We do believe a team based organization can be a strong part of overall competitive strategy. But teams are not a panacea. A lot of organizations have unsuccessfully implemented teams in Korea. Teams do not become teams just because we call them teams or send them to team-building workshops.
Research questions of this case study are as follows:
1) What are key factors for team effectiveness?
2) How are the key facors in several teams of a shipbuilding company?
3) What are necessary acts to make teams effective?
In theoretical investigation the key factors are explored and chosen from among several types and data gathered from several existing models regarding team effectiveness. They are environment, task, structure, process, leardership, and characteristic of individuals.
This case study is composed of industrial properties and several cases of teams in a shipbuilding company. Every case is analyzed by three sides : task, structure, and process. Factors of the task are focus, content, certainty, flexibility,time span, decision making standards. Factors of the structure are formal minimum boundary, classification basis of boundary, sub-team, size, position of manager, evaluation. Factors of the process are duites of managers, source of influence and information, method and steps for accomplishment of task, coordination, organizational learning, communication, and formal/informal meetings. Tables grouping by factors summarize and show the differences and common features among divisions.
Comparision among hierarchy, ideal team, and cases shows where a state of "team system" in that company is. Many people simply do not apply what they already know about teams in any disciplined way and thereby miss the team performance potential before them. This study recommends some reform measures for improving team system and for overcomming resistance against the change.
