TEAM WORK APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE IN SELECTED MANUFACTURING ORGANIZATIONS IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study on team work approach to the management of change in selected manufacturing organisations in Nigeria: challenges, strategies and prospects focused on establishing the extent to which strategies for change management are compatible with teamwork approach to change, ascertaining the extent to which teamwork approach to change management holds good prospects for sustenance and viability in Nigerian manufacturing organizations, identifying the relationship between teamwork and organizational performance, determining the level of acceptance of organizational change among employees and finding out if the management of organizational change is hindered by the inability to cope with the challenges of teamwork approach.  The study adopted the survey research design, in which ten (10) manufacturing companies in the South-Eastern Nigeria were studied.  The population of the study was 13,623 and the sample size was calculated to be 598 using the Taro Yamanea’s formula.  The sampling selection was the stratified sampling method. A structured questionnaire and oral interview guide were the research instruments used for the study.  Data collected were presented descriptively using charts, simple frequency and percentage distribution, mean and standard deviation.  Hypotheses one and four were tested using the Chi-Square test statistic, the hypotheses two and five were tested using the Z-test statistic and the hypothesis three was tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient.  The major findings of the study were that strategies for change management are significantly compatible with teamwork approach to change management in Nigerian manufacturing organizations (X²cal = 13.78 > X²critical = 9.49, p < 0.05); teamwork approach to change management in Nigeria manufacturing organizations to a large extent holds good prospects for sustenance and viability (Zcal = 5.76 > Zcritical = 1.96, p < 0.05); there is significant positive relationship between teamwork and organizational performance in the management of manufacturing organisations (rcal = 0.89 > critical = 0.09, p < 0.05); the employees of Nigerian manufacturing organizations to a large extent accept organizational change (X2cal = 9.76 > X2critical = 9.49, p < 0.05) and management of organizational change is severely hindered by inability to cope with the challenges of teamwork approach in Nigerian manufacturing organizations (Zcal = 4.55 > Zcritical = 1.96, p < 0.05). The work concludes that teamwork approach to the management of change has the prospect of making the manufacturing organisations very effective, viable and sustainable.  Specifically, it has the benefits of improved productivity and product quality, innovativeness and manpower development. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that teamwork approach should be adopted by manufacturing organizations as an integral concept within their organizations, particularly as interventionist strategy to the management of change; an effective team should be built by applying practical skills/strategies to maximize team performance and development; and Manufacturing organizations leaders should encourage their organizations to anticipate change, to understand the nature of change and to manage change well.