A Theory of Academic Interdisciplinary Research Performance: A Contingency and Path Analysis Approach

A theoretical model of interdisciplinary research project performance is formulated using the contingency and single-stage multivariate path analysis approaches. The model is developed using sequences of variables identified as belonging to various organizational subsystems. The model explains performance as due to problem complexity and whether the research is basic or applied. These variables are in turn moderated by the group's perceived sense of urgency, the task orientation of the project manager, the extent to which disagreements are openly discussed, and the length of time the group remains together. The manager's role was found to be crucial in project success through his/her diagnosis of the conditions calling for task oriented behaviors. The findings presented here also indicate a major difference between industrial enterprises and research projects in the sequence with which managers respond to environmental changes.