Way to improve work organization: Group Work

A very flexible way of improving work organization and job content, with many advantages for both management and workers, is group work. Most people like to work together and co-operate. Moreover, in co-operative work, the weakness of one worker can be compensated by the strengths of another. Similar adjustments can be done for differing preferences, temporary problems including absences, etc.

There are various ways of organizing effective group work. Many of the traditional types of work take into account the advantages of group work. A typical new form of work is a semi-autonomous work group which can be decide, to a considerable extent, work methods, scheduling, work assignment and problem solving. Another new form is to have group work of workers whose skills overlap with those of some others.

To facilitate the improvements in work organization, early planning with the participation of all parties is essential. These improvements are directed not only at improving working conditions but also more efficient work. They make the work operation more flexible and adaptive to production procedures and change-overs. For workers, improvements such as reduction in occupational stress, greater opportunities for co-operation, better use of skills and improved career prospect are combined with the benefits of a more productive enterprise. Many modern management techniques, such as quality circles or management by objective, make use of participative planning.