Commitment at Work and Independence From Management

Abstract

This article examines a case of advanced teamwork in a Canadian aluminum smelter. It demonstrates a pattern of high commitment at work and acceptance of change combined with a robust independence of workers from management. Control is no longer exerted at the level of work execution but is moved a step higher in the conception and monitoring of production, thus opening the way for workers' self-regulation. The explanation for this pattern lies in workers' tradition of group solidarity, which was expressed through a strong role for the trade union. Comparison with other cases underlies the centrality of worker collective organization if teamwork is to meet workers' as well as managers' expectations.