High road and low road teamworking: Perceptions of management rationales and organizational and human resource outcomes

In this article, we explore the relationship between two different types of teamworking, perceptions of management rationales for introducing teamwork ing and organizational and human resource outcomes. Teamworking is classifi ed into two different types: 'high road' and 'low road' teamworking. Manage ment rationales for introducing teamworking are categorized as economic, so cial and cultural. Organizational performance is assessed by perceptions of plant competitiveness, customer care and product quality. We measure human resource outcomes through worker responses, training and promotion, commun ication and consultation, role of trade union and health and safely. The fi ndings indicate that 'high road' teamworking is associated with broader man agement rationales, and is perceived to have a greater positive impact upon both organizational performance and human resource outcomes. Particular fe atures of high road teams - delayered management flexible job descriptions, fewer pay bands and grades - were associated with positive outcomes.