Work Teams

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, to work effectively, work teams need good structure and guidelines, which is a difficult and very complicated issue to handle for both the team and the management. The author points out that specialization, standardization, and centralization are the primary characteristics in jobs today. The paper relates that virtual teams are never in physical proximity with each other, and so the bonding and familiarity that comes from working together is absent.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Worker Involvement and Management Tools
Advantages of Team Working from the Managerial Standpoint
Example 1: Virtual Teams at Boeing
Example 2: Teams and the Automobile Industry: examples of Saturn and Chrysler
Disadvantages of Team Working from the Managerial Standpoint
Example 1: Impact of Teams on the Electronic Industry
Example 2: Failure at Improving Performance Rating and Negative Effects on Evaluations
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The Japanese first initiated the quality revolution in the 1960's with the help from many American thinkers like Deming and Juran. Japan is a country of limited natural resources and optimization of all available resources was critical for profitability. Japan also entered the international market with many of their products only to realize that many of the products did not match the standards expected in the U.S. and Western Europe. The Japanese industry was also going through excessive restructuring and layoffs were creating a severe morale problem among the workforce. Toyota first introduced the concepts of Just-in-Time (JIT) production system and Total Quality Management (TQM) was also gaining popularity. Up to that point, most organizations used the concept of Acceptable Quality Limits (AQL) for their manufacturing and production. Lower inventories require better quality work and therefore the worker requires better training."

More papers on Work Teams:

• Analytical Essay # 123784 : "Self-Management and Work Teams"
• Analytical Essay # 126448 : "Work Teams at Duncan Oil"
• Analytical Essay # 56486 : "High Performance Work Teams"

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