Summary

This paper examines the collaboration among a team of researchers affiliated with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI). The purpose of the collaboration among the researchers is two-fold: to increase the quantity and quality of scientific output and to advance the careers of the researchers, who at the time of the authors’ research, were all junior faculty members at Harvard. Leaders of the Institute believed the subject team to be collaborating effectively. The authors conducted research to describe effective collaboration among the HSCI team so that practices could be modeled for other teams to apply in their own endeavors. Another purpose of the research was to identify barriers to effective collaboration within the HSCI community.  

Research Methodology

Unless otherwise noted, all of the frameworks and definitions related to collaboration, collaborative networks, collaborative capability, collaborative behavior, and relationship currencies have been developed by the authors through their experiences as organizers and operators of and consultants to collaborative networks of customers, partners, and suppliers. Our work crosses multiple industries including oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, international economic development, and information technology.

Research on the Harvard Stem Cell Institute project team is based on a multi-method design, emphasizing open-ended interviews with members of the selected team, HSCI management, and a content analysis of organizational documents and archival records. The research is part of a consulting engagement, the objectives of which were:

·         Understanding how the team engages in key collaborative behaviors and builds an environment of trust and reciprocity

·         Identifying the outcomes (metrics) the team is achieving

·         Identifying any structural barriers to effective collaboration that this team’s approach overcomes

·         Developing a model of collaborative work that other teams can apply

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