Reconfiguring your organisation: a teamwork approach

Abstract

Reports on research resulting from a three year EPSRC funded project into teamworking in manufacturing companies. Investigates archetypal forms of teamworking rather than focusing upon narrow or discrete sets of issues. Explores the dynamic capabilities of teamworking, firstly by considering changes in the manufacturing environment with its legacy of ‘old’ organisational forms and functions to contemporary environments where quality, flexibility and continuous improvement are key features, and secondly by discussing a detailed case history of one of the project’s collaborating companies. Identifies archetypal approaches to teamworking and explores benefits of a strategic organisational perspective. Argues that much of the teamworking literature fails to adopt either an organisational or strategic perspective, and hence is unable to acknowledge the complexity of such interventions. Reviews the implications of this more organisational approach for research design and investigation by means of a detailed case study, and explores the development of a strategic methodology for the effective introduction and development of teamworking into manufacturing companies.