Self-managed work teams and manufacturing strategies: Cultural influences in the search for team effectiveness and competitive advantage

This article examines the relationship between manufacturing strategy and s elf-managed work teams. The implementation of team working and lean product ion as a strategy designed to improve competitive advantage is juxtaposed w ith the cultural influences utilizing Hofstede's (1980) model of cultural d imensions. Case study material illustrates the contrasting positions posed by the different cultural and philosophical bases of lean production and se lf-managed work teams. The resulting disequilibrium may explain why the imp lementation of teams ire Western environments has proved less successful th an anticipated in the manufacturing context. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, In c.