The difference between teamwork and compliance: The application of game theory to real-world research teams

This study explores the relationships between cooperation, teamwork, and game theory in actual multidisciplinary research teams. Two types of cooperation have been differentiated as ``compliance`` (cooperation, which is enforced by short-term interest) and ``teamwork`` (in which team members give up short-term gains for longer-term gains). ``Compliance`` is best explained by the Principal Agent Theory and is best applied to routine activities. ``Teamwork`` is best explained by a modification of Axelrod`s Theory of Cooperation and is best applied to problem-solving, non-routine activities. These exploratory findings have important implications for organizational structure considerations and management policies.