Knowledge Integration Across Disciplines Part 1: Introduction to Collaboration Across Disciplines

Summary

This video discusses the challenges and strategies for integrating knowledge across disciplines in research teams. It highlights the barriers faced by interdisciplinary teams, including diverse backgrounds, goal misalignment, and difficulties with deep knowledge integration. The video emphasizes the importance of early team interactions to co-create a shared research vision and stresses that teams evolve into complex systems through participatory processes, adaptability, and learning each other’s perspectives. Successful collaboration fosters trust, strengthens skills, and leads to emergent outcomes that enhance overall team performance.

Takeaways

• 😀 Integrating knowledge across disciplines is challenging due to factors like interpersonal dynamics, organizational culture, and geographic dispersion.
• 😀 A 2008 meta-analysis identified six key factors that impact interdisciplinary collaboration: interpersonal, organizational, technological, societal/political, physical environment, and task interdependence.
• 😀 A 2015 study highlighted seven major barriers to successful interdisciplinary research, including high diversity, deep knowledge integration, large team size, goal misalignment, and frequent changes in team membership.
• 😀 Successful interdisciplinary collaboration is often hindered by misalignment of goals and dependencies between team members, especially in large or geographically dispersed teams.
• 😀 Despite a growing interest in interdisciplinary research, most programs and teams still struggle to integrate knowledge effectively, often resulting in multi-disciplinary rather than truly integrated research.
• 😀 Successful integration of knowledge is crucial for setting shared goals and reducing team friction. Addressing challenges early in the collaboration process can prevent issues later on.
• 😀 Developing a shared, co-created vision of the research problem is essential for fostering collaboration. Without this, research often remains fragmented and less innovative.
• 😀 The early stages of collaboration should focus on learning each other's perspectives, as understanding differing disciplines and methods is crucial to successful integration.
• 😀 A participatory, inclusive, and empowering process is vital for effective interdisciplinary collaboration. Team members must feel engaged and valued for their input.
• 😀 Complex systems thinking is key to understanding interdisciplinary teams. Teams must evolve into a system through interactions, with key processes that encourage adaptability and flexibility.
• 😀 Teams must continuously revisit and adapt their research goals and strategies. This adaptability fosters emergence, where aligned goals and shared visions eventually form through ongoing commitment and interaction.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Deanna Pennington's video?

The main focus of the video is on the challenges of integrating knowledge across disciplines and how to improve collaboration within interdisciplinary teams.

Why is integrating knowledge across disciplines considered challenging?

Integrating knowledge across disciplines is challenging because different fields have unique knowledge bases, methods, and terminologies, making it difficult for team members to deeply understand each other's work.

What are the six categories that impact interdisciplinary collaboration, according to the 2008 study?

The six categories are interpersonal (individual attitudes and motivations), interpersonal (how people interact within the team), organizational (institutional incentives and culture), technological (impact of technology), societal and political (external societal and political factors), and the physical environment (workplace setup).

What does Pennington say about the relationship between high diversity in teams and effective knowledge integration?

Pennington explains that high diversity, especially in terms of disciplinary backgrounds, can complicate knowledge integration. However, overcoming this challenge can lead to more effective collaboration, especially if the team works to align their goals and integrate their knowledge early on.

What are the seven factors that hinder progress in interdisciplinary teams, as identified in the 2015 study?

The seven factors are: high diversity, deep knowledge integration, large team size, goal misalignment, dependencies, permeable boundaries (turnover of team members), and geographic dispersion.

What does the study from the early 2000s reveal about centers structured for interdisciplinary research?

The study revealed that many centers designed for interdisciplinary research often produce multi-disciplinary research rather than truly integrative interdisciplinary work. This suggests that organizational structures alone are insufficient for successful integration.

What was the key takeaway from the study on environmental science programs in 2012?

The study found that despite an increase in socio-environmental related programs, many of them still function in a multi-disciplinary manner rather than achieving true integration across disciplines.

What is the importance of developing a shared, co-created concept of the research problem in interdisciplinary teams?

Developing a shared, co-created concept of the research problem is crucial for fostering innovation and ensuring that all team members’ perspectives are considered. Skipping this step can lead to fragmented, less impactful research.

How does Pennington describe the team as a complex system?

Pennington describes the team as a complex system that evolves through interactions among its members. The team needs time and engagement to transform from a group of individuals into a cohesive, functioning system.

What are the four key elements Pennington identifies as necessary for creating an effective interdisciplinary team?

The four key elements are: a participatory and empowering process, the ability to learn each other’s perspectives, developing links across disciplines, and adaptability and flexibility to change viewpoints or research goals.

What is the expected outcome when a team successfully integrates across disciplines, according to Pennington?

When a team successfully integrates across disciplines, it can achieve emergence—developing a shared, co-created vision and aligned research goals. This also leads to stronger social ties, trust, and improved collaboration skills.

Why is it important to stay committed to the process of interdisciplinary collaboration, even when progress seems slow?

Staying committed is crucial because the process of integrating knowledge across disciplines takes time. With sustained effort, teams can develop the necessary interactions and alignment to achieve emergent, innovative outcomes.