2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Effect of Leadership Styles on Team Dynamics and Success in Senior Design Capstone Teams

This study delves into the intricate relationships between team members' leadership styles and their impact on team dynamics and the perception of project progress across various disciplines. The leadership styles under scrutiny include technical, sympathetic, bold, and expressive; these variables were self-assessed based on a video presentation developed by the University Institute for Leadership and Development. This research analyzes how teams’ performance could be affected by their members’ leadership styles when working on two-semester Capstone design projects within multidisciplinary teams in electrical, mechanical, and computer science engineering. Additionally, this study analyzes team members' project preferences, which are determined through a bidding process. This study adopts a quantitative approach analyzing project outcomes of 51 teams of 3 to 5 members in a senior design capstone course, which judges and instructors evaluated. These team members were categorized based on their disciplinary focus and the diversity of their leadership styles, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the results.

Findings of this study shed light on the significant influence of diversity in leadership styles on team development and dynamics. Teams characterized by a blend of leadership styles exhibit heightened levels of creativity and problem-solving abilities per ABET outcome 1 criteria, positively impacting their project outcomes. Nonetheless, such teams are more likely to encounter early communication and conflict resolution challenges. On the other hand, teams with less diverse leadership styles usually communicate smoothly but are perceived as achieving less problem-solving. However, judges and instructors perceived similarly all teams regardless of their leadership diversity per the evaluation of the remaining ABET outcomes, 2-7. However, the evaluation of project progress varied among different evaluators, with instructors slightly favoring projects led by technical leaders with clear and tangible outcomes and judges having more rigorous considerations of the rating system, slightly favoring teams led by styles with usually better communication skills, such as expressive leaders, appreciating their ability to inspire and motivate team members. While the study did not find a strong predictor of project success, top project bids and combinations of leadership styles dictate how the team dynamics.

This study offers invaluable insights for educators and project managers in engineering fields, underscoring the need to consider differences in leadership styles and emphasize team building to develop an improved teamwork environment and obtain better results in team management.

Authors

Dr. Jorge Ivan Rodriguez-Devora University of Georgia [biography]

Dr. Rodriguez serves as the industry capstone design coordinator for the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. He is a faculty member (Assistant Professor of Practice) of the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering.
Roger Hilten http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-7701-8338 University of Georgia [biography]

Roger Hilten is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Georgia in the College of Engineering's School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural, and Mechanical Engineering. Dr. HIlten is deeply involved in Capstone Design at all levels, from project solicitation to individual student mentoring. Dr. Hilten collaborates with a team of instructors to develop and deliver Capstone course material while gathering data to continually improve the Capstone experience for students, project sponsors, and faculty involved. Administratively, Dr. Hilten works with the Capstone Industry Coordinator to seek out new project sponsors and develop projects to fit the needs of Capstone while also supporting students' on-the-ground procurement, prototyping, and testing efforts for over 100 Capstone projects. Dr. Hilten acts the Director for the College's Lab Support Team which manages instructional, fabrication, and testing facilities as well as the tools and equipment that support students to effectively complete all types of projects, Capstone Design projects included.
Dr. Wayne Johnson http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9897-2366 University of Georgia [biography]

Wayne M. Johnson is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, GA. Prior to joining UGA in 2022, he was a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Southern University-Armstrong Campus, Savannah GA. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Cum Laude) from Louisiana State University. He has published 16 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 28 papers in peer-reviewed conference proceedings, and given 12 technical presentations on various topics including: additive manufacturing, mechatronics, biomechanics, and engineering education. He currently teaches the Engineered Systems In Society, Mechanical Engineering Professional Practice, and Capstone Design I and II courses.
Gustavo Morán-Soto Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Durango [biography]

Dr. Morán-Soto specializes in math education for engineering students. His research interests are math self-efficacy and math anxiety and their effects on engineering students’ performance in math college courses. He obtained his PhD in Engendering and Science Education from Clemson University and currently works as a full time professor at the Instituto Tecnológico de Durango in the Basic Sciences Department.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025