They think the team should co-operate more, rather than compete

There’s nothing wrong with some friendly rivalry, but this can get out of hand, and some teams, particularly in sales, make a point of getting employees to compete against each other. This can be counterproductive – given that we have limited mental resources it would be useful for them all to be directed into getting the job done. Competition within the workplace diverts some of our attention and effort into something other than that job, and risks raising the emotional temperature to the point where rivalry turns into animosity. All of which is a waste of mental effort.