Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Richard Schuttler

Abstract

AbstractThe potential high performance of self-managed teams can only materialize with implementing such teams properly and differently from traditional manager-led teams. This qualitative descriptive multiple case study presents biomimicking as a unique and untapped resource to achieve that potential by applying a biomimicking lens to help understand successful decision-making patterns for self-managed teams. The study population included team members of self-managed teams working in information technology companies in Toronto, Ontario, as the technology hub of Canada with a tendency to apply the latest approaches for teamwork performance and output. The conceptual framework of the study included teamwork, self-management, social choice, and social learning. Interviews conducted with members of 3 self-managed teams in the same company were the main source of data, manually coded, and analyzed to present how team members described their experience working in self-managed teams. The emerging themes of communications, core process, decisions, and experience were reviewed in conjunction with behaviors observed in social beings and intelligent swarms. The findings of the study demonstrated more success in achieving organizational goals with biomimicking behaviors. The results of the study can lead to the adoption of self-managed teams by more organizations. Improved chances of success of self-managed teams using biomimicking behaviors may result in higher organizational outputs and higher employee satisfaction and lead to positive social change by optimizing limited resources and promoting better work/life balance.

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