Final answer:
The answer to the student's question is 'self-managing teams,' where team members share leadership, make decisions together, and are accountable for their performance targets set by senior management. These teams exist within flat organizational structures and embody a collaborative work culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
In self-managing teams, members share or rotate leadership responsibilities and hold one another mutually responsible for a set of performance targets assigned by senior management. These teams operate with a high level of autonomy and are empowered to make decisions that would traditionally be made by managers. This contrasts with other forms of leadership and team organization, such as authoritarian leadership where communication flows from the top down, or cross-functional teams where members from different departments work together towards a common goal.
Organizations with flat structures often promote a team-based approach where senior management delegates tasks and projects to teams with diverse skills. Teams can be strategic about resolving problems, fostering creativity, or implementing tactical operations. These teams are expected to work collaboratively, often with a degree of freedom and responsibility not seen in traditional hierarchical organizations, reflecting a modern workplace that values collaboration and agility.
Team members in a self-managing team are expected to take on leadership roles as needed, share responsibility, and make decisions collaboratively, potentially leading to a more responsive and adaptable organization. Thus, self-managing teams embody an environment where leadership is shared and the performance is a collective responsibility.