Implementing Self-Managing Teams in Organizations - A Systematic Review of Best Practices and Evolution

Sep 11, 2026

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This systematic literature review identifies best practices for implementing self-managing teams (SMTs) in organizations. Guided by the PRISMA framework, the author searches Web of Science and Scopus and analyzes results using machine learning and Leavitt’s organizational model. The review synthesizes 35 empirical studies across industries and time periods, mapping recommendations across structure, goals, participants, and technology from pre-, implementation-, and post-phases. It traces SMTs’ evolution from an “empty method” to an integrated framework aligned with agile methodologies, highlights research gaps in technology focus, and discusses limitations from qualitative reliance and potential publication bias.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time6 min

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Introduction

Phenomenon Introduction

Importance of the Topic

Scope of the Review

ISSN 1816-6075 (Print), 1818-0523 (Online) Journal of System and Management Sciences Vol. 14 (2024) No. 7, pp. 88-104 DOI:10.33168/JSMS.2024.0705 Implementing Self-Managing Teams in Organizations: A Systematic Review of Best Practices and Evolution David Simunek Department of Management, Faculty of Business Administration, Prague University of Economics and Business, Prague, Czech Republic [xsimd27@vse.cz](xsimd27@vse.cz) Abstract. This systematic literature review aims to identify best practices for implementing self-managing teams (SMTs) in organizations. Following the PRISMA framework, the author searched Web of Science and Scopus databases and analyzed the findings using a machine learning tool and Leavitt's organizational model. The review included 35 empirical studies across various industries and periods. The findings highlight vital recommendations and practices across the dimensions of structure, goals, participants, and technology, as well asthe phases of pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation. The review reveals the evolution ofSMTs from an initially "empty method" to a more complex framework that integrates with agile methodologies. The author identifies research gaps, such as the limited attention to technological factors, and provides recommendations for future research and practice. The findings can inform organizations seeking to adopt SMTs and complement existing agile frameworks. However, the review is limited by the reliance on qualitative studies and the potential for publication bias. Keywords: self-managing teams, autonomy, implementation best practices, agile methods, empowerment 1. Introduction 1.1. Phenomenon Introduction Although the phenomenon of self-managing teams (also called autonomous teams) has been with us for more than fifty years, both in research and in practice, the demand for introducing and deepening the knowledge of this managerial method continues unabated (Doblinger, 2022; Renkema et al., 2020; Trist et al., 1977) . The basic definition of self-managing or autonomous teams (SMTs) is defined in the literature as "groups of interdependent individuals that can self-regulate their behavior on relatively whole tasks" (Cohen et al., 1996, p. 644) and can also be described as a group of professionals with authority to organize their tasks, make decisions, and solve problems relatively independently within defined boundaries. It is characterized by collective responsibility, shared goals, and limited external supervision (Druskat & Wheeler, 2004; Weerheim et al., 2019) . Most studies define their own definitions, for which a common core and additional emphasis on additional characteristics can be found, as outlined in the examples in Figure 1. Fig. 1: SMT definitions and their relations. There are still visible changes in the organizational design of companies and public institutions toward more egalitarian regimes that often use the concept of self-managing teams (Carroll et al., 2020; Mohagheghi & Lassenius, 2021) . However, recently, they have been utilized mainly as part ofa broader organizational change, typically agile transformation, and no longer as an isolated implementation of SMT, as was the convention before (Carroll et al., 2020; Spreitzer et al., 1999) . The relevance of the topic is also increasing due to the events of recent years that have increased the demand for autonomous models in organizations, including the consequences of the global economic crisis in 2008, which represented a disillusionment of people's trust in central authorities and other intermediaries represented by managers (De Filippi et al., 2020) . This and other influences are increasing the call for organizational changes that shift rights, responsibilities, and power from management to rank-and-file employees in the way self-managed teams do. At the same time, they are associated with expectations of organizations to increase their ability to respond to the in

FAQs

What is the purpose of the systematic review?

The review aims to identify best practices for implementing self-managing teams (SMTs) and to explain how implementation approaches have evolved over time.

How does the author conduct the review?

The author follows the PRISMA framework, searches Web of Science and Scopus, and analyzes findings using a machine learning tool together with Leavitt’s organizational model.

What key dimensions and implementation phases are covered in the findings?

Recommendations are organized around structure, goals, participants, and technology, and across phases including pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation.

Sep 11, 2026

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