What attributes to effective vs. ineffective interdepartmental collaboration in Post Secondary institutions?
Effective interdepartmental collaboration in post-secondary institutions hinges on several key factors. Leadership plays a pivotal role in fostering a collaborative environment by promoting a culture that values teamwork and shared goals.
What attributes to effective vs. ineffective interdepartmental collaboration in Post Secondary institutions?
Main topic
References
Abad-Jorge, A. (2018, July 25). Establishing Intra- and Cross-Departmental Collaboration within a School of Continuing Education: Promoting Interprofessionalism. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://evolllution.com/programming/program_planning/establishing-intra-and-cross-departmental-collaboration-within-a-school-of-continuing-education-promoting-interprofessionalism-in-the-curriculum/.
• Discusses the importance of leadership in relation to collaboration across departments
Carleton. (2019, January 29). Why Teach with an Interdisciplinary Approach? Retrieved July 17, 2019, from https://serc.carleton.edu/econ/interdisciplinary/why.html
• Discusses the importance of interdisciplinary learning and helps to answer the question: why bother with cross departmental collaboration.
Crispo, V. (2015, December 22). Why Working Across Departments is Important. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://idealistcareers.org/why-working-across-departments-is-important/.
• Discusses importance and benefits of cross-departmental collaboration
DeLuca, C., Shulha, J., Luhanga, U., Shulha, L. M., Christou, T. M., & Klinger, D. A. (2015). Collaborative inquiry as a professional learning structure for educators: A scoping review. Professional Development in Education, 41(4), 640-670.
• Discusses the silo model in terms of rigid vertical structures within an organization that run unchecked can prevent and hinder collaboration across departments, preventing collaborative inquiry from successfully taking place in response to problems and goals at an organizational and departmental level. When structures become too fixed, individual departments can make the solving of others’ problems subordinate to their own needs in a manner that hinders any collaboration across departmental boundaries.
DeLuca, C., Bolden, B., & Chan, J. (2017). Systemic professional learning through collaborative inquiry: Examining teachers’ perspectives. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 67-78.
• Elaborates on the breakdown of communication alluding to the idea that structures of this nature may cause problems by eroding trust between individuals from different departments, and creating a lack of support for collaboration across institutional lines, which prevents any successful foundation for collaboration from even forming.
Edinger, S. (2018, May 24). Don’t Innovate. Create a Culture of Innovation. Retrieved October 17, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottedinger/2012/11/20/dont-innovate-create-a-culture-of-innovation/#750b89af3aa0
• Discusses creating culture of innovation- this will tie into the difference between collaborating (isolated) and creating a culture of collaboration.
Eshleman, J., Moniz, R., Mann, K., & Eshleman, K. (2016). Librarians and Instructional Designers : Collaboration and Innovation. Chicago: ALA Editions. Retrieved from http://ra.ocls.ca/ra/login.aspx?inst=sandford&url=http://search.ebscohost.com.eztest.ocls.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1350353&site=eds-live&scope=site
• This focused on the importance of collaboration in education, particularly with changing and uncertain climates, stating that “we are in a time of uncertainty. It’s difficult to know for sure what higher education will look like in the future
HopkinsChange, M. (2014, November 24). Quality-Cost-Time: they say 'pick any two'. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141124220757-117728303-quality-cost-time-they-say-pick-any-two/.
• This reference discusses the conundrum of cost vs. quality vs. time involvement and the theory that you can only have 2/3. I am interested in this in terms of how it ties into contract faculty at post-secondary levels.
Katz, S., & Dack, L. A. (2014). Towards a culture of inquiry for data use in schools: Breaking down professional learning barriers through intentional interruption. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 42, 35-40
• Discusses that an organization’s health and growth depends on the ability of its departments or segments to work together to achieve outcomes.
• Discusses factors that can lead to a reluctance for cross departmental collaboration
Kouzes, J.M and Posner, B.Z. The Leadership Challenge (6th ed.). New Jersey, US: Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• This book discusses different types of leadership and what makes an effective leader. This will tie into the idea of breaking down silos
Loecke, M. (2018, May 4). 3 proven ways to improve higher-ed collaboration. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://www.ecampusnews.com/2018/05/07/3-proven-ways-to-improve-higher-ed-collaboration-across-departments/.
• Provides tools to improve collaboration
McNabb, T. (2014, May 1). The Silos of Education. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://elc.prn.bc.ca/?p=788.
• Discusses silos in education- what they are.
Neely, J. (2018, November 9). Top 9 Benefits of Cross-Functional Teams. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://blog.toggl.com/cross-functional-teams/.
• Discusses the benefits of cross-departmental teams. Will be used to approach the idea of interdisciplinary teams within Post-Sec.
Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (2014). Knowledge building and knowledge creation: Theory, pedagogy, and technology. In R. K. Sayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences (pp. 397-417). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
• This source discusses rigid hierarchical structures and how this affects collaboration, along with the idea that there needs to be a balance of individual and parts coming together: size plays into the degree of rigidness.
Wong, L. (2019, May 6). 11 Ways to Improve Collaboration Between Departments. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://www.workzone.com/blog/9-ways-to-improve-collaboration-between-departments/.
• Discusses ways to improve cross-departmental collaboration
