Teamwork in faculty members' research activities: Difficulties and solutions

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze difficulties and solutions of teamwork in faculty members' research activities. This applied research used qualitative method as the research strategy. The data collection tool was semi-structured interview. For this study, four comprehensive universities in Tehran including University of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti University, Kharazmi University and Tarbiat Modares University were selected. In each university, one faculty was randomly selected for every 20 faculties. Then, within each faculty, all departments were considered. Finally, among the departments, faculty members were purposefully selected and considered as participants in the research (45 faculty members up to theoretical saturation). Open coding and theme analysis methods used to analyze data. To ensure the validity of the research, while trying to control the bias and prejudice of the researcher, some participants reviewed the extracted categories. Also, one of the colleagues was asked to review the findings. To calculate the reliability, test-retest reliability method and agreement for two raters method were used. The results showed that there was a difference between the natures of disciplines for teamwork. There was not any difference between universities regarding team-work implementation. In addition, to choose an activity to do the work as a team, the nature of that work is decisive and among the research activities listed in Article 3 of the Regulation, no order and priority can be considered for the implementation of teamwork. Finally, teamwork difficulties can be divided into five categories: related to individual, related to the team and team factors, within the organization and within the university, related to the higher education system, and general context and national factors.