A comparative analysis of the Department of Defense integrated product team structure to Likert's system four organization

As the global economy continues to advance, organizations are making radical changes to their traditional practices of management and hierarchical structure. The demographics of the workplace are evolving, and this evolution is causing government and industry to compete for well-educated, highly skilled knowledge workers. Many organizations are adopting team-based structures to not only meet the higher motivation needs of these workers, but also improve productivity, cost and quality. An example of this transformation is the Department of Defense (DoD) adoption of integrated product teams (IPTs). This dissertation examines the migration to the team-based structure and the possible correlation between the DoD IPT and Rensis Likert's System 4 organization.; Two surveys were used to develop rankings for sets of IPTs operating within ten project offices at the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. The first survey was used to rank a set of IPTs based on the project manager's perceptions. The second survey consisted of Likert's Profile of Team Characteristics and Profile of Team Leader Behavior questionnaires and was used to rank the same IPTs based on the members' perceptions. The results of the surveys revealed that those teams ranked higher by the project managers were performing closer to the System 4 characteristics set forth by Likert. The findings also revealed that team leaders who perform closer to Likert's profile of a System 4 manager are more likely to be leading a team that is closer to the System 4 model.; This dissertation contributed to Likert's System 4 body of research by showing its applicability in a high technology, military environment. This research effort also provides documented evidence of the theoretical validity of the IPT approach.; Additional findings from this research effort included the perceived importance of communication to the overall effectiveness of the IPT. Furthermore, data suggested that peer leadership within the IPT is viewed positively and may be having beneficial impacts on the teams.; Recommendations from this research include the incorporation of Likert's System 4 theories in IPT guidance. Recommendations for the project manager relate to the importance of team leader selection, adequate communication systems, teamwork as a motivator, and appropriate levels of empowerment for decision-making, goal setting and control processes. It was also recommended that the DoD adopt the Profile of Team Characteristics questionnaire for periodic remeasurement of team attributes.