Work team performance over time: three case studies of South African manufacturers

Abstract In this paper, we report on three case studies of South African manufacturing firms that made significant efforts to implement shopfloor improvement teams. Following Meredith’s [J. Operat. Manage. 16 (1998) 441] suggestion to use case studies as a basis for theory formulation, insights from the cases were used to extend existing theory by generating hypotheses pertaining to the timing and sustainability of performance gains following the implementation of performance improvement teams, focusing, in particular on ongoing performance improvement teams. Because of the richness of the case study data, we delve deeper than other studies into the actions of teams and management to better understand how and why successful performance improvement teams evolve as they do. Stated in temporal order, our main hypotheses are: work team engagement is positively associated with early implementation credibility‐building activities; both outcome‐orientation and substantive participation are positively associated with a rapid rate of performance gains; and team institutionalization is positively associated with sustaining performance gains. The findings of the case studies and the associated hypotheses are summarized in a time‐phased framework for work team implementation. Limitations and directions for further research are discussed.