Autonomous Work Groups Research Articles

Summary: Appropriate Use Criteria for the Use of Nuclear Medicine in Fever of Unknown Origin.

The diagnostic work-up of patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO) begins with a thorough history and physical examination, complete blood count with differential, chest x-ray, urinalysis and culture, electrolyte panel, liver enzymes, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein level. Additional imaging procedures, including nuclear medicine tests, are generally used as second-line procedures, with 18F-FDG PET and PET/CT assuming increasingly important roles in the diagnostic work-up. The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the American College of Nuclear Medicine convened an autonomous expert work group to comprehensively review the published literature for nuclear imaging in adults and children with FUO and establish appropriate use criteria (AUC). This process was performed in accordance with the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, which requires that all referring physicians consult AUC by using a clinical decision support mechanism before ordering advanced diagnostic imaging services. The complete findings and discussions of the work group were published on January 8, 2023, and are available at https://www.snmmi.org/ClinicalPractice/content.aspx?ItemNumber=15666 The AUC in the final document are intended to assist referring health care providers in appropriate use of nuclear medicine imaging procedures in patients with FUO. The work group noted limitations in the current literature on nuclear medicine imaging for FUO, with the need for well-designed prospective multicenter investigations. Consensus findings from published data and expert opinions were used to create recommendations in common clinical scenarios for adults and children. Included in the complete document is a discussion of inflammation of unknown origin (IUO), a recently described entity. In view of the fact that the criteria for FUO and IUO are similar (except for fever > 38.3°C [100.9°F]) and that the most common etiologies of these 2 entities are similar, it is the expert opinion of the work group that the recommendations for nuclear medicine imaging of FUO are also applicable to IUO. These recommendations are included in the full guidance document. This summary reviews rationale, methodology, and main findings and refers the reader to the complete AUC document.

Summary: Appropriate Use Criteria for Lymphoscintigraphy in Sentinel Node Mapping and Lymphedema/Lipedema.

Expert representatives from 11 professional societies, as part of an autonomous work group, researched and developed appropriate use criteria (AUC) for lymphoscintigraphy in sentinel lymph node mapping and lymphedema. The complete findings and discussions of the work group, including example clinical scenarios, were published on October 8, 2022, and are available at https://www.snmmi.org/ClinicalPractice/content.aspx?ItemNumber=42021 The complete AUC document includes clinical scenarios for scintigraphy in patients with breast, cutaneous, and other cancers, as well as for mapping lymphatic flow in lymphedema. Pediatric considerations are addressed. These AUC are intended to assist health care practitioners considering lymphoscintigraphy. Presented here is a brief overview of the AUC, including the rationale and methodology behind development of the document. For detailed findings of the work group, the reader should refer to the complete AUC document online.

How work redesign interventions affect performance: An evidence-based model from a systematic review

It is not yet clear whether work redesigns actually affect individual-, team- or organizational-level performance. In a synthesis of this literature, we conclude there is good overall evidence, with the most promising evidence at the individual level. Specifically, our systematic review assessed whether top-down work redesign interventions affect performance and, if so, why (mechanisms) and when (boundary conditions). We identified 55 heterogeneous work redesign intervention studies, of which 39 reported a positive effect on performance, two reported a negative effect, and 14 reported mixed effects. Of five types of work redesign, the evidence that work characteristics can explain the effect of redesign interventions on performance was most promising for relational interventions, and participative and non-participative job enrichment and enlargement. Autonomous work group and system-wide interventions showed initial evidence. As to ‘why’ work redesigns enhance performance, we identified change in work motivation, quick response and learning as three core mechanisms. As to ‘when’, we showed that intervention implementation, intervention context (including alignment of organizational systems, processes and the work redesign) and person factors are key boundary conditions. We synthesize our findings into an integrative multilevel model that can be used to design, implement and evaluate work redesigns aimed at improving performance.

