An investigation of the neglected issue of innovation and teamwork in manufacturing organisations

Teams and team working within a manufacturing organisation play a critical role in the innovation process. The argument is that team members, through cooperation and collaboration, may develop new and innovative ideas and solutions that are intended to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation. However, there have been comparatively few studies that have focused on innovation at the team level. In particular, there have been few attempts to associate the different types of innovation with the different team classifications. This paper reports on a study undertaken in order to explore the relationship between the different types of innovation and the state of operation linked with the various team classifications. The study was conducted within a unit of an Australian automotive components manufacturer. The paper concludes that there is strong evidence to support the analytical framework that was developed for investigation and provides a basis for further research.