Searching for the “Unleader”: Organizational Member Views on Leading Self-Managed Groups

Abstract

The increasing adoption of the self-managed work group approach in organizations has created apuzzling paradox for leadership practice: How does one lead those that are supposed to lead themselves? Employee views at several organizational levels within a production plant that uses a self-managed work system are presented. The data were obtained from direct observation combined with another rather unique methodological approach (a variation of the nominal group technique; see Delbecq, Van de Ven, & Gustafson, 1975). This method of collection enabled each employee participating in the research to identify the specific behaviors he/she felt were important. Furthermore, employees rated, according to importance, a combined list of behaviors identified by a number of participating employees. Implications and conclusions are offered concerning the unique type of leader required in this new type of work system-the “unleader.”

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