Causal Model for Team Building Strategy in the MCT(Multidisciplinary Care Team)

In today's competitive environment, team organization has been recognized as a core practice to success for organization. The complex nature of job environment has pushed the introduction of team as an alternative for organization to strengthen the competitiveness. Recently, the added value of team care approach has been demonstrated in a number of studies. However, most studies focused on the particular aspects concerning teamwork or team performance, whereas a systematic approach for multi-professional teamwork in healthcare delivery has not been established. Additionally, healthcare’s cultural tradition of individualism and autonomy usually restrains the multidisciplinary care team’s capacity and activity. As a results, critical gaps have limited the evidence base for promoting the patient-focus care practices by means of MCT(Multidisciplinary Care Team). MCT(Multidisciplinary Care Team) in healthcare is very different from the team in business. Team's member in business may has only one position, responsibility, and job description as a team's member. And, at the same time, he or she may be evaluated by the team supervisor. However, MCT's members in general hospital generally sustain the dual position, responsibility, and duty as a MCT's member and as a functional member. Therefore, MCT in healthcare needs an enhanced effort to communicate with each other, and needs an empowered leadership to integrate the cross-functional professionals. This paper conceptualizes these aspects as 'team factor' and 'team process'. This paper modified and synthesized the concepts and measurements of team factors and processes based on the prior research, and classified team performance into operational performance, team member's satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Research data was gathered through surveys of MCT's members in the Korean general hospitals. This paper focused on the teams responsible for the medical patient-care in general hospital. A total of 500 questionnaires were sent out and 210 questionnaires were returned. The response rate was 42%(visiting survey). Excluding the 25 invalid questionnaires, a total of 185 valid responses were analyzed. The empirical results suggest that well-designed team strategies should be put into the MCT. After testing the measurement model and hypothetical relationships by LISREL, team factor might be a prerequisite. Therefore, team process based on the team factor might be a sufficient condition to the team performance. That is the keynote of this paper. Conclusionally, to secure the teamwork in MCT, we have to build the team formation that is accomplished by the understanding of MCT's goal, necessity, participation and recognition of role, value, target as a MCT's member. After that, by means of team leadership and communication, we have to cultivate "the teamness" on the MCT.