinum product.

This research focuses on how the Product Support Department at FNB Card can improve on the following three factors:

• Individual and team awareness, by identifying each individual’s strengths and limitations
• Recognising different forms of contributions, by considering that teams bring together complementary skills and experiences,
• Bridging the team’s shortcomings and/or modifying behaviour that can enhance the team.

Anticipated findings will be based on understanding the personality types within the team, as this can facilitate in improving the effectiveness of the team through the following actions:

• Identifying a team’s strengths and resources, as well as its potential weaknesses
• Maximising the natural advantages that result from the similarities and differences amongst the team members
• Working around or minimising the effects that a team’s potential weak spots may have on performance outcomes
• Identifying and creating an action plan with specific behaviours to further enhance the current effectiveness of the team.