Resumen

MANTILLA, Mercedes  y  GARCIA, Denys. Work in Self-Directed Teams: Personal Competences and Behaviors Needed for Success . Revista Venezolana de Gerencia [online]. 2010, vol.15, n.49, pp.51-71. ISSN 1315-9984.

The objective of this research is to explore the personal competences and abilities of self-directed team members that foster group cohesion and generate highly productive results. Methodology was of the ex post facto, correlative type, where the following personal competences were analyzed: social motivations, expectations, self-determination, attitudes toward change management and flexibility, as well as behaviors of leadership, commitment, support and monitoring-feedback. The sample consisted of 126 workers assigned to two organizational units of an electric company having the characteristics of semi-autonomous teams, who responded to the six applied scales. Results showed highly significant correlations between skills and behavior, highlighting achievement and commitment motivation, teamwork and attitude toward change, flexibility and commitment. Similarly, validity of the explanatory model indicated that the analyzed competences provide 17% of the variance in teamwork. Conclusions reinforce the relevance of such personal competences for promoting behaviors that facilitate group interaction as well as aligning members with the vision and mission of the implemented project.

Palabras clave : Self-directed teams; personal competences; team behaviors; organizations.