INTRODUCTION 1.

1 Introduction of the study The concept of self-directed work teams (SDWT) as a leading work practice can be traced back mainly to changes in work methods in British collieries and Japanese factories. The idea spread later to the United States, where it was popularized by Kimball Fisher and others 1. Internationally, companies have learnt that the key to production effectiveness lies in the better utilization of their own employees. They recognize that those closest to the work know best how to perform and improve their jobs and have found that to remain competitive means tapping into the vast, under-utilized resource of knowledge within their workforces 1. From the early 1990s, SDWT started to receive attention in South Africa, and a variety of experiments was initiated, mainly in the private sector. These initiatives were usually associated with multi-skilling, team-building and work group empowerment, resulting at times in workforce downscaling and a change in the role and powers of mid-managers and supervisors 2. Most organizations are aware of the power of teamwork. A lot of research has gone into the subject, yet very few organizations really get it right so that teams and the individuals within teams perform at their optimum levels 3. There is growing awareness that the aggregate of all the skills, competencies and knowledge that resides within the individuals of an organization does not necessarily translate into a collective organizational knowledge and wisdom 4. Self-directed teams are small groups of employees who have responsibility for managing themselves and their work. Team members typically handle job assignments, plan and schedule work, make production related decisions, and take action on problems. Self-directed teams require minimal direct supervision. The teams operate with fewer layers of management than traditional organizational structures. They require team members to learn multiple jobs or tasks and to take on many tasks that were once reserved for supervisors or managers, including hiring, firing, conducting appraisals, disciplinary action and scheduling tasks According to McNamara, a self-directed work team can be defined as a multi-skilled or cross-functional work team whose members are empowered to regulate their own affairs and are jointly accountable for delivering a defined value-adding product or service to the organization. Fisher1 defines a SDWT as a group of employees who have day to day responsibility for

managing themselves and the work they do with a minimum of direct supervision. Members of a SDWT typically handle job assignments, plan and schedule work, make production and/or service-related decisions and act on problems. Self-Managed Teams A self-managed team is a group of employees that's responsible and accountable for all or most aspects of producing a product or delivering a service. Traditional organizational structures assign tasks to employees depending on their specialist skills or the functional department within which they work. A self-managed team carries out supporting tasks, such as planning and scheduling the workflow and managing annual leave and absence, in addition to technical tasks. FIVE STAGES OF SUCCESSFUL SELF MANAGED TEAMS Stage 1: The typical hierarchical structure where the leader provides one-on-one supervision Stage 2: The leader evolves into a group manager whose role is making the transition into team coordinator/coach Stage 3: The group manager becomes the team coordinator and provides a structure for selfmanaged team members to receive the necessary training to take on more leadership tasks; Stage 4: The team assumes most of the duties previously reserved for the group manager, who now becomes a boundary interface; and Stage 5: The group manager (i.e., the team coordinator) is a resource for the team. Benefits Self-managed teams have greater ownership of the tasks they perform and the end product or service they deliver. Self-managed teams tend to be loss costly and more productive than employees working within a traditional hierarchical structure because the team performs both technical and management tasks. Team members may also fill in for each other to cover holidays and absences. Decisions made by self-managed teams are more effective because they're made by the people who know most about the job. Disadvantages

Although a cohesive self-managed team may create a sense of trust and respect between team members, overly cohesive teams can lead to "groupthink": Team members are more likely to conform with team norms than raise issues that may upset other team members. This may lead to reduced effort or stifled innovation. Teams may struggle to make the transition from supervisorled management to self-management, either due to lack of interpersonal skills or poor implementation of the self-managed team concept within the organization. Leading a Self-Managed Team Although self-managed teams are autonomous in terms of how they manage and carry out their work, they still require guidance from leaders within the organizational hierarchy. External leaders provide the link between the wider organization and the self-managed team, empowering the team. and advocating on its behalf. External leaders may struggle to find the appropriate balance in their leadership style: Their own managers may expect them to be more hands-on, while the team may resist perceived interference. Difference between Self-Managed & Cross-Functional Teams No matter what type of team you are on, communication is important. Workplace teams are often classified or divided by objective. Both self-managed and crossfunctional teams are commonly found in an organization. Other types of teams include problemsolving teams, virtual teams and functional teams. Each type of team has its differences and similarities, and no matter what type of team is formed, all types of teams share common benefits, such as increased knowledge and skills, synergy and commitment. Self-managed and cross-functional teams have differences evident in the way they work. Member Selection One difference between a self-managed and a cross-functional team is the way the team members are selected. A fully self-managed team selects its own members. The members then evaluate each others performances. Members of cross-functional teams are selected according to the goal at hand. These team members are at about the same hierarchical level but from different departments of the organization, such as marketing, sales or engineering. Leadership

Leadership roles also vary between self-managed and cross-functional teams. Cross-functional teams often require hands-on management techniques, while self-managed teams need little to no management. Self-managed teams operate without managers and are responsible for determining work assignments, organizing breaks and collectively controlling the overall pace of work. A leader in a cross-functional team is more of a coach; she is in charge of keeping a clear vision and focus within the team and making sure the team's efforts are in line with those of the organization. Conflict Levels of conflict also vary between self-managed and cross-functional teams. Cross-functional teams enable stakeholders to have an input in the development process, increasing the conflict level within the team. All the members of a cross-functional team come from different work backgrounds and inherently have different perspectives when issues arise. A self-managed team will also run into issues, much like any other team type. However, the members are more likely to share the same perspectives, minimizing conflict when an issue arises. Similarities Self-managed and cross-functional teams also have some similarities. Both teams are designed to give the members responsibility of the direction of any project assigned to them. Crossfunctional teams are often empowered to make decisions without the need of approval from management. Self-managed teams are designed to give team members a feeling of ownership over a whole job, which empowers them with authority and pride in their work and minimizes interferences and second-guessing by others. Proper training is equally important for both types of teams. All members of a team need to understand their role and position, which can only be successfully accomplished through proper training. Examples of Self-Management Teams A self-management team is a group of workers assigned to perform a specific job for a company. Instead of loosely connected workers performing separate tasks, a self-management team performs a defined set of interrelated tasks and has the autonomy to make most critical decisions about the work. Companies use self-management teams to improve productivity, quality and cost-management. Examples of self-management teams are found in many work groups and collaborative teams

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Self-managed work teams are popular in today's business environment; they have been referred to as the productivity breakthrough of the 1990s. Many organizations, such as Ford, General Motors, Proctor & Gamble, Federal Express, Levi Strauss, and Whirlpool, have implemented self-managed teams. Other firms are planning to use such teams in the near future. Part of the popularity of such teams is based on reports from organizations that suggest that selfmanaged teams can increase performance, improve the quality of products, and increase levels of innovation. At the same time, researchers have also become interested in self-managed teams because of the inferred connection between self-management and organizational competitiveness. Thus the researcher is keen in analyzing the self-managed team.

1.3 COMPANY PROFILE

1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study focuses on knowing the perception of the employees towards the self managed teams that already exists in the organization. The study was conducted to analyze the existing self managed teams in the organization.

1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY