Strategies for Building High Performance Work Teams in Public Sector Organisations in Nigeria

Abstract

The study focuses on Strategies for building High Performance Work Teams in public sector organizations. The objectives of the study are; to identify the strategies for building high performance work teams in public sector organizations, to ascertain the extent to which public sector organizations make use of team work in achieving their goals and to identify the relationship between team work and organisational performance in public sector organisations. The methodology adopted for this study was the survey research design. Primary and secondary sources of data were used. Findings reveal that the major strategies for building high performance work teams in public sector organizations are to save costs and increase commitment of the work force, work teams have always been used in public sector organizations and their exist a positive relationship between teamwork and organisational performance in public sector organisations in Nigeria. Based on the findings, the work recommends that; Human Resource managers in public sector organizations should be encouraged to undergo constant training and development programs to help them acquire innovative skills. Furthermore, team work should be encouraged in public sector organizations; this will help them to achieve their goals, because decision-making and problem-solving is better handled by teams. Also, public sector organizations are advised to create a receptive organizational environment for work groups and teams to function effectively. Hence it is widely held that organizations that adopt High Performance Work Team practices out-perform others that do not.

Keywords: Work teams, Public Sector Organizations, High Performance Work System