Research Underlying the Survey

The survey is built on a model of team-based change that was developed from both the literature on team-based change and empirical data collected from instructional change teams. Details of the model and its development have been published in several journal articles (cited below).

The model includes four main categories:

• team inputs (how teams are set up)
• team processes (how team members work together)
• team emergent states (how team members think and feel about their work)
• teamoutcomes

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A model showing important aspects of instructional change team collaboration (Sachmpazidi et al. 2021). The Team Processes and Emergent States are the basis for the TM-PICC survey.

Team Inputs

Nature of the task: How the team formed (team origin story); whether or how the team's task is prescribed.

Who participates: Team member expertise, interests, authority, and other characteristics (team composition); extent to which team membership is well-defined (team boundaries).

Process constraints: Whether or how the team's process is prescribed by formal leaders, typically people outside the team (prescribed process); whether or how team members' roles are clearly defined near the start of their work together (formalized roles).

External engagement: How team members gain useful information or expertise (opportunities to gather information); how team members share their work with others (opportunities to share information).

Access to resources: Whether or how administrators try to help the team (administrator support); how team members are rewarded for the work -- tangibly and/or symbolically (rewards).

From Olmstead et al. 2019, Table 2. Empirical findings based on interviews with project leaders.

Team Processes

Strategic leadership: Process by which one or more team members engage in problem-solving related to the team processes/goals, build consensus within the team, and identify long-term opportunities and threats. Supporting literature: Boies et al. 2011, Dionne et al. 2004

Egalitarian power dynamics: Process by which team members welcome, value and consider everyone's contributions appropriately regardless of their personal characteristics, position in the institution, or role on the team. Supporting literature: Lee 1997, Sinha & Stothard 2020

Team member commitment: Process by which team members demonstrate high levels of engagement and interest in the team's task. Supporting literature: Bishop et al. 2000

Effective communication: Process by which team members share information freely, openly discuss and work through conflicts, and adapt their communication style so that others can understand them. Supporting literature: Kim et al. 2016

Clear decision-making processes: Process by which team members discuss and agree on how to go about making decisions relevant to the team and the team's work. Supporting literature: N/A (Identified in Sachmpazidi et al. 2021)

From Thompson et al. (submitted), Table 1, and Sachmpazidi et al. 2021. Supporting literature is from non-higher education contexts.

Emergent States

Shared vision: State in which team members have shared understanding and agreement with the team's goals and ways to reach those. Supporting literature: Martin et al. 2014, Pearce & Ensley 2004

Psychological safety: State in which team members feel that sharing their opinions and actions on the team will not pose any professional risk. Supporting literature: Edmondson 1999, Edmondson 2004, Newman et al. 2017

Team cohesion: State in which team members have strong interpersonal connections and share a sense of accountability to the team's goals. Supporting literature: Beal et al. 2003

From Thompson et al. (submitted), Table 1, and Sachmpazidi et al. 2021. Supporting literature is from non-higher education contexts.

Team Outcomes

Sustainability of changes: The sustainability of the instructional changes.

Quality of changes: The quality of instructional changes relative to the team's goals.

Collaboration changes: Changes to the capacity of team members to work together in the future.

Individual changes: Changes in individual team members' knowledge, skills, affect, or well-being.

From Olmstead et al. 2019, Table 2. Adapted from Wageman et al. 2005, along with literature on instructional change in higher education.