JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL BEHAVIOUR, Vol. 2, 31-49 (1981) zy A longitudinal field study of group work redesign TOBY D. WALL University zyxwvu of Shefield and CHRIS. W. CLEGG University zyxwv of Shefield SUMMARY The paper describes an action research project on group work redesign which involved blue-collar employees in a confectionery company. zyxw A theoretical framework, derived from previous research on semi-autonomous work groups and the Job Characteristics Model modified to apply to group working (Hackman, 1977), was used as a guide to diagnosis, redesign and evaluation. The findings, based on a short term evaluation after six months and a longer term evaluation after eighteen months, reveal that substantial increases in group autonomy and group work identity were achieved, and were followed, as predicted, by increased work motivation, performance, job satisfaction and mental health, as well as reduced labour turnover. Of particular interest to subsequent theoretical development is the sensitivity of mental health as an outcome variable, and the existence of differential rates of change in the dependent variables. INTRODUCTION This paper describes an action research project on group work redesign. The project spanned thirty-three months, during which time a new form of work organization was implemented and monitored, and it focuses particularly on the changes over time in job attitudes, mental health and performance. The adoption of an action research approach requires comment. This may be defined as that which ‘aims to contribute zyxwvu both to the practical concerns of people in an immediate problematic situation and to the goals of social science, by joint collaboration within a mutually acceptable ethical framework’ (see Rapoport, 1970-cited in Clark, 1972, p. 23). The several objectives, relationships and theoretical issues which this approach entailed in this instance, are described briefly below, and provide an introduction to the study. Organizational objectives Within the organization the principal shared objective was to ameliorate a problem in one particular department in the firm, which shopfloor and management alike characterized in terms of ‘low morale’, ‘poor shopfloor/management relations’, ‘poor work attitudes’, ‘low work motivation’ 01 42-2774/81/01003 1- 19$01 .OO zyxwvut 0 1981 by John Wiley zyxwvu & Sons. Ltd. Rewivod 29 Ftlbruary I980 Revised 24 April zy 1980