Appropriate Use Criteria for Somatostatin Receptor PET Imaging in Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography (SSTR-PET) is an imaging modality for patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) that has demonstrated a significant improvement over conventional imaging (CI). SSTR-PET should replace In-111 pentetreotide scintigraphy (OctreoScan) in all indications in which SSTR scintigraphy is currently being used. These appropriate use criteria (AUC) are intended to aid referring medical practitioners in the appropriate use of SSTR-PET for imaging of patients with NETs, and the indications were evaluated in well-differentiated NETs. Of the 12 clinical scenarios evaluated, nine were graded as appropriate: initial staging after the histologic diagnosis of NET, evaluation of an unknown primary, evaluation of a mass suggestive of NET not amenable to endoscopic or percutaneous biopsy, staging of NET prior to planned surgery, monitoring of NET seen predominantly on SSTR-PET, evaluation of patients with biochemical evidence and symptoms of a NET, evaluation of patients with biochemical evidence of a NET without evidence on CI or a prior histologic diagnosis, restaging at time of clinical or laboratory progression without progression on CI, and new indeterminate lesion on CI with unclear progression. Representatives from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), the American College of Radiology (ACR), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS), the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), the Endocrine Society, the Society of Surgical Oncology, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), the American College of Physicians (ACP), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), and the World Conference on Interventional Oncology (WCIO) assembled under the auspices of an autonomous workgroup to develop the following AUC.

One hundred years of work design research: Looking back and looking forward.

In this article we take a big picture perspective on work design research. In the first section of the paper we identify influential work design articles and use scientific mapping to identify distinct clusters of research. Pulling this material together, we identify five key work design perspectives that map onto distinct historical developments: (a) sociotechnical systems and autonomous work groups, (b) job characteristics model, (c) job demands-control model, (d) job demands-resources model, and (e) role theory. The grounding of these perspectives in the past is understandable, but we suggest that some of the distinction between clusters is convenient rather than substantive. Thus we also identify contemporary integrative perspectives on work design that build connections across the clusters and we argue that there is scope for further integration. In the second section of the paper, we review the role of Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP) in shaping work design research. We conclude that JAP has played a vital role in the advancement of this topic over the last 100 years. Nevertheless, we suspect that to continue to play a leading role in advancing the science and practice of work design, the journal might need to publish research that is broader, more contextualized, and team-oriented. In the third section, we address the impact of work design research on: applied psychology and management, disciplines beyond our own, management thinking, work practice, and national policy agendas. Finally, we draw together observations from our analysis and identify key future directions for the field. (PsycINFO Database Record

To Study the Factors Affecting the Job Satisfaction and Level of Job Satisfaction at Baswara Garments Ltd

‘Job satisfaction’ describes how content an individual is with his or her job. It is a relatively recent term since in previous centuries the jobs available to a particular person were often predetermined by the occupation of that person’s parent. There are a variety of factors that can influence a person’s level of job satisfaction. Some of these factors include the level of pay and benefits, the perceived fairness of the promotion system within a company, the quality of the working conditions, leadership, supervisions and social relationships, the job itself (the variety of tasks involved, the interest and challenge the job generates, and the clarity of the job description/requirements). The happier people are within their job, the more satisfied they are said to be. Job satisfaction is often misunderstood same as motivation, although it is clearly linked. Job design aims to enhance job satisfaction and performance methods include job rotation, job enlargement and job enrichment. Other influences on satisfaction include the management style and culture, employee involvement, empowerment and autonomous workgroups. Job satisfaction is a very important attribute which is frequently measured by organizations. In the present research paper authors have tried to conduct a study on the factors that affect, on employees job satisfaction, of a particular industry and a company. Study also attempt to measure the job satisfaction levels on the various selected factor. For research study M/s Banswara Garments (A Unit of Banswara Syntex Ltd),Daman has been chosen, The rational for selecting the same is , the company has approximately 950 employees, and HR department observed that the attrition rate of workers have been increasing since last 3 years. Company wanted to conduct a research on job satisfaction which have never been done before as a part process of worker behaviour which increasing attrition rate.

