Download Benefits from Collaboration

Constructing Collaboration
Diane H. Sonnenwald
University of Tampere
University of North Carolina
Collaboration: A Range of Possibilities
A continuum of shared responsibilities and activities
Tightly-coupled
responsibilities
& activities
Loosely-coupled
responsibilities
& activities
Full participation; all project
components shared in some way
Division of project into discrete units
• Shared goal
• Achieving something no individual could create alone
• Takes place in a social setting
Benefits from Collaboration
“Nobody can be perfect in a single area, so if you can
match expertise from different people, then you can
multiply the potential of doing something.”
“Fresh ideas, that’s what you’ve got in collaboration…
the more and more that you work as a group, the better
[the results]”
“Defining a problem that’s of mutual interest, and the
recognition that you really can make a meaningful
contribution…and you’re interested in doing that for
your own reasons - because the problem is intrinsically
interesting. That’s when it works.”
Contested Collaboration
• Some of the reasons that motivate collaboration are the
same things that can make it challenging
• Motivation for collaboration:
- Domain knowledge & expertise
- Problem-solving approaches (cognitive style)
- Time and other resources
• Differences may cause individuals to challenge one
another’s contributions
• Such challenges may strengthen and/or weaken
the collaboration
• Worst case scenario: collaborators maintain an outward
stance of cooperation while behind the scenes to
sabotage the work
“Well, partner, we’re either going to be the greatest team
ever to hit town or
we’re going to end up killing each other.”
Examples of Interpersonal Factors
• Communication & information sharing skills
- Common ground building
- Situational awareness
• Work skills, e.g.,
- Commitment & accountability
- Work management skills, including coordination
- Domain knowledge
• Trust & mutual respect
• Expectations & goals
• Personal philosophy
Internal motivation
Interpersonal relationship
Examples of Organizational Factors
• Economic conditions
• Organizational goals
• Reward systems
• Legal & proprietary policies
• Personnel changes
• Navigation of organizational practices & systems
• Selection criteria & process for potential projects
• Information & communications technology infrastructure
Examples of Socio-Political Factors
• Policies that reward individual achievements
- E.g., national awards given to individuals
• Policies that require and/or reward collaboration
- E.g., EU Framework Research Program
• Cultural differences & similarities
- National & regional differences
- Values, attitudes and behaviors
- Time, space, humanity & nature
- Social practices
“We’re a great team, Sue – you with your small and
large motor skills, me with my spatial awareness and
hand-eye coordination.”
Acknowledgements
Material is based on work
funded by the NIH National Center for Research Resources,
NCRR 5-P41-RR02170, and
the STC Program of the National Science Foundation
under Agreement No. CHE-9876674