Power and passion: remoulded teamwork in a plastics factory

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to document the progress made in a specified period and the experience of managers and staff in sustaining the high performance team approach in a plastics factory.Design/methodology/approachSingle‐case analysis was conducted on data collected through semi‐structured interviews and site observations made with two managers and one team of six in a multinational plastics manufacturer (Visy) headquartered in Australia.FindingsBased on the authors' experiences and literature review a successful high performance team requires clear targets and efficiency standards, communication, rules of behaviour, continual input of facts and feedback, and last but not least – recognition of successes.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are based on observations and interviews conducted in one part of a multinational organization in Australia. No follow‐up interviews could be undertaken to track the progress.Originality/valueNo other similar study had been undertaken in this organisation documenting the experiences of a quality improvement team and its interactions with managers. The findings have practical implications for industrial and other kinds of organisations engaged in implementing quality improvements through enhanced teamwork.