Reconfiguring your organisation: a teamwork approach

Abstract

The authors are engaged in a three year EPSRC funded project into teamworking in manufacturing companies, investigating archetypical forms of teamworking rather than focusing upon narrow or discrete sets of issues - a frequent approach in much current literature. Initially, the dynamic capabilities of teamworking are explored: firstly through a consideration of changes in the manufacturing environment from one of the legacy of 'old' organisational forms and functions to contemporary environments where quality, flexibility and continuous improvement are key features in the drive to meet world-class quality and productivity levels, and secondly through a discussion of a detailed case history of one of the project collaborators. Archetypical approaches to teamworking are identified, and benefits of an organisational perspective explored The implications of this for research design and investigation are then reviewed, as is the eventual development of a strategic methodology for the effective introduction and development of teamworking into manufacturing companies.