MN7181 PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATION - AUTONOMOUS WORK GROUP
AUTONOMOUS WORK GROUP - AWG
Similar to
an individual with autonomy at work, an autonomous work group is a team of
employees granted autonomy or independence over the work they do within an
organization. This autonomy includes independent decision-making related to a
specific work function, project or job and independent freedom to assign
individual members specific tasks within the group (Neil Kokemuller)
In an autonomous work group,
employees self-organize to accomplish a task. Upper management holds the group
as a whole responsible for its productivity and efficiency, but scheduling and
task assignment are left to the group itself. This approach to management can
improve work life and possibly increase productivity, but there are also
disadvantages(Stan Mack, 2017) S
Function
Autonomous
work groups vary, depending on organizational need. Some groups might be
permanent, while others are temporary assignments to address a short-term
project. The key is that employees in an autonomous work group are not
supervised by managers on an individual basis. Rather, they democratically
direct themselves. Periodically, however, they still must demonstrate the
results of their efforts to management.
Employee
Morale
Potential
advantages of an autonomous work group include increased employee satisfaction
and improved workplace morale, according to the book “Management Theory and
Practice,” by G.A. Cole. Workers decide among themselves how to approach a project
and distribute responsibilities. In contrast, an authoritarian management
system that deprives workers of the ability to make their own decisions can
make employees feel powerless, under-stimulated and unappreciated.
Quality
and Efficiency
Other
potential advantages of autonomous groups are increased quality and efficiency.
For example, Cole provides the example of Volvo’s car plants, which found that
autonomous work groups improved the quality of output and reduced overhead
costs, besides increasing employee satisfaction.
Disadvantage
A
possible disadvantage of autonomous work groups is they don’t always remain
effective as time goes on. For example, if some workers contribute more than
others, intra-group resentment can build, especially if pay is distributed
equally despite differences in contributions. In this case, top performers
might prefer working directly for a manager who notices and rewards their
efforts and also reprimands or punishes slackers. Another disadvantage is that
autonomous work groups can get mired in discussion, according to the book
“Effective Group Problem Solving,” by William M. Fox. Lacking an authority
figure, the democratic nature of an autonomous work group might mean workers
spend more time debating than taking action.
Considerations
Managers
can’t simply throw employees together and expect good results. Participating
effectively in an autonomous work group requires communication skills that take
time to develop. For instance, if employees aren’t used to constructive debate
and group collaboration, they will need time to gain these skills. Also, some
workers might have personalities that don't function well within a group
dynamic, no matter how much time they're given. There’s no simple recipe for
creating a highly effective autonomous work group. Rather, organizations must
work with human resources professionals to initiate and help maintain groups
that can manage themselves well.
Updated July 05, 201
This is a very effective technique in HRM. The autonomous groups has to be revised and revalidated according your blog. The group has to learn to learn and comply with updates in the trade.
ReplyDeletegood article
ReplyDeleteYour article is very important to learn. Good work
ReplyDelete