Facilitating Success: Exploring the Influence of Design Facilitators’ Behaviors on Team Members’ Responses and Perceptions of Team Climate and Trust

Abstract Teams are vital in engineering design as they harness collective problem-solving abilities and enhance creative outputs. However, complex social dynamics, cognitive biases, and individual traits hinder their overall effectiveness, rendering them less useful than the combined capabilities of their members. While previous research has recognized the importance of facilitation and favorable climate for team success, limited research has explored the specific behaviors employed by facilitators to achieve desired outcomes. Leveraging data from a Design Thinking workshop, our mixed-methods study investigates five facilitators’ behaviors and their impact on team dynamics. We develop Markov models to represent the team’s conversational dynamics. Similarities across models indicate recognizable interaction patterns despite group differences. High transition probabilities between facilitator and both participant engagement and support suggest that facilitator involvement fosters a collaborative atmosphere. The significant transition probability from facilitator clarification to participant question underscores the facilitator’s role in promoting comprehension. To assess the impact of facilitators’ behaviors on participants’ perceptions of trust and psychological safety, we examine the correlations between these factors. Significant correlations suggest facilitators positively influence psychological safety through engagement in the design task and promotion of reflective behaviors. Contrasting prior research, rapport building does not correlate with psychological safety. Participants express higher levels of trust in facilitators who provide more direction. It is crucial for facilitators to recognize their influence and employ tactics to foster trust and positive team climate. These findings hold significant implications for the effective facilitation of design teams, a necessary step to ensuring the success of teamwork.