Self-managing Teams in a Public Library: Learning Arrangements at Work

This study is an examination of a work innovation, self-managing teams and how such teams learn to operate in a newly established organization. The successful functioning of self-managing teams requires learning by both team members and managers to act differently than in organizations with more hierarchical structures. The existing research has identified several critical elements that can enhance learning in teams, such as managerial and team communication, participation in decision-making and psychological safety. However, more understanding is needed on the details of how such arrangements can facilitate learning in general and in self-managing teams at work in particular. This study is based on empirical research on the working and learning by self-managing teams in a public organization, the Helsinki City Library, and it focuses particularly on teams in its flagship library, Oodi, the Helsinki Central Library. Three important learning arrangements that facilitate working and learning by self-managing teams in everyday organizational life at the Oodi Library have been identified in this study. These consist of appreciative communication, inclusive decision-making, and mentoring. The chapter contributes to the anthology by suggesting that work innovations such as self-managing teams require learning arrangements that enable and lend support to their implementation and functioning. Essential in the application of work innovations like self-managing teams is the development of a series of changes in organizational and social practices that prepare for and support self-managing teams in their daily activities at work. This is important since learning is a social activity and strongly underpins everyday activities, as emphasized by classic understandings of learning. The study presents examples of the ways appreciative communication, inclusive decision-making and mentoring facilitate learning and working of self-managing teams.