ABSTRACT
This chapter explores a longitudinal study of the management of multi-skilled self-regulating teams within a greenfield minerals processing plant. It focuses on a combined skills development and work design initiative, which was intended to promote internal labour market flexibility while also promoting employees’ quality of working life. The chapter describes why the programme was only partially implemented, and the consequences this had for the quality of working life outcomes. A comparison between the plan for the development of self-regulation and the actual level of responsibility afforded teams led to the inescapable conclusion that only partial implementation of this component of the team concept had occurred. The restrictions imposed on implementation of the original organization design appeared to have a negative effect on some employees’ job perceptions and attitudes. The chapter examines the role of managerial choice in determining work and organization design outcomes.
