Murakami, Thomas, Ph.D. (1995) Teamwork and the structure of representation at Vauxhall Ltd. (UK) and Adam Opel AG (Germany). PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

Teamwork, participation and the structure of representation are the core issues of this
thesis. The aim is to show how an industrial relations (IR) system shapes the introduction
of teamwork and defines the introduction of teamleaders and teamspeakers, and how these
teamleaders/teamspeakers affect the structure of representation. To evaluate this,
organisational behaviour theories of teamwork, leadership styles and industrial relations
models (unitarism, pluralism, adversarialism) are applied. Since the introduction of
teamwork into an existing manufacturing plant represents a transition from a workersupervisor
system to a team-based system, a theory of democracy and collective bargaining
is used to evaluate the outcome of such a transition. In contrast to a worker-supervisor
system on the shopfloor, teamwork involves either a management-appointed teamleader or
an elected teamspeaker. Both cases have certain consequences for the structure of
representation on the shopfloor.
This research was designed to answer the question: To what extent and in what ways does
the institutional context affect the transition from a traditional system of representation to
teamwork and how does this affect the structure of representation? Two detailed case
studies have been conducted in the motor-car industry, using surveys and interviews. One
of the case studies was carried out at Vauxhall's Luton (UK) plant, the other at Adam Opel
AG in Germany. Both plants are subsidiaries of General Motors which introduced teamwork
as part of their Quality Network Production System in the early 1990s, modelled on MIT's
lean production. In one plant (Vauxhall) there was an adversarial IR system, resulting in an
appointment model: in the other there was a pluralist IR system which led to an election
model. The effects of an elected teamspeaker or an appointed teamleader on the structure
of representation have been examined.
The thesis argues that an existing IR system shapes the introduction of appointed
teamleaders or elected teamspeakers. The findings of the case studies and the survey
results indicate that appointed teamleaders tend to adopt an authoritarian leadership style
and are not seen as representatives by team-members (Vauxhall). In other words, the
outcome of a transition taking place in an adversarial IR system is adversarial;
management, teamleaders and team-members still view each other as us and them. In
contrast to this, a pluralist IR system tends to favour the election of teamspeakers, who are
seen as representatives. Consequently, the structure of representation in a pluralist IR
context supports pluralism as an outcome and strengthens its capacity for problem-solving;
while the structure of representation in the adversarial IR case increases the adversarial
nature of the system and further weakens its capability for problem-solving.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Teams in the workplace, Industrial relations, Organizational behavior, Automobile industry and trade -- Great Britain -- Case studies, Automobile industry and trade -- Germany -- Case studies, Vauxhall Motors Limited, Opel AG
Official Date:	December 1995
Dates:	Date Event December 1995 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Warwick Business School
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Hyman, Richard ; Scarbrough, Harry, 1955-
Sponsors:	Hans-Böckler-Stiftung
Extent:	xii, 319 leaves
Language:	eng

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