Work Teams

For example, Fuxman (1999) studied teamwork in the manufacturing industry. Fluxman noted that with increased technology and innovations in industry, the need for worker organization also increased. Work teams need to allow for changes in production philosophy, intensive training programs, and increased labor-management relations. Complementary systems are needed and these require team building. Teamwork is linked to quality, productivity, and variety. Thus strategies to improve teamwork have developed worldwide. Work teams lead quality, productivity improvement, and product variety. New strategies support a high degree of worker involvement with each worker assuming responsibility to perform well, contribute ideas for improvement, and to be aware of ongoing processes that occur. Management is more focused on making work teams work.

Background and Statement of the Problem

Mussnug and Hughey (1997) reported that many companies are adopting self-directed work teams to empower employees and increase productivity and quality. This tendency places an emphasis on employees and fewer levels of upper management. The hierarchical systems of supervision are less compatible with the self-directed work team model. Yet while teams are being developed, problems are developing as well. For example, Flori

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and the World Wide Web is increasing to facilitate collaborative learning as well as teamwork in cross-cultural and cross-national settings. These groups interact and develop online. This points to the need to understand cultural differences and findings can be applied to the diverse populations found in today's American organization. Employee survey and focus group data was used to determine differences in perception regarding the Norming and Performing stages of group development. Participants were from Mexico and the United States. Findings showed that groups differed by country, rather than gender, in their perception of: collectivism, low power distance, femininity, and high context communication. Findings from focus group participants were that online group processes and development are influenced by: language, power distance, gender, collectivist versus individualist tendencies, conflict, social presence, time frame, and technical skills. The authors concluded that group development must consider differences due to cultural and individual influences. Group Facilitators McFadzean (2002) reported that employment of a facilitator to solve problems improves the development of teams. Facilitators must be trained acco
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Approximate Word count = 8392
Approximate Pages = 34 (250 words per page)

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