Workplace Experiences with Teamwork in Higher Education: A Generic Qualitative Study

Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology focuses on organizations and employees in the workplace in many different aspects including how interactions between co-workers exist, occur, and are formed. This qualitative research study explored faculty interactions between co-workers focusing on teamwork in higher education. The research question "how do faculty in higher education experience teamwork in the workplace" provides insight into perceptions and experiences related to the value of teamwork, how teamwork is initiated, and how teamwork differs depending on the co-worker's job status. The research methodology used was generic qualitative analysis, allowing for structure and flexibility in the research design. The population of interest included eight full-time faculty members from several large public four-year universities or colleges. In addition, the full-time faculty members were employed by the universities or colleges for a minimum of three years to increase co-worker interactions and knowledge of university/college culture. The data analysis method used is a deductive thematic analysis to examine data. The research findings yielded the following answers for Q1: faculty experience teamwork when they participate in department assignments and improvements, college committees and projects, and personal collaboration, Q2: faculty feel teamwork is valuable when they work with others with a common goal, are working toward change, and can provide representation for their department or division, for Q3: faculty feel teamwork is initiated through position-specific goals and skills, proximity and relationships, and position requirements and for Q4: faculty feel teamwork differs between faculty based on their hierarchical status and time commitment. The research findings also yield the following theme which was that teamwork in higher education is important, necessary, and valuable where the skills and abilities to successfully engage in teamwork was lacking on multiple levels from motivation to ability. This information provides new information for both I-O psychology and higher education to better understand full-time faculty interactions in terms of teamwork between co-workers in the workplace. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]