Moving beyond Taylorism

Scientific management, commonly called Taylorism, developed in the period of very rapid United States industrial growth, 1880–1910, which saw a tremendous demand for labour. Taylor restructured jobs through simplification and enhanced supervision in order to overcome workers' lack of education, skill and experience. The introduction of mass production also led to further division of labour, and the separation of from doing removed all intellectual content from production jobs. Time–and–motion study, moreover, prescribed how the simplified job was to be performed, and how long it should take. Taylorism fostered greater efficiency, and thus enormous rises in living standards, but it also resulted in many production jobs becoming routine and boring. A better–fixated labour force, however, has become increasingly reluctant to work at such jobs. New technology – programmable automation – changes the nature of jobs, with workers having to do less, but think more. Flexible manufacturing requires that jobs be more general purpose, and that shop–floor workers should be more broadly skilled. Companies are undertaking new ways of organizing work, expanding the scope of jobs and training workers to be more versatile, and involving employees in decision–making with respect to their jobs. A few have adopted socio–technical approaches, in which autonomous work groups share among themselves much of the decision–making about the planning and execution of work.

The Academic Tutoring at the University Level: Development and Promotion Methodology Trough Project Work

Tutoring is a methodological element of utmost importance in the EHEA (European Higher Education Area) context. Academic tutoring at university-level must offer counselling and technical support to university students in the three following areas: academic, professional and personal. This contributes to the students’ integral development through their university years. Nevertheless, its potential is very often overshadowed due to the general lack of awareness (here we must place responsibility on the teacher-student relationship) of its methodological function in the teaching proposal required by the EHEA, whose organizational model is focused on the acquisition of competencies. A Formative Assessment applied model in university subjects, in which the teacher becomes tutor of autonomous work groups and that proposes the use of well-organised academic tutoring sessions, is proposed on this contribution. The result, after introducing this model in the classroom, is very positive in several aspects, since it contributes to the development of instrumental, interpersonal and systematic competencies. Moreover, there is a very favourable improvement of the use of tutoring sessions as far as students are concerned, which will be of advantage to their teaching-learning process.

English

  This paper by Ashok Kumar and Dr. Ch. Bala Nageswara Rao Director SSM, Channai; focuses on the need for creating strong work cultures for developing high performance work organizations. According to him, restructuring through formation of autonomous work groups, reducing hierarchies, relocation, creating awareness about the existing work culture and acculturation are some of the processes by which a strong work culture can be developed.   Key words: Culture, work groups, development, performance, work organization.

Autonomous work groups and the challenge of inter-group coordination

In work systems based on autonomous work groups, the effort of different autonomous groups needs to be coordinated to produce desirable system-wide effects. The existing literature on organizational structures for inter-group coordination is limited. In this article, the authors explore two different structures for inter-group coordination, which are alternatives to traditional hierarchical control. These structures are rotating group spokespersons and shared leadership. The main conclusion of this article is that inter-group coordination becomes a major challenge when groups enjoy high levels of autonomy. Our argument builds on a case study of a manufacturing company, analysed through the lens of modern socio-technical theory. The difficulties associated with inter-group coordination have implications for debates on organizational performance and may help explain why autonomous work groups are not widely used in industry.

Socio-Productive Models in France: An Empirical Dynamic Overview, 1992–2004

The authors assess the evolution of French workplaces over the periods 1992–1993, 1998–1999, and 2004–2005 within the framework of socio-productive organizational models. Using French employment relations survey data (REPONSE), they analyze the empirical relevance of these models in light of three dimensions: work organization, human resource management (HRM), and industrial relations. Results indicate the emergence of two “innovative” models: the “Toyotist” model, featuring just-in-time organizational methods, innovative HRM systems, high employee participation, and low union presence; and the “neo-Taylorist” model, featuring low innovation, low investment in HRM, strict managerial control with minimal employee participation, and average union presence. Data also reveal the existence of an additional model: the “public-in-transition” model, featuring a mixed HRM focus that is part individual and part collective; moreover, workplaces feature a high and varied union presence and autonomous work groups. Overall findings indicate a dual movement of socio-productive models: the development of the Toyotist model occurred mainly between 1992 and 1998 for some workplaces whereas for others, such as those aging or becoming privatized, there was a shift to the neo-Taylorist model for the period 1998–2004.

