CAQRA 2011 Macau

Developing successful strategies for working effectively in teams using QDA software

Brainstorming Workshop

25 February

1:45pm to 3:15pm

Dr. David Kirkham

CAQRA 2011 Macau

� Key objective is to brainstorm in groups to derive good practices for working effectively in teams, given a large qualitative research project

� Secondary objective is to brainstorm the potential effects of team dynamics upon the project� “researchers ought to take a more direct approach to the study of issues

in group dynamics” (Wasser & Bresler, 1996)

� Four areas for discussion� Project planning

� Data collection

� Data analysis

� Writing up and reporting results

� Five groups to address the given tasks and questions

� Share the results in a 3 minute presentation

Team working with CAQDAS

Brainstorming Workshop

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Timings

20

40

20

10

Brief

Brainstorm

Present

Conclude

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Group Tasks

�Project planning (Group 1/2)� Define criteria for deciding on a software

package to support the analysis � How to communicate effectively while working in

teams

�Data collection � How to organize and conduct data collection in

team projects. How to set up the team project using CAQDAS .

�Data collection and analysis (Group 3/5)� Special considerations for teams when working

with multimedia data

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Group Tasks

� Data analysis (Group 4) � How to develop a common coding system when working in

teams

� Assessing the issue of inter-rater reliability:

� For which purpose and aim should it be used?

� How to organize the team work so that IRR can be assessed and in what way

� Writing up and reporting (Group 3/5) � How to organise the process of writing up the results of the

analysis and putting together a report

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Some Thoughts on Teams

Dynamics, threats and opportunities

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Characteristics

� What defines a group as a team is the requirement for interaction � “The crux of teamwork is for the team members to use a

collection of processes, strategies, and actions that allow them to effectively and efficiently perform” (Stout et al., 1997: 169)

� A team is a group which has a common goal, the pursuit of which needs collaboration and coordination, but there needs to be regular and frequent interaction, a team identity, and the right combinations of skills, knowledge, perspectives and interests (Kakabadse et al., 1988)

� “This is the power of the team mind: to create new and unexpected solutions, options and interpretations, drawing on the experience of all the team members to generate products that are beyond the capabilities of any of the individuals” (Klein, 1998: 245)

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Dialectic of collaborative research

�“uniquely innovative ideas are synthesized and fresh insights into the world emerge”

�“conflict and frustration result from clash of wills, competing ideologies and imperfect theoretical frameworks”

�“the challenge is for the teams to stay together long enough for the team to grow”

(Tripp-Reimer, et al., 1997)

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Team development

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Team membership

�Homogeneity? � “Living in a shared culture will provide us a basis

of common referents” (Klein, 1998: 218)

� Recruiting in one’s own image

� Using traits which indicated introvert/extrovert and stable/anxious, Belbin found that a team composed chiefly of stable extroverts performed better overall

�Heterogeneity?� An heterogeneous group is more likely to

question members’ judgements and is likely to be more creative (King, 2002)

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Belbin’s Work

� Many years of behaviour analysis and personality tests� People observed working in groups

� Categories of behaviour used was recorded

� People don’t use all categories equally

� Behaviour falls into limited number of roles

� Preferred roles linked to:� Reasoning ability

� Personality characteristics

� Personal values

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Role +ve features -ve features

Plant Creative, imaginative, unorthodox, solves difficult problems

Poor managing people and in communication

Resource investigator

Extravert, enthusiastic, communicative, explores opportunities, develops contacts

Loses interest once initial enthusiasm has passed

Coordinator Mature, confident, trusting, good chair, clarifies goals, promotes decision-making

Not the most clever or creative member

Shaper Dynamic, outgoing, highly strung, challenges, pressurises, finds ways round obstacles

Prone to provocation and short-lived burst of temper

Monitor-evaluator

Sober, strategic, discerning, sees all options, judges accurately

Lacks drive and ability to inspire others

Team worker Social, mild, perceptive, listens, accommodates, builds, stops friction

Indecisive in crunch situations

Implementer Disciplined, reliable, conservative, efficient, ideas > practical actions

Inflexible, slow response to new ideas

Completer Painstaking, conscientious, anxious, search out E&O, delivers on time

Worries unduly, reluctant to delegate

Specialist Single-minded, self-starting, dedicated, provide K or special skills

Contributes on a narrow front

Belbin Team Roles

5.7 6.3

3.7

5

5.3 8.3

8.7

9.7

10

0

2

4

6

8

10

Shaper

Plant

Resource Investigator

Specialist

CoordinatorMonitor-Evaluator

Implementer

Completer

Team Worker

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Successful Teams

� Not the best people to produce the best team� All striving, ambitious, high-fliers rarely get beyond

‘storming’ stage� Trying to establish dominance� Getting own ideas accepted

� A team of prima donnas – the think-tank approach –regularly failed in Belbin’s experiments

� Effective team made up of range of people with a variety of roles

� Teams have to come from who is available

� Encourage people to take on a variety of roles and be more flexible� Identify which roles the team lacks and take one of them

on

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Virtual Team Working

Individual research

activities

CAQRA 2011 Macau

The Information Hub

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Actions

� Form five groups

� Assign each group a topic

� Each group nominates one person who will present the outcome of the discussion in 3 minutes

� Group specification:� 4 or more researchers (peers rather than RAs)� Same department: same institution: same country:

different institutions in different countries

� Presentation of results and discussion with the other groups at 3:05pm

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Results - Q1 + Q2

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Results

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Results

CAQRA 2011 Macau

Presented at the Asia-Pacific conference on

Computer-Aided Qualitative Research

24 & 25 Feb 2011, Macau SAR

For more information about our upcoming conferences

Please visit: http://www.merlien.org