Abstract
Purpose. The first purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of nonmanagerial cross-functional project team members working in the research and development (R&D) sector of biotechnology regarding which of the eight elements of teams' effectiveness are most important for success. The second purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between demographic characteristics of team members and those elements perceived as most important. Methodology. The subjects of this study were 183 employees who worked in the R&D sector of biotechnology companies in the Southern California region. Subjects participated in an online survey producing quantitative results. The results from the survey were not only responses to questions about team effectiveness; results were also provided from three different demographic standpoints of the participants. Findings. Survey respondents showed a strong response to the element of communication as being an important overall element needed for team success. In the area of the demographics, females responded more to the element of communication, whereas males responded more to the element of having their ideas being acknowledged. With the demographic of ethnicity, African Americans had a higher level of response to freedom of communication, Caucasians and Hispanics/Latinos had a higher response to overall communication within their teams, and Asians responded highly to wanting to receive feedback from their leaders. Lastly, in the demographic area of years of experience, of those with less than 2 years of experience within the industry, receiving feedback from their leaders was deemed most important. For those with 2 to 5 years of experience, the most important element was feeling that they were gaining personal development within their teams. For those with over 5 years of experience, the highest percentage of responses was to the element of communication within the team. Conclusions. The data strongly showed that communication is an important element for teams to possess within this industry in order for them to be successful. Recommendations. The research literature supports the findings that pertinent communication is lacking among teams in the biotechnology industry. Companies would greatly benefit from putting processes in place that would ensure that constant communication is consistently flowing within project teams.