A Study on the Job Satisfaction of the Employees of Fireworks Industries

The happier people are within their job, the more satisfied they are said to be. Job satisfaction is not the same as motivation, although it is clearly linked. Job design aims to enhance job satisfaction and performance, methods include job rotation, job enlargement and job enrichment. Other influences on satisfaction include the management style and culture, employee involvement, incentives, empowerment and autonomous work groups. Job satisfaction is a very important attribute which is frequently measured by organizations. The most common way of measurement is the use of rating scales where employees report their reactions to their jobs. Questions relate to rate of pay, work responsibilities, variety of tasks, promotional opportunities the work itself and co-workers. In this regard, an attempt was made to study the job satisfaction of the workers of fireworks factories in Virudhunagar district. Three statistical tools were applied to study the level of job satisfaction of the workers. Findings show that job characteristics such as safety and welfare measures, incentives, promotional opportunity, task clarity and significance, transport facilities and skills utilization, as well as organizational characteristics such as commitment and relationship with supervisors and co-workers, have significant effects on job satisfaction. These job characteristics can be carefully managed to enhance job satisfaction. It has also been found that there is no significant relationship between income and overall job satisfaction of the respondents and there is no significant relationship between working conditions and overall job satisfaction of the respondents and the employees have medium level of satisfaction on their job.

A Study on the Job Satisfaction of the Employees of Fireworks Industries

The happier people are within their job, the more satisfied they are said to be. Job satisfaction is not the same as motivation, although it is clearly linked. Job design aims to enhance job satisfaction and performance, methods include job rotation, job enlargement and job enrichment. Other influences on satisfaction include the management style and culture, employee involvement, incentives, empowerment and autonomous work groups. Job satisfaction is a very important attribute which is frequently measured by organizations. The most common way of measurement is the use of rating scales where employees report their reactions to their jobs. Questions relate to rate of pay, work responsibilities, variety of tasks, promotional opportunities the work itself and co-workers. In this regard, an attempt was made to study the job satisfaction of the workers of fireworks factories in Virudhunagar district. Three statistical tools were applied to study the level of job satisfaction of the workers. Findings show that job characteristics such as safety and welfare measures, incentives, promotional opportunity, task clarity and significance, transport facilities and skills utilization, as well as organizational characteristics such as commitment and relationship with supervisors and co-workers, have significant effects on job satisfaction. These job characteristics can be carefully managed to enhance job satisfaction. It has also been found that there is no significant relationship between income and overall job satisfaction of the respondents and there is no significant relationship between working conditions and overall job satisfaction of the respondents and the employees have medium level of satisfaction on their job.

Group initiative and self-organizational activities in industrial work groups

Autonomous work groups are involved in goal setting and planning and hence can define their jobs and the outcome idiosyncratically. Our interest lies in how job design restricts or creates possibilities for groups to redefine their work and thus go beyond formal requirements. The aim was to test a model of the relationships between dimensions of job design, group processes, group initiative, and self-organizational activities. The results are based on work task analyses and questionnaires administered to 31 work groups at four Swedish industrial companies. The theoretical input–process–output model received substantial support. Dimensions of job design affect whether a group, through collective reflexivity, can redefine work and proactively create conditions and organize work so that uncertainty can be handled and new tasks mastered. Group processes such as cooperation and social support enhance group initiative to achieve such meaningful change. In this study, reflexivity does not impact on group initiative, but does explain the major amount of variance in self-organizational activities. Work task analyses can be a useful tool for providing groups with the prerequisites for self-organizational activities. We believe these to be essential for the groups' capacity to be involved in the innovation process from idea to finished product.

Self-managed work teams: a lean or an autonomous teamwork model?

