Interdisciplinary research is often problem-based, arising to serve needs that cannot be fulfilled without crossing domain boundaries. Interdisciplinary researchers face a number of
issues such as poor communication, methodological differences, and sources of funding. As any academic team comes together it has to organize, develop work processes, and create deliverables.
Teams that form for a relatively short time to accomplish a specific goal (e.g., for the duration of a grant) have the added pressure of a deadline. Interdisciplinary time-limited teams must
do all this while communicating and negotiating across disciplinary boundaries, most likely with different disciplinary norms and vocabularies. This study fills a gap at the junction of
studies of teamwork processes and academic interdisciplinarity and contributes to theoretical knowledge of the process of academic interdisciplinary teamwork. This study explores an
intrinsically transient interdisciplinary research team's process of collaboration across domain boundaries to design an educational technology intervention. It combines grounded theory
method and social network analysis, using purposive samples of 4260 team e-mails and eight intensive interviews with key informants. The study takes a social approach to research, using
Strauss's social worlds perspective, Kazmer's intrinsically transient social worlds model, and Star's boundary object theory as sensitizing concepts to explore the boundaries of the social
worlds of the team and how they segmented and changed over time, the roles of the team members, challenges that emerged and strategies developed to address them, and how the team members
bridged the social worlds of the team. The importance of iterative design emerged as a strong concept from the findings and this concept extended to the workings of the team as well. A model
of interdisciplinary team technology development in a time-limited setting is proffered that includes inputs (activities, the project goals, and roles and responsibilities as originally
understood by the team), outputs (the system, publications, project reports, and applications for new grants), intervening elements (rules, policies, and procedures and technology issues),
and strategies to keep progress moving (multiple deadlines, entrepreneurialism, and a flexible role structure). Future research should be used to validate, refine, and expand the theory; to
refine the research design and the instrumentation; and to further explore theoretical implications. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2014. / October 22, 2014. / grounded theory, interdisciplinary teamwork, iterative design, situational analysis, social network analysis, social worlds / Includes bibliographical references. / Paul F. Marty, Professor Directing Dissertation; Pat Villeneuve, University Representative; Michelle M. Kazmer, Committee Member; Besiki Stvilia,
Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_252794 |
| Contributors | Alemanne, Nicole Dolores (authoraut), Marty, Paul F. (professor directing dissertation), Villeneuve, Pat, 1955- (university representative), Kazmer, Michelle M. (committee member), Stvilia, Besiki (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Communication and Information (degree granting college), School of Library and Information Studies (degree granting department) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource (197 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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