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Grooms PhD Dissertation Final.pdf (2.5 MB)

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Team Adaptation and Mindful Boundary Management: The Dynamics of Internal and External Balancing

Grooms, Heather R
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7808-7984
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1433187796

Abstract Details

2015, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Management.
Teams must constantly balance internally focused interactions through Adaptation and externally focused processes of spanning boundaries to facilitate change. This dynamic of team Adaptation has not been studied. In empirical studies on team Boundary Management or Adaptation, attention is given to laboratory based experiments and field studies of new product development teams in high-tech industries. This research focuses on continuous quality improvement (QI) teams which are comprised of a dynamic and shifting set of members otherwise attuned to their professional daily activities not directly related to the project. The teams of interest operate in highly institutionalized and regulated service industries of healthcare. The overarching research question in this study asks what factors influence team adaptation and how do teams effectively achieve internal and external balance in their QI projects, and to what extent does this contribute to project success. To answer this question, a developmental sequential mixed methods study is conducted that utilizes qualitative analytics through grounded theory based theme development and thematic analysis as well as quantitative analytics of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Structural Equation Modeling. The first study is a mixed methods design utilizing a grounded theory approach for theme development followed by QCA to articulate complex causal interactions among identified factors influencing Adaptation. The sample includes 23 physicians / physician leaders / and hospital administrators who provide 39 team project examples for evaluation. The second study is a Quantitative design utilizing factor analysis to discern factors identified in study one in order to assess internal and external factor effects on Adaptation. A survey resulted in 215 responses for analysis from an expanded sample of team members in institutionally structured organizations. The third study is a Qualitative design utilizing thematic analysis to expand an understanding of the dynamic nature of Boundary Management mechanisms and team Adaptation patterns. The sample includes 13 team members providing 15 team project examples from 15 hospitals some of which are high performing teams and others are not. This research reveals that effective quality improvement project teams demonstrate Adaptation versatility by using combinations of several strategies to connect to the surrounding organization. By doing so this research contributes to the team literature as it expands descriptions of Boundary Management and Adaptation; it combines factors that have not been previously studied together and finds them to contribute to Adaptation. It also focuses on teams in situ in a context with previously limited attention. For management practice, the study provides practical explanations for team Adaptation as a process that can be mindfully guided through mechanisms of Boundary Management.
Kalle Lyytinen, PhD (Committee Chair)
Corinne Coen, PhD (Committee Member)
David Aron, MD (Committee Member)
J.B. Silvers, PhD (Committee Member)
277 p.
Management
Team Adaptation; Cognitive and Affective Adaptation Patterns; Team Boundary Spanning; Mindful Boundary Management Mechanisms; Strategic Alignment; Systems Thinking; Quality Improvement; Healthcare

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Grooms, H. R. (2015). Team Adaptation and Mindful Boundary Management: The Dynamics of Internal and External Balancing [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1433187796

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Grooms, Heather. Team Adaptation and Mindful Boundary Management: The Dynamics of Internal and External Balancing. 2015. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1433187796.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Grooms, Heather. "Team Adaptation and Mindful Boundary Management: The Dynamics of Internal and External Balancing." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1433187796

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1433187796
1,407
© 2015, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.