Doctoral Dissertation Research: Research Obstacles and Problem Solving in Scientific R&D Teams

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Scientific teams allow for the integration of individuals? expertise into a coherent effort, benefitting from depth and breadth of knowledge - a winning combination for creativity and novelty, two cornerstones of innovation. However, obstacles arise that must be overcome in order to fulfill the aims of research yet little is known about what kinds of obstacles are confronted and how and whether they are resolved. A greater understanding of strategies to deal with research obstacles will benefit academics interested in problem-solving and team science, managers seeking to increase their teams? problem-solving capabilities, and funding agencies and science policy experts as they seek to increase the effectiveness of research investments. This project introduces and explicates the concept of a research obstacle, develops measurements of this concept, and investigates problem-solving processes of scientific research and development (R&D) teams. Qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with project leaders and scientists seeks to understand the problem-solving routines of multi-disciplinary/ multi-functional pharmaceutical R&D teams. Additional analysis explores how routines break under the weight of serious research obstacles. Scientists are surveyed to discern the efficiency of problem-solving communication patterns and to uncover the inter- and intra-team communication structures that promote team-based problem-solving capability.