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A Good Place to Do Science: A Case Study of an Academic Science Department

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Case Western Reserve University. 2 ... Case Study Site 'Science' Department. Top program and NIH ... Case Study Approach using: Document & archival research ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: A Good Place to Do Science: A Case Study of an Academic Science Department


1
A Good Place to Do Science A Case Study of an
Academic Science Department C. Greer Jordan
(greer_at_case.edu) Diana Bilimoria
(diana.bilimoria_at_case.edu) Case Western Reserve
University
2
Purpose
  • To identify work environment factors that
    facilitate high quality science and inclusion
  • Generate theory about how these factors create
    the enduring culture of a department or work
    group

3
Research Question
  • How is a productive and inclusive work
    environment created and sustained?

4
Case Study Site
  • Science Department
  • Top program and NIH funding rankings
  • 2 women chairs, different operating styles
  • Above average numbers of women faculty and
    students
  • Women faculty at all ranks

5
Methods
  • Case Study Approach using
  • Document archival research
  • Direct observation
  • 29 interviews of departmental members
  • 16 primary faculty
  • 4 secondary, active faculty
  • 3 staff
  • 6 post-docs and doctoral students

6
Findings - A Model of a Productive and Inclusive
Science Culture
Integrative Leadership
Participative Department Activities
Inclusive Science Identity
Productive and Inclusive Science Culture
Learning and Inclusion Processes
Constructive Interactions
Full report available at http//www.case.edu/admi
n/aces/documents/science_department.doc
7
Findings - Inclusive Scientific Identity
  • Values
  • Good Science (significant, trustworthy)
  • Doing science cooperatively (vs. competitively)
  • Beliefs
  • Interaction is part of doing good science
  • Anyone can do good science if they can learn
    quickly, are well-trained (developed), are
    excited about science and willing to work hard

8
Findings Participative Departmental Activities
  • Team teaching with participation across faculty
    ranks
  • A variety of department social events (different
    contexts, time of day, informal)
  • Participative faculty meetings
  • Regular meaningful seminars and presentations

9
Findings Constructive Interactions
  • Four Types
  • Collegial Interactions respectful, civil
  • Tacit Learning Interactions information
    sharing, modeling behaviors
  • Relational Interactions personal interest,
    caring
  • Generative Interactions problem solving and
    resource generating

10
Findings Integrative Leadership Practices
  • Treating everyone fairly and equitability
  • Seeking input from faculty in decision-making
  • Promoting meaningful opportunities for
    interaction
  • Performing the role of chair as a service to the
    scientific community of the department

11
Findings Learning and Inclusion Processes
  • Transparent decision-making
  • Open and inclusive faculty recruitment processes
  • Formal and informal information dissemination
    processes

12
Conclusions
  • Creating an top-quality, inclusive, science
    culture within a department requires attention to
    a set of factors values and beliefs,
    interactions, activities, leadership, processes.
  • Implementation does not need a particular
    leadership style
  • A key advantage of such a culture is its
    attractiveness to a wider range of scientists,
    both female and male, which has implications for
    recruiting and retaining faculty, post-docs, and
    students.

13
Implications for Chairs
  • Use the role of chair in service to the
    department
  • Relate to faculty fairly and equitably
  • Create and maintain transparent decision-making
    processes
  • Recruit for and encourage faculty development
    that supports constructive interactions
  • Engage faculty in a variety of participative
    activities and contexts that support constructive
    interactions
  • Check own assumptions about who a scientist Is
    and what a scientist does
  • Initiate ways to make the department a scientific
    community

14
Implications for Senior Faculty Members
  • Check your own assumptions about who a scientist
    is and what a scientist does
  • Initiate ways to make the department a scientific
    community
  • Strive to develop and encourage constructive
    interactions, especially across demographic or
    functional differences
  • Help the system value colleagues for all aspects
    of their academic performance, not just one
    aspect (research)
  • Advise powerful department members about their
    role in creating positive work environments for
    all
  • Seek greater transparency in departmental
    activities
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