Understanding the dynamics of multidisciplinary team effectiveness in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water programs

Abstract

The purpose of the current mixed-method research study was to have a holistic and comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of multidisciplinary team effectiveness supporting clean and safe water programs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water. The study involved an investigation into the relationship between the independent variables organizational context, team common purpose, team enabling structure, team interpersonal relationships, and team leadership and the dependent variable team effectiveness. Results obtained through correlation analysis confirmed significant and positive relationships between the independent variables and dependent variable team effectiveness. The regression and analysis of variance indicated that the three independent variables team leadership, team enabling structure, and team organizational context, with individual absolute values t > 2 and significant levels p < .05, are the strongest predictors of team effectiveness. The R² value indicates that 71% of the variation in the dependent variable team effectiveness can be explained by the joint predictive power of independent variables team leadership, team enabling structure, and team organizational context. The qualitative portion of the study included a phenomenological research design and open-ended questions. The goal of using the phenomenological research design was to broaden the understanding of multidisciplinary team effectiveness from program managers’ and team leaders’ perspectives. The result of the study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding multidisciplinary team effectiveness in general and to the enhancement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s safe and clean water programs in particular.