MIT Sloan Management Review Article on There Actually Is an ‘I' in Team

Imagine running a factory that assembles electronic devices. Your operators work in highly interdependent teams on the assembly lines, and they’re dealing with a fundamental technological change that you recently implemented. Robotic arms and automated machines were put in place to streamline the assembly process, replacing several tasks previously performed by hand.

Now, the robotic arms handle repetitive and precision movements, such as screwing components together and applying adhesives. This change relieves your operators of mundane work and lets them focus on more complex aspects of the assembly process, such as quality control, troubleshooting, and process optimization. However, they must adjust to the new work environment: They need to individually learn how to operate and maintain the automated systems while also learning how to coordinate differently as a group.

About the Author

Elad N. Sherf is an associate professor of organizational behavior and the Sarah Graham Kenan Scholar at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Subra Tangirala is the Dean’s Professor of Management at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. Alex Ning Li is an assistant professor at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas.

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