This study was undertaken to investigate the relationships and interdependencies of work-unit technology, structure, leadership style and attitudes of personnel at the middle and lower level of the organizational hierarchy and to determine if a correlation exists between proper alignment of these variables and overall organizational effectiveness. Six variables have been identified by contingency theorists which must be properly aligned if organizations are to operate at peak efficiency and maximum effectiveness. These variables are the firm's outer environment, its objectives and goals, the adaptation of technology to attain these goals, organizational structure to coordinate and confine the technology, and the leadership style and personnel who use the technology within individual work units to satisfy the demands of the outer environment and meet organizational goals and objectives. Previous emphasis in contingency theory has been upon determining what constitutes proper alignment of these variables on a firm by firm or industry by industry basis, neglecting the fact that complex organizations are composed of many interacting work units in which these variables must also be properly aligned if maximum effectiveness is to be achieved. Four U.S. copper mining companies responsible for over 60 percent of domestic production consented to participate in the study. The data suggest that not only is the proper alignment of contingency variables within the firm as a whole important to organizational effectiveness as indicated by prior research, but the proper alignment of these variables within individual work units may be just as important a consideration in determining overall organizational effectiveness. Results further suggest that those mining firms within the industry whose work unit technologies show the closest alignment of routine technologies with mechanistic structures, autocratic leadership styles and personnel willing to conform, and non-routine technologies with organic structures, democratic leadership styles and personnel less willing to conform are more effective than those firms in which these variables were not so closely aligned. Implications of this study are that industrial firms can improve their overall performance and effectiveness by aligning technology, structure, leadership style and personnel within work units. The greater the number or work units in which these contingency variables are properly aligned within a business firm, the greater the success that firm will experience in realizing its primary objectives.

No description available.

Following a meso-contingency approach (Rousseau & House, 1994), this study examined the relationship between efficacy beliefs and effectiveness outcomes in a team context. Specifically, the interaction effects of self-efficacy and group efficacy as well as their direct effects on effectiveness outcomes at the individual level and at the group level were examined. Forty-two work teams (174 members and 42 supervisors) from several industries within Western Canada completed a survey assessing their efficacy beliefs, their attitudes at work, and their performance. The cross-level hypotheses revealed that self-efficacy positively related to individual effectiveness and to team attitudes but not to team performance. Group efficacy positively correlated with team effectiveness but not with individual effectiveness. Moreover, group efficacy as a shared belief and as a perception of individual team members was hypothesized to moderate the relationship between self-efficacy and team members’ effectiveness. However, these moderation hypotheses were not supported. / ix, 105 leaves ; 29 cm

Increasingly, knowledge-based tasks such as new product development and market research are being conducted by geographically dispersed teams. Early evidence from knowledge-based view of the firm and geographically dispersed work literatures suggests that at least four kinds of knowledge gaps---transactive memory system, mutual knowledge, categorization and situated knowledge---exist because of the (dispersed) structure of the knowledge management context . Dispersed members therefore cannot take for granted that they have a common context, making dispersed collaboration problematic. / The dissertation - a qualitative, theory-generating exercise - seeks to address the question, 'how do dispersed teams collaborate to create useful knowledge?' Specifically, the research question examines the integral elements of the knowledge creation process, the negotiation of knowledge gaps for co-creating a common context, and the association between the negotiation of these gaps with the efficiency of the knowledge creation process, effectiveness of new knowledge created, and cohesion in the team. This research has been conducted in two phases - an exploratory ethnographic study followed by a replication study. / Analysis of the data instead directed my attention to the critical role of moderating variables such as degree of familiarity among dispersed team members, degree of redundancy of knowledge structures among them and the nature of task on the perceived presence or absence of gaps. These findings clarify the literature by differentiating between the structure and the properties of the knowledge management context and therefore develop a more comprehensive model of these moderating variables that have the potential to affect the dispersed knowledge creation process. Specifically, the findings demonstrate that degree of redundancy is positively associated with the efficiency of the knowledge creation process. These studies also suggest that dispersed collaboration may be less different from collocated collaboration than previously thought. Finally, these studies contribute to the dispersed work literature by suggesting that all kinds of dispersed work are not alike and face-to-face meetings may not be necessary for all types of dispersed work. / These findings are used to develop a theory of dispersed knowledge work and have implications for determining whether and in what contexts geographic distance matters for conducting knowledge work. One implication is that perceptions of distance may be at least as important as the objective aspects of distance. Another implication is that whether geographic distance matters will actually depend upon the competitive strategy of the firm.

