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In viewing a system as a network of inter-dependent components
that work together,Deming emphasizes that a system must havean aim.
In fact, "Without an aim, there is no sys-tem." Further, the system
must be managed.Consequently, an organization reaches opti-mum
performance by orchestrating the efforts ofall components toward
achieving the stated aim.In this case, cooperation within an
organizationmust replace the prevailing use of competition.
While life will always vary, the reduction ofvariation plays an
important role in the quest forquality. Obviously (beyond certain
minor limits),interchangeable parts should not vary in orderto fit
and work properly. In the same way, in theservice sector, the
emptying of an express mail-box must not vary from the posted
schedule. Anearly pick-up, tor example, would miss the par-cel that
is deposited on time. Indeed, in all sec-tors of the economy, an
unfavorable variationfrom the customer's expectations is
consideredpoor quality.Deming's section on the theory of knowl-edge
helps us to understand why "managementin any form is prediction,"
In addition, he states
that "rational prediction requires theory andbuilds knowledge
through systematic revisionand extension of theory." Then, in
comparing in-formation w ith knowledge, Deming emphasizesthat
information is not knowledge. Further,"knowledge comes from theory.
Without theory,there is no way to use the information thatcomes to
us on the instant."His discussion on psychology focuses
onindividuals, society, and change. The sectionsdealing with
motivation will be of interest tomany readers, especially leaders
and behav-
ioral scientists. The commentary on intrinsic andextrinsic
motivation goes beyond the conven-tional human resource management
rhetoricand furnishes some challenging thoughts.This book is one of
the truly outstandingpublications on quality. Indeed, it is a
classic inthe field. Also, it complements his earlier bookOut of
the Crisis. Those who are interested inquality management should
read both ot thesebooks, starting with The New Economics. Thetime
for the transformation is now and the routeis clearly described by
Dr. W. Edwards Deming,Hopefully, we w ill heed his advice.
Leading Self-Directed WorkTeams: A GuideTo DevelopingNew
TeamLeadershipSkiiisKimball Fisher(New York: McGraw-Hill,1993), 263
pp.
Reviewed by Kevin B. LoweFlorida International University
The author states that "the rapid infusion ofnew technologies,
new worker expectations, andcustomer demands of the last few years
have notfit well with the restrictive job boxes, status-ladenlevels
of hierarchy, and narrowly focused func-tions of traditional
organizational thinking," Whatis needed in this "second industrial
revolution" anew organization and a fundamental change inemployer
values and employer attitudes towardthe worker.Far too often,
organizations haveunderthe guise of being results orientedfocused
oncontrolling rather than enabling the worker. Thecost of this
control is a bureaucracy that slowsinnovation, de-skills w orkers,
and reduces em-ployee motivation.Kimball Fisher offers the
self-directed workteam as one path toward achieving the
organiza-tional flexibility and responsiveness needed tocompete In
the marketplace, fvlembers of thesework-centered teams take
direction from the work
itself, rather than relying on procedure and super-vision. This
approach encourages initiative andrisk-taking, within the framework
ot an overridingmission and an overriding sense of purpose.
The book is targeted to the leader of the self-directed work
team (SDWT). Although "self-di-rected work team leader" seems to be
an oxy-moron, it is a role that is clearly needed. TheSDWT leader
procures resources, represents theteam, problem-solves, and coaches
team mem-bers. In the traditional organization, the leaderschedules
work, coordinates departmental activ-ities, and implements
improvements. Instead, theSDWT assumes these responsibilities.
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Parts one through three of the book explainwhy we need SDWTs,
and what fundamental at-titude changes are necessary for their
imple-mentation. The author then turns his attention todefining the
role of the team leader. He lays outa schedule for role adaptation
and identifiesproblems that will likely be encountered.This book
does not depict the shift from atraditional hierarchical structure
to an SDWT asa panacea . The author's experience indicates
itgenerally takes three years to reap the sub-stantial benefits
(lower costs, higher quality, in-creased productivity) of SDWTs.
Productivitymay actually decline in the early years, as theunit
devotes time to em ployee education and asmembers struggle to
define their roles. Addi-tionally, the company will need to expend
re-sources to realign information flows, focusingon getting
information to work teams rather thangathering information to
support controls.
The author cautions us that employersshould not jump on the SDWT
bandwagon with-out a realistic expectation of time and
initialcosts. Implementing an SDWT without the re-solve to stay the
course is an expensive under-taking and will sour employees on
another at-tempt to implement the SDWT. The authoracknowledges that
for some organizations therequired culture change is so severe that
itmakes a successful transformation impossible.He doesn't offer
these organizations a solution,but he notes that history is replete
w ith the car-casses of large organizations that were unableto
adapt to a changing environment.The author has considerable
experience inSDWTs, including as a member of SDWTs and asa
consultant on their implementation. As a result of
his experience, the author provides a balancedtreatment of the
subject. Fisher can state, with au-thority, that the switch to the
SDWT approach is atransformational, painful, and lengthy
processeven when implemented correctly. This experi-ence
strengthens the book's usefulness as a ref-erence for potential
team leaders. The book notonly prescribes measures for effective
team lead-ership, but also anticipates problems that a unit
islikely to encounter in each phase of transformation.Fisher's
presentation is excellent and en-gaging. He explains concepts
clearly, and illus-
trates applications with real-life examples and vi-
gnettes interspersed throughout the text, A con-cept is
introduced, often by example, and thetext that follows seems to
anticipate the reader'squestions. Simple, easy-to-read tables
summa-rize key points, often contrasting the traditionalparadigm
with the SDWT philosophy. The prac-titioner will find these useful
for understandingthe philosophy, as w ell as its application.The
book closes with a pair of evaluationtools. The first is used to
determine if you havewhat it takes to be a team leader. The
secondis a behavioral frequency test to determine theeffectiveness
of a team leader.Although reward systems are not thebook's primary
emphasis, the author remindsreaders that developing a reward
structure tosupport the SDWT concept is critical. But herethe
author fails to give the examples and pre-scriptions of effective
and ineffective actions soreadily available for other key points in
the text.Perhaps a sequel is in order.Overall, this book provides a
compelling ar-gument for considering self-directed workteams.
Organizations considering implementingan SDWT approach should buy
this book fortheir team leaders.
Editor's Note: An early account of Mr. Fish-er's experiences
with self-directed teams ap-peared in the Winter 1989 issue of
Organiza-tional Dynamics.Making QualityWork: ALeadership Guidefor
the Results-Driven iUianager
George Labovitz, Y S.Chang, and VictorRosansky, (New York:Harper
Collins,1993), 210 pp., $25.
Reviewed by T. L. BrinkCrafton Hil ls College, Yucaipa,
CaliforniaTotal quality management (TQM) is 90 percentattitude, the
authors say. Specifically it is the at-titude of listening to
customers.
In fact, this book's clear and consistent theme75
