Team Culture of Community: Cultural Practices for Scientific Team Cohesion and Productivity

Abstract

Within scientific teams, a culture of community (the facilitation of shared values, goals, and an environment where individuals feel valued and want to engage in a team’s work) has implications for members’ learning and participation, and the team’s functioning, cohesion, and productivity. Drawing on 12 focus group interviews conducted over four years with 23 participants, we used an autoethnographic approach to examine how a research team developed a positive culture of community that influences its cohesion and productivity. We present six interconnected cultural practices that can foster a culture of community in settings where team-based learning and collaborations are required.