Ability to Cope with the Challenges of Teamwork in Managing Change in Selected Manufacturing Organizations in South Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

This study on ability to cope with the challenges of teamwork in managing change in selected manufacturing organization in South Eastern Nigeria focuses on establishing the extent to which management of organizational change is hindered by inability to cope with the challenges of teamwork approach to change management. The study adopted the survey research design, using ten (10) manufacturing organizations in the South-Eastern Nigeria. The population was 13,623 and the sample size was 598 using stratified sampling method. A questionnaire and oral interview were the research instruments used for the study.  Data collected were presented descriptively using tables and means, and hypotheses were tested using Z-test statistic. The findings were that management of organizational change is severely hindered by inability to cope with the challenges of teamwork in Nigerian manufacturing organizations (Z_cal = 4.55 > Z_critical = 1.96, p < 0.05). In conclusion, the implementation of teamwork in manufacturing organizations has a lot of challenges it faces from the results of this analysis. It is not a smooth sail for its utilization, but with effective communication, employee involvement, and staff training and development, these challenges can be mitigated thereby ensuring successful utilization of teamwork in managing change in manufacturing organization in south Eastern Nigeria. Based on the results and conclusions the study recommended among others that; people affected by change should be incorporated into the change programme; this involves the change agents empowering their subordinates to action by removing obstacles, enabling constructive feedback and rewarding and recognizing progress and achievements, that team leaders should be able to protect their team members through using proper means of communication to enlighten them about the changes in the organization, encourage them to think critically and ask questions as a part of the process and that members with requisite skill should be selected as members of the team; this will reduce the incidence of social loafing.

Keywords: Challenges of Teamwork, change management, manufacturing organizations.