This study investigates individual creative performance in the context of social networks in medium sized work groups (n = 15 - 25) by combining individual, contextual, and social network antecedents. It is an effort to build a balanced model that takes into account the position of the individual within the social system, as well as individual motivation and perceptions of organizational context. The results show that the effects of motivational and contextual factors on creative performance are mediated by creative behavior performed by the individual. The individual's position in the social network and the nature (strong or weak) of the individual's ties with others in the network, in contrast, exercise both direct and indirect effects (via creative behavior) on creative performance. As predicted, intrinsic motivation, empowerment, and organizational support had positive effects on creative performance. Surprisingly, formal structure also exerted a positive influence on creative performance. Another unexpected finding is that both local brokerage and weak ties exerted overall negative effects on creative performance. As hypothesized, centrality exerted a strong positive effect on creative performance. The results, which are in part inconsistent with previous findings, suggest that the direction of the effects of both social network position and tie strength on creative performance may depend on group size, and that ego network characteristics also affect perceptions of the organizational context. The preferred model showed a strong fit to the data, providing support for the inclusion of network variables in any comprehensive theory of creative behavior in organizations.

No abstract available. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

The purpose of this research was to identify and describe the action's leaders practice that stimulate individual and group learning. An MLQ- Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and a series of interviews with members of three work teams were utilized to gather research data. This is one of the first studies completed to research this important aspect of leadership. In all three cases, the teams shared experiences where learning was transformed into useable knowledge to accomplish objectives or solve problems. The three teams learned and generated new knowledge based on viewing, challenging, sharing, orchestrating, and modeling.The findings suggest transformational leadership behaviors and actions can and often do influence individual and group learning. Specific findings included that in all three case studies, 1) team leaders engaged in transformational leadership practices 2) transformational leaders created a climate for learning by encouragement, establishing cooperation, and the identification and use of team talent. In addition, 3) the leader modeled appropriate behaviors, 4) challenged the team to question basic assumptions shared by others, 5) and acquired, shares and assimilated information for the purpose of aiding in team learning. Furthermore, in at least two cases, the leader 6) provided the team with opportunities to learn about the "big picture" and how their actions and decisions impact larger systems, and 7) provided team members with opportunities to become their own leader.Results of the research suggest organizations should consider ways to teach leaders about their role in organizational learning, systems thinking, and how their personal actions influence follower performance. Leaders should also construct climates that allow learning to take place. Lastly, with the support from leaders, knowledge and information systems are important organizational elements, which lead to learning. / Department of Educational Leadership

<p>The use of one form or another of team based work organization (TBWO) management policies and practices by firms with the aim of improving organizational performance and employee morale is well documented in popular literature. Empirical research has however found that the implementation of TBWO management policies and practices such as TB training, TB incentive schemes, participation in decision making, work teams etc. had minimal influence on the performance of firms (Locke and Schweiger, 1979).<br /> This research investigated the factors, which account for the effective implementation of TBWO management policies and practices with specific emphasis on three firms in the metal fabrications sector. The reason behind the choice of the three firms in the metal fabrication sector in the Western Cape was that these sites offered a rare opportunity to study the process of the implementation of TBWO. It was a rare opportunity because not many firms have embarked on implementing TBWO in South Africa. It was envisaged that the lessons that emerged from this study would be invaluable for firms that intended implementing workplace change. The level of analysis was the shop floor level at the firms as research has shown that this is the level that plays a critical role in the effectiveness of the TB management policies and practices implemented by the firms.</p>

The purpose of the thesis was to investigate the use of action research in the conceptual development of the aim of developing managers through action learning and determining the effectiveness of this in Singapore, Hong Kong and China. / The concept did not begin its practical life as an applied idea already formed; it emerged and developed naturally in something of an evolutionary process. It took on a more definitive form and spirit through a series of cycles of learning, reflection, modification and re-application. / In evolving this concept, the research was intended to provide new contributions in adapting action learning as a form of workplace managerial development. In this scenario, managers learn and develop by using their experience in solving workplace problems in project teams. / The first of three cycles of action research was conducted at Apex Technologies, Singapore, for a group of seven managers. The expected outcome was to integrate a common problem-solving framework and the action learning process into a practical process for developing managers. The second cycle took place at Intraco Limited, Singapore, for a group of 12 managers. The objective was to familiarise the managers with the action learning process and to encourage them to pass on the process in the training and development of their staff. The third cycle of the research study was at Viasystems Asia Pacific in Hong Kong and China for 120 middle managers and frontline supervisors. The objective was to apply action learning as an on-going process in developing managers to address the many issues and challenges facing the company as it expanded rapidly. / The research findings showed that the action learning process in Apex and Intraco was effective in meeting the expected outcome. In Apex, the senior management was pleased with the progress made and morale among the management team improved. At Intraco, the managers were enthusiastic and indicated that action learning was effective in helping them to become better managers. In Viasystems, the participants were recognised by senior management for developing the ability to manage change and to work together to solve problems and improve practices. Following the completion of the research study, Viasystems implemented the second phase of the Team Learning Circle process to develop 42 high-potential managers. / Overall, the thesis demonstrated that action research, involving a spiral of three research cycles-planning, acting and observing and reflecting- was effective in devising the Team Learning Circle for developing managers through action learning. From the research data, I have contributed to the theory of action learning by developing the Team Learning Circle model. This adds the team learning process to action learning and action research in managerial development. It demonstrates that managers will learn most effectively with and from each other, through regular dialogue sessions and skilful discussions, and by working on real problems or projects in the workplace. / Thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2004.

Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2002.