“This is no Eden:” Three generations of researchers coping with team conflicts in an outstanding research environment

Abstract

This case study aimed to explore how three generations of doctoral students coped with relationship conflicts in an outstanding research environment within the STEM-field, and how this had an impact on their team socialisation. Retrospective interviews were conducted with the scientific founder of the research environment and twelve professors who had pursued their entire careers in this environment. Using theoretical thematic analysis, we found four conflict responses used by each generation of doctoral students. In external competition, they performed beyond the big bang(s), and when there was a temporary armistice among the senior researchers, they collaborated for success. Within the environment, they engaged in quasi-collaboration and navigated in secrecy to evade conflict with their supervisors. The students’ evasive conflict responses reveal an epistemic living space where the senior researchers’ defensive approach restricted students’ scope of learning, and junior scientists struggled for independence. Seeing that each generation of students developed a defensive approach themselves as leaders in their postdoctoral careers, we hold that the real issue in this case is about leadership. Leading doctoral education is not only about leading research, but also to lead education in a caring and systemic approach.