Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships between teamwork, knowledge management and human values, categorizing the studies focused in the interplay of these three variables, with a focus on their appliance to the industrial shop floor context. By doing so, this paper seeks to identify literature gaps to be explored in subsequent researches. The research method adopted was a systematic literature review from databases related to the teamwork, knowledge management and human values published in periodicals within the period comprehended between 2000 to 2015. Thirty-five open categories were initially identified in the interplay of the three variables, with the vast majority of them emphasizing the relationship between two of the three variables. Lately, these original categories converged to nine axial categories or different areas of research. As a main finding of the study, it was possible to identify one main gap in the literature, suggesting the development of new researches focused on investigating how team’ design and levels of autonomy impact the performance of team members’ knowledge management activities in different groups on which different values prevail.
Highlights
Knowledge is defined as the capacity to take action in uncertain situations
It was possible to identify in the literature many works emphasizing how human values affect teams and their performance regarding knowledge management
The impacts knowledge sharing and management have on organizational performance is the focus of many of the identified papers
Summary
Knowledge is defined as the capacity to take action in uncertain situations. Knowledge management is a recent concept discussed more fully from the 1990s and on, defined as a process of promoting the flow of knowledge between individuals and groups within the organization (ALAVI; LEIDNER, 2001).Work teams are one of the most popular type of teams. Cohen and Bailey (1997) make a distinction between “regular” work teams, which are directed by a supervisor who make the most of the decisions and a self-managing or autonomous work team, which involves employees in making decisions.According to Schuring (1996), Sacomano Neto; Escrivão Filho (2000), Marx (2010) and many others, team members’ autonomy is one of the main drivers of successful knowledge management activities on the shop floor level. Knowledge management is a recent concept discussed more fully from the 1990s and on, defined as a process of promoting the flow of knowledge between individuals and groups within the organization (ALAVI; LEIDNER, 2001). Cohen and Bailey (1997) make a distinction between “regular” work teams, which are directed by a supervisor who make the most of the decisions and a self-managing or autonomous work team, which involves employees in making decisions. According to Schuring (1996), Sacomano Neto; Escrivão Filho (2000), Marx (2010) and many others, team members’ autonomy is one of the main drivers of successful knowledge management activities on the shop floor level. Some qualitative studies, such as one conducted by Wzorek and Cordeiro (2014), propose that autonomy alone cannot be associated with more effective knowledge management activities on the shop floor
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
