Yen K. Le, Tiffany L. Striplin, Marion E. Toscano, J. Douglas Orton, Ph.D.
Exploring the Team: The Interplay of Motivation, Spirituality, and Resilience
A qualitative study was conducted in an effort to understand the role of spirituality
in team resilience of Human Terrain Team (HTT) members serving in Afghanistan and
Iraq. Although the current research has been able to determine a variety of characteristics
that comprise the essence of team resilience (e.g. Leadership, Motivation, Culture,
Innovation, and Sensemaking), for the purposes of this poster presentation the characteristic
of Motivation will be discussed.
The research consisted of five in depth interviews participants (average of 2 hours
in length), analyzed using a qualitative, iterative research approach. The study was
coded for themes, using the NVivo software. The selection criteria are (3) social
scientists, and (2) team leaders deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq from 2007-2014.
The interviews were transcribed into Word document, imported into NVivo software program,
in which the data was analyzed into emerging themes guided by theory. The process
was repeated a second and third time by other student coders to ensure trustworthiness
of themes.
The research literature does not differentiate phases of engagement or retention of
members on a team. Based on the primary scanning, the data indicates a distinction
in what influences an individual to join a team, what keeps him or her engaged with
a team, and what he or she takes away from being a part of the team after separation.
Therefore, for the purposes of this paper, Team Motivation will be divided into three
sections: Attractive Motivations (why did one join a team), Commitment Motivations
(why did one stay on a team), and Reward Motivations (what did one take away from
his or her experience with the team).