Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

A self‐managing team is a formally constituted work group whose members perform a set of interdependent tasks, share collective responsibility for a readily identifiable set of outcomes, and who are afforded moderate to high levels of discretion when it comes to regulating the way their work is executed ( see work groups/teams ). Sometimes called semi‐autonomous work groups, they are commonly associated with sociotechnical systems interventions and commitment oriented human resource management strategies. In practice, the degree of self‐management responsibility exercised by these teams may span three areas of decision‐making . First, there are decisions associated with regulating the immediate production or work process. Teams may be responsible for determining the pace and order of task performance, for securing a requisite supply of materials and resources, or for liaising with suppliers and customers. Second, there are decisions concerning the internal governance of the team, such as scheduling leave, and hiring and training new members. Third, there are decisions that affect the team's role within the organization, such as determining what gets produced or the type of service that is provided to customers. Self‐managing teams are seen as having a beneficial impact on employee behavior, specifically through the enhancement of motivation, skill utilization, and learning. ... log in or subscribe to read full text