Abstract:
This research focuses on case-study analyses of the process of introducing
empowered teams into organisations with a poor industrial relations history.
The chosen research methodology is in the ethnographic mode and analogous to
grounded theory; data was collected in five case-study organisations.
The respondent data is presented for each case study in turn and then analysed
in a cross-case manner, highlighting some critical themes/issues identified by
respondents who were key to the process of introducing empowered teams into
their organisations. Principal among these critical themes/issues were: pre-
planning, visioning/directioning, managerial commitment, role clarity,
communications, union engagement, skill development and training,
reward/money and trust.
This researcher interprets the data from within organisations in our chosen
context and develops a model aimed at explaining the leadership processes that
affect the five critical enabling conditions of shared values, key processes, role
clarity, training and employee-centred systems. The model highlights the critical
importance of personal and organisational leadership skills within the
organisation to facilitate focus on the above enabling conditions and on the key
leadership processes of 'articulation' and 'promulgation'.
Suggestions are made for possible lines of future research in terms of either
replicating this work or in searching for outcomes with respect to operational
and/or opportunity potential within an input-process-output model.
