“We are at day one of a new life”: translation of a management concept from headquarter to a production team

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how implementation of a management concept is interpreted by a team within a multinational company. The headquarter “rolls out” a standardized version of teamwork within a lean production system. The authors want to investigate what happens.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a case study approach in a single company with available data over a long period of time.

Findings

Instead of being a vehicle for involvement and responsibility through the increased visibility, the tools and techniques become a perceived control mechanism because of a lack of connection between norms and values and tools. Despite the initiating enthusiasm of manager stating that “we are now at day one of a new life”, the system is perceived as yet another management concept, and the tools implemented did not represent any meaningful improvement.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is based on a single company, describing a particular phenomenon.

Practical implications

The paper highlights the importance of involvement when new concepts are transferred into a new social context.

Originality/value

The in-depth study of a team within a multinational corporation implementing a management concept is unusual. The main theoretical contribution is to combine conceptualization of both social context and management principles.

Citation

Rolfsen, M., Skaufel Kilskar, S. and Valle, N. (2014), "“We are at day one of a new life”: translation of a management concept from headquarter to a production team", Team Performance Management, Vol. 20 No. 7/8, pp. 343-356. https://doi.org/10.1108/TPM-03-2014-0023