`This book is a must for scholars and practitioners interested in managing work teams in organizations.... Yeatts and Hyten have written an excellent reference work. The book synthesizes a wealth of prior research into a testable model of Self-Managed Work Team performance' - Management Learning `The work is wide-ranging in its scope but retains a clear focus and coherence throughout.' International Journal of Public-Private Partnerships Since the mid-1970s, pressure from international competition has forced business in the United States to look for better ways to achieve and maintain a competitive position. One popular tool is the self-managed work-team (SMWT). This book provides a thorough examination of SMWT both at the level of theory and at the practical level of when to use work teams to find solutions and how to develop successful teams. By examining the most widely accepted theories of work-team performance, illustrated by 10 case studies from the areas of manufacturing, public service and health care, the authors define: how high-performing self-managed work teams differ from work groups and short-term teams; the problems which compel an organization to create such teams; the factors which explain successful self-managed work teams; and how to develop high performing cost-effective teams.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE PERFORMANCE OF SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS The Classical and Human Relations Theories Systems Theories and the Emergence of the Socio-Technical and SMWT Perspectives Contingency Theories The Importance of Individual, Technical and Environmental Differences Contemporary Theories Explaining SMWT Performance Development of a Theoretical Framework To Explain SMWT Performance THE WORK PROCESS: ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK WITH EFFORT, TALENT, PROCEDURES AND RESOURCES Effort Placed Directly on the Work THE INTERPERSONAL PROCESS: THE 6 Cs PLUS TRUST Communication and Coordination Cooperation, Collaboration and Conflict Cohesion and Trust Interpersonal Processes between the Team and Others THE ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDING THE SMWT WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION The Organization's Philosophy, Culture and Its Mission for the SMWTs Performance Appraisal and Assessment Systems The Reward System Types of Rewards Education and Training Systems Information Systems Management Support, Encouragement and Roles Union, Customer, Supplier and Ancillary Support within the Organization The Environment outside the Organization TEAM MEMBER CHARACTERISTICS Talents, Values, Needs, Interests and Prejudices Personality and Demographic Characteristics TEAM DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS Team Goals and Job Design Team Size and Composition Roles of Self-Managed Teams Decision-Making Methods and Processes Team Leader Roles and Responsibilities
