Towards a Conceptual Framework for Specifying Manufacturing Workgroups Congruent with Technological Change

Using a congruency orientation, conditions most congruent for establishing successful manufacturing workgroups are proposed. In addition, a typology of workgroups varying in levels of task differentiation and autonomy is proposed. Finally, factors determining when each type of workgroup is most likely to succeed are proposed. Case examples using these propositions illustrate the utility of the framework for managerial decision-making when new technology is introduced