Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Social Work (DSW)

Department

Social Work

Faculty/School

Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work

First Advisor

Eli Teram

Advisor Role

Dissertation Supervisor

Abstract

The study explores the way in which professional members who were engaged in struggles with each other around the nature and extent of autonomy over their work, and/or control over the work of others, socially constructed interprofessional team relations and processes. There were two major findings. First, it was found that the medical and non-medical professions at the sites were divided internally, and with each other, in terms of the way in which they understood team relations and processes. There were multiple and unique “orientations to teams” found among the professions and professional subgroupings. Each of these orientations implied professional subgroupings. Each of these orientations implied a specific patterning of team relations and processes. The second finding was that the struggle among professions to implement a particular vision of team relations and processes, which was compatible with their definition of autonomy and control, created complex patterning of relations among professions in the teams. The patterning of relations at one site was mediated by the power of the physicians and nurses, who were strong enough to influence which professional visions would be implemented in the team. At the second site, physicians had lost much of their ability to command, and therefore multiple visions of team relations and processes competed quite freely. This resulted in interprofessional teams with very complex and fragmented relations and processes.

Convocation Year

1998

Convocation Season

Spring

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