It seems virtually impossible to pick up a current edition of a business publication without finding an article about self-directed work teams (SDWTs). SDWTs, also called semi-autonomous work groups or self-managing teams, have been implemented in an increasing number of companies with varying degrees of success. Such companies include Chevron Chemical, Coca-Cola, Federal Express, General Electric, General Motors' Saturn Division, Motorola, Procter & Gamble, and Xerox. The idea appears to be catching on outside the United States as well, with such Canadian companies as Babcock & Wilcox, Boart Longyear, Campbell Soups, Dofasco Steel, Honeywell, Northern Telecom, and Steelcase Equipment reporting various stages of implementation.
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