The paper examines how similar Self-Managed Work Teams (SMWTs) are to paradigmatic industrial teams – the lean teamwork, the sociotechnical autonomous group and the traditional Fordist group – highlighting their technical/structural, governance and normative characteristics. The SMWTs from two Portuguese industrial firms are analysed using the case-study methodology. Resemblance to the lean teamwork model is more evident than with any other group model. Team members perceive high job enrichment, what resembles the autonomous work group model. However, several team members maintain narrow jobs, numerical flexibility is more evident than functional flexibility and team management comes mainly from outside, which are some of the features close to the 'old' Fordist group. Finally, cooperation behaviours and attitudes between team members are clear features in these teams, but the cognitive dimension of cooperation, similar to collective competence, is not yet noticeable.

Employee participation and productivity

This paper measures the productivity impact of shop-floor employee involvement. On the basis of a representative German establishment data set, the study finds that the introduction of teamwork and autonomous work groups, and a reduction of hierarchies in 1996/1997 significantly increased average establishment productivity in 1997–2000. The estimation strategy controls for unobserved invariant establishment heterogeneity by using a two-step system GMM panel regression approach. It simultaneously takes account of endogeneity of participative work organization by instrument variable regressions. It is also shown that the productivity effect of shop-floor employee involvement is stronger in establishments with works councils.

The Effects of High Performance Work Systems on Employees in Aged Care

There has been a great deal of interest in recent years about High Performance Work Systems (HPWS). It is argued that HPWS, which comprise advanced employment relations policies and practices coupled with quality management systems, can improve organisational performance in terms of financial success, productivity and lower employee turnover. A central feature of these work systems is the high degree of employee involvement or commitment through quality circles, autonomous work groups and enhanced training and development. Critics of this literature, however, contend that the improved performance may be due to heightened stress and work intensification rather than greater employee involvement and commitment. In this article, we attempt to assess the efficacy of a high performance system in an aged care establishment. Based on observations, interviews and a survey, we report on the effects of a HPWS on employees. We find that workers generally perceive that heightened involvement leads to work intensification. However some workers welcome a more active engagement in workplace issues, despite the extra work.

Group Composition, Creative Synergy, and Group Performance

Organizations use groups to improve performance on tasks that require problem solving. Is this belief in the problem solving benefits of groups misplaced given the process‐losses often experienced by brainstorming groups? This study of 94 intact autonomous work groups performing multi‐part tasks revealed that group creative performance increased multiplicatively (exponentially) with the number of highly creative group members composing the group. However, this occurred only when Team Creativity‐Relevant Processes (TCRP) within the group were relatively high. When TCRP were relatively low, group creative performance decreased multiplicatively with the number of highly creative group members within it. When TCRP were about average for the sample, group performance increased only linearly with the number of highly creative members within a group.

Firm‐Wide Incentives and Mutual Monitoring at Continental Airlines

In February 1995 Continental Airlines introduced an incentive scheme that promised monthly bonuses to all 35,000 hourly employees if the company achieved a firm‐wide performance goal. Conventional wisdom suggests that free riding will render such schemes ineffective. We present evidence indicating that the incentive scheme raised employee performance despite the apparent threat of free riding. To explain why the scheme may have been effective we argue that the organization of employees into autonomous work groups enabled Continental to induce mutual monitoring among employees within each work group.

Implementation of self-managed teams in manufacturing: More of a marathon than a sprint

During the past decade teamwork in manufacturing, as in other sectors, has become the organisational form of choice. In contrast to earlier manifestations such as autonomous workgroups some 30 years earlier, this appears to have been largely for business and production reasons rather than being directly aimed at improving the quality of work life. Taken from part of a larger study of teamworking in several different manufacturing companies this paper draws upon a retrospective analysis of cases of self-managed team implementation in UK manufacturing. Examples of good and bad practice and consequent guidance have been identified where the weight of evidence gives confidence in their general applicability. A basis for benchmarking is provided, related to preparation, implementation and maintenance of self-managed teams in manufacturing. Key gaps identified are for tools to assist in early functional analysis, leadership decisions and boundary setting, and appropriate team performance measurement and reward systems.