LO5 - Self-Directed Teams

• self-directed teams (SDTs) 


  Cross-functional work groups that are organized around work processes, complete an entire piece of work requiring several interdependent tasks, and have

  substantial autonomy over the execution of those tasks.
• Success factors for self-directed teams

  1. Responsible for entire work process.​
  2. High interdependence within the team.​
  3. Low interdependence with other teams.​
  4. Autonomy to organize and coordinate work.​
  5. Work site/technology support team communication/coordination and job enrichment.
• remote teams


  Teams whose members operate across space, time, and organizational boundaries and are linked through information technologies to achieve organizational

  tasks.
• Remote teams differ from traditional teams in two

  ways:

  (1) one or more members work remotely at least

  some of the time rather than always being co-located (working in the same physical area as co-workers)

  (2) due to their lack of co-location, members of remote teams depend on information technologies in addition to or instead of face-to-face interaction to communicate and coordinate their work effort.
• Team remoteness varies with:​

  • Geographic dispersion.​
  • Percentage of members who work apart.​
  • Percentage of time that members work apart.
• Remote team success factors:​

  • Members apply effective teamwork behaviors (5 Cs).​
  • Freedom to use a toolkit of communication channels.​
  • Moderate or higher task structure.​
  • Opportunities to meet face-to-face.
• human capital 


  The knowledge, skills, abilities, creative thinking, and other valued resources that employees bring to the organization.