Holistic Tenancy Group 3 Reflective Summary and Lesson

Learned:
Prioritizing Team Objective over Individual Egoism

Limpat Luhung Pangarso

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Holistic Tenancy Summary

Empirical evidence underscores the urgency of structural reform in

housing policies. The Australian Cooperative Election Survey found that
89% of respondents concerned about housing affordability (Stebbing et
al., 2025; National Shelter, 2025). The National Housing Supply and
Affordability Council reported a 4.9% increase in prices with a deficit of
223,000 housing units (NHSAC, 2025).

Victorian Housing Stability in Peril

Housing instability remains a critical social issue in Victoria,

disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups and perpetuating cycles of
disadvantage. Despite the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build initiative to
deliver 16,000 homes (Homes Victoria, 2020), Victoria remains short of
nearly 80,000 social dwellings (CHIA Victoria, 2022; Tippet, 2025).

Current tenancy interventions remain reactive, primarily oriented toward

short-term economic fixes such as arrears management and crisis
response, rather than addressing broader social, psychological, and
structural needs. Through a review of 42 academic and grey literature
sources, four major tenancy policy paradigms were identified: Housing
First, Permanent Supportive Housing, Tenancy Sustainment and Risk
Intervention, and Indigenous Community-Controlled Housing. While each
provides valuable insights—from unconditional housing access to
culturally responsive practices—they collectively lack a cohesive,
preventive framework that integrates holistic social support and long-term
stability.

Anglicare Victoria’s Role in Social Housing

Anglicare Victoria’s (AV) experience in programs such as Housing for

Families (Anglicare Victoria, 2022) and rental stress services (Anglicare
Victoria, 2025c) demonstrates institutional readiness to lead systemic
tenancy reform. AV’s 2025 snapshot also revealed that rents rising faster
than incomes and escalating displacement among low-income households
(Anglicare Victoria, 2025b). These structural deficiencies exacerbate
mental health risks, educational disruption, and social fragmentation
(Hulse, 2012; Vifor, 2022).
Thus, a pilot holistic tenancy program is proposed to be conducted by AV
in City of Dandenong, a demographically diverse region experiencing high
tenancy stress. Anchored in Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach, the
model are designed to advance five interconnected forms of support:
living skills and physical wellbeing, emotional wellness, social belonging,
identity and dignity, and financial stability (Robeyns, 2017). Integrating
the Capability Approach offers AV a strategic path to policy leadership by
reframing tenancy sustainment as a multidimensional social process that
promotes stability, inclusion, and community empowerment (Coates,
2015; Batterham, 2020).

Lesson Learned from the Teamwork

Etymologically, teamwork can be defined as the action or fact of working

together effectively or cohesively by a team of people (OED, 2016). In a
sociological context, teamwork represents an effective working method
where collective and diverse minds in a group gathers to solve challenges
and problems which curtailed the limitation of individual thinking while
also addressing social division and individual strengths (Preston, 2007).
Teamwork represents a cooperative learning method which combines the
social interaction between collective and collaborative individuals to
achieve shared objectives (Chiriac, 2014).

However, as with any dynamic social interaction, basic human instincts

such as egoism and the desire to defend personal opinions often become
the main obstacles hindering the achievement of team objectives. Studies
shows that the effectiveness of the team to achieve their main objectives
are heavily relied on the perception and willingness of each team
members, which often also hindered by recurring social factors such as
unequal participation, social loafing, and conflicts among group members
(Chang, et al 2018).

Suppressing Ego with Collective Team Objectives

Within the sphere of social interaction, individual interests should be

placed beneath those of the team, and the collective objective prioritized
over individual goals. However, it cannot be disputed that cohesion is
highly influenced by both the emotional competence and the individual
abilities of each team member, as higher collective emotional intelligence
and individual competencies are positively correlated with team cohesion
and overall team functioning (Maldonado, 2023; Beam, 2012). Team
discussion itself is not about establishing a winner or competing to decide
who has the best idea, but rather about exchanging ideas to find the most
effective steps toward achieving a shared goal, therefore, every individual
in the team must be able to temper personal desire to win, actively listen
to others' input, and contribute valuable suggestions for the collective
benefit (Bang, et al, 2017).

Team Leader Competence Defines Team Cohesion

Allocating roles according to each member’s abilities is crucial to helps

sustain and enhance the performance of every member, thereby
supporting the overall functioning of the team. As abstract ideas occurs
amidst the demographic diversity, varied individual backgrounds, and
varying capabilities among the members, achieving a unified perspective
and reaching common objectives is often a central challenge for any team
(O’Bryan, 2025). In these situations, it is essential to delegate authority to
a single team leader who can manage members’ roles and responsibilities
based on each individual’s competencies, enabling personal egos to be
set aside and maximizing cohesion (Klein, et al, 2011).

The team leader plays a particularly vital role. The competence of the
team leader is crucial to a team's overall success, as leadership skills and
effective role management are repeatedly identified as predictors of high-
performing teams in peer-reviewed studies. Beyond subordinating their
own ego, the team leader is responsible for supervising and ensuring the
group’s performance remains on course, as well as encouraging each
member to keep their work within clearly defined parameters and
schedules Additionally, a leader must discern when to be assertive and
decisive, while accommodating and embracing the diversity within the
group, the qualities which links with effective and emotionally intelligent
leadership (Zaccaro, 2001; Karakus, 2008).

Tolerance is Always on Limited Prioritization

In collective teamwork, where each member tasked with shared

responsibilities, there sometimes exist outlier members who cannot meet
the group’s expectations due to various reason such as the lack of team
motivation, egocentric tendencies, and repeated unsupportive behaviour
(Samim, 2017). In such contexts, the group objective should consistently
take precedence over individual obstacles, however, it is also essential to
exercise tolerance and maintain cohesion among team members.

Conflicts among individuals are inevitable in any formed team, however,

there are limits of such conflicts can be tolerated (Tannenbaum, 2023). For
the collective benefit, when critical issues arise which significantly
impedes team performance, decisive action should be taken upon the
problematic member. Therefore, if necessary, the usage of progressive
intervention, from constructive feedback and incremental guidance which
gradually lead to the removal of problematic member are imperative to be
taken.

Conclusion
Does the experience applicable in real world situation?

Yes. In my home country, I work as an internal auditor for the Indonesian

government, leading teams to conduct audits and supervise various
government projects. These experiences have broadened my
understanding of comparative policies and effective methods, enabling
me to make stronger professional recommendations. Working in diverse
teams has also enhanced my ability to foster cohesion and prioritize
collective goals over egoism.

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