Similarities and differences in motivation in cross-disciplinary biomedical, policy, and education health science teams: a mixed methods comparative case study using the MATRICx
ISSN: 1352-7592
Article publication date: 20 January 2023
Issue publication date: 9 February 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate individual motivations for participating in collaborative health knowledge producing teams (KPTs), as well as satisfaction gained by participation in science teams. The authors focus on understanding motivators across team types, levels of engagement and alignment within and across teams and need satisfaction in a total of six science teams. Areas of strong congruence and divergence of motivating factors can be aligned across (i) learning and professional growth satisfaction, (ii) respect, collegiality and enjoyment satisfaction and (iii) accomplishment and discovery satisfaction. Levels of satisfaction are hierarchically mapped showing their relation to more external and communal foci to motivations that seek satisfaction of individual needs.
Design/methodology/approach
This mixed method comparative study uses data from the motivation assessment for team readiness integration and collaboration (MATRICx) tool and themes generated from semi-structured interviews. This methodology provided a means to compare a hierarchy of motivations against levels of collaborative engagement, as well as individual needs satisfaction and ultimately the identification of higher and lower-level motivations related to self and external foci.
Findings
The findings indicate that there are both similarities and differences in motivations in different health science teams when one compares biomedical, education and policy teams. A comparison of MATRICx data from across team types and teams suggests areas of strong congruence as well as areas of divergence in motivation factors.
Originality/value
The paper and its findings use a novel tool along with qualitative research techniques to identify motivation in KPTs and uses these data to understand what type of needs satisfaction are important across three areas of health science teaming. Our research informs team leaders, facilitators and consultants about the important motivations team members have entering teams and has the potential to provide a blueprint to ensure peak performance as individual team members seek to address their ever-growing professional needs.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was partially funded through the Emerging Scholars Grant awarded by the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (GWSMHS), Washington, DC; The Cross-Disciplinary Research Fund Grant. Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR). George Washington University, Washington, DC. MATRICx data was managed through the RedCap system which is part of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN) in partnership with The George Washington University. The authors would also like to acknowledge Bryant Hatch, MA, CCC-SLP, Roxbury Public Schools, Succasunna, NJ for interrater assistance with the qualitative data and Leah Sims, George Washington University Libraries and Academic Innovation Instructional Core, for contributions to graphic design.
Citation
Lotrecchiano, G.R., Balog, E., Brundage, S., Deyo, P., Conlon, L., Bugin, K., Sheffey, L., Cook, E. and Gentry, M. (2023), "Similarities and differences in motivation in cross-disciplinary biomedical, policy, and education health science teams: a mixed methods comparative case study using the MATRIC
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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