Employee cooperation increases productivity

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), April, 1995

Putting employees in work groups not only may increase productivity, job satisfaction, and quality of work, it saves money for companies by eliminating middle-management positions. According to Michael A. Campion, professor of management in Purdue University's Krannert Graduate School of Management, work groups are one of the current trends in business organizations.

"Virtually every large corporation in almost every type of industry is experimenting with work groups. A good deal of the frenzy is related to keeping up with the Joneses,' but it all boils down to the idea that employees might work better and get more done in groups than they would as individuals. Companies are finding that many factors within groups may positively affect satisfaction and productivity and save them money as well."

Job design plays a major role in the way workers respond in a group setting. "Groups may be given the freedom to manage themselves. Decisions are made on a consensus basis, and there is a higher level of participation from all employees. This creates a sense of responsibility and ownership of the work."

Task variety, significance, and completeness also are important, Campion indicates. "Just letting groups manage themselves and giving employees a say in group decisions doesn't guarantee a group will be effective. . . . The task or tasks the group performs must be worthwhile. Each member of the group should be given a variety of tasks, and those tasks should be important to the group and the customer. When members do many jobs, the whole group becomes more flexible. Employees can fill in as needed when someone is sick or on vacation.

"Group members become dependent on each other. They set goals together and get rewards together. What one employee does affects the entire group, so there is an increased focus on pulling together and making sure everyone does a good job."

Even though groups may manage themselves, they need support from upper management. That includes adequate training and an avenue for communication and cooperation among groups across the organization. "These groups can't be free-wheeling entities off doing their own thing. The right hand needs to know what the left is doing, and they have to be willing to work together to reach goals set by the organization. Upper-level management has to provide leadership and control for groups to function as they should."

Happier and more productive employees and a lower payroll aren't the only benefits of work groups, Campion points out. "Satisfied employees may not only work better and produce a higher quality product, they also may be more effective in dealing with consumers. That translates into a happier customer."