Today’s organizations are experiencing dramatically increased pressures for performance.  They are being required to develop and deliver products and services at lower costs but with higher quality and increased speed.  To meet this requirement, organizations must become good learning systems; they have to introduce improvements in their products and services, in the processes they use to deliver value to the customer, and in the ways they organize to carry out these processes.  Organizations have to formulate organizing strategies for dealing with these performance pressures.  In order to respond to these performance pressures, organizations are increasing their use of teams to survive in the competitive environment.

This research project outlines one organization’s approach to respond to the their competitive environment through the implementation of Self-Directed Work Teams.  Marconi Communications is a manufacturing facility located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  This facility employed 225 employees, which included a mix of professionals, skilled labor, and assembly personnel. 

Erica Roberts, UW-Stout graduate student and author, was the Training Manager for Marconi Communications and lead during this implementation.  This research project outlines the implementation plan and training material created for Marconi Communications.  To contact Erica Roberts regarding this implementation please send correspondence to:

Erica Roberts

W180 N8620 Town Hall Road

Menomonee Falls, WI 53051