The impact of organizational context on work team effectiveness: a study of production team

Teams are an integral part of many manufacturing organizations today. This paper explores the relationships between nine organizational context variables, team processes, and three measures of team effectiveness. The research was conducted within one business unit of a Fortune 50 high-technology company. Twenty-one intact production work teams were the focus of the study. Using path analysis, significant direct relationships between six organizational context factors and three measures of team effectiveness were found. The management processes associated with establishing a clear team purpose that is aligned with organizational goals and the allocation of critical resources were both positively related to team member satisfaction. An organizational culture that supports communication and cooperation between teams and the integration of teams was found to have a significant and positive linear relationship with two different team leader ratings of effectiveness and with team member satisfaction. Organizational systems that provide teams with the necessary information were found to have a significant and positive linear relationship with both team leader ratings of effectiveness and team member satisfaction. Organizational systems that provide teams with the necessary training were found to have a significant and positive linear relationship with team member satisfaction.