| Course | HCI 311 Health Innovation Foundational Concepts |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 7 |
| Paper type | Teamwork essay |
| Length | About 390 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | BS in Health Innovation |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HCI 311 Module 7
Why Our Smart-Pump Project Stalled: The Five Dysfunctions in a Health Care Team
Student Name
BS in Health Innovation, Arizona State University
HCI 311: Health Innovation: Foundational Concepts
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Why Our Smart-Pump Project Stalled: The Five Dysfunctions in a Health Care Team
The Project
Last year, our pharmacy, nursing and biomedical engineering staff were asked to update the drug library that sets safe dose limits on the hospital's smart pumps. The work should have taken two months. After six, it was still unfinished. Lencioni's model helped me see why.
Absence of Trust
Lencioni (2002) places absence of trust at the base of his pyramid: team members who will not admit weaknesses or mistakes. On our team, technicians did not admit they were unsure how certain limits were set, and nurses did not say the old library was causing alarm fatigue. Without trust, problems stayed hidden.
Fear of Conflict
Without trust, teams avoid productive debate. In meetings, people nodded at the pharmacist's proposed limits and then complained in the hallway. Research on work teams shows that when members feel safe to speak up, teams learn and improve; when they do not, errors and good ideas both go unspoken (Edmondson, 1999).
Lack of Commitment
Because disagreements were never aired, decisions did not stick. Nurses who had silently disagreed with certain limits kept using the pumps' override feature, and the team revisited the same decisions month after month.
Avoidance of Accountability
Nobody held peers to deadlines. Each department waited for another to finish its part, and no one wanted to call out a colleague.
Inattention to Results
Finally, members focused on their own departments' workload rather than the shared result: safer infusions for patients.
Rebuilding the Team
Lencioni argues that fixing the base fixes much of what sits above it. Our team could start by sharing personal histories and admitting gaps in knowledge, then agree on rules for debate in meetings, end each meeting with clear commitments and named owners and track one shared measure, such as pump overrides per week. Structured team training also helps: pooling 93 effect sizes, one meta-analysis showed that training teams together improved how they worked and how well they performed (Salas et al., 2008).
Conclusion
Innovation in health care is a team sport. The smart-pump project did not fail for lack of skill; it stalled because the team never built the trust needed to argue, commit and hold each other accountable. As a future innovator, I will treat team health as part of the project plan.
References
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Lencioni, P. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team: A leadership fable. Jossey-Bass.
Salas, E., DiazGranados, D., Klein, C., Burke, C. S., Stagl, K. C., Goodwin, G. F., & Halpin, S. M. (2008). Does team training improve team performance? A meta-analysis. Human Factors, 50(6), 903-933. https://doi.org/10.1518/001872008X375009
HCI 311 Module 7 instructions, in plain terms
The Teamwork Essay is the Module 7A written assignment in HCI 311, a minimum of 500 words using the course textbook, Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. The module closes the course's work on leadership and teams, and a concept check on Modules 4 to 7 follows. Apply the five dysfunctions, absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results, to a team you have known, ideally in health care, and show how they relate to one another. Cite Lencioni and any other sources in APA 7 and follow the Canvas rubric. Use specific examples rather than general complaints about teamwork. Reread the chapters on each dysfunction first.
How the HCI 311 Module 7 example is put together
The sample opens with a short story of a stalled hospital project, then devotes one section to each dysfunction in the order of Lencioni's pyramid, each tied to a concrete behavior on the team. Research on psychological safety supports the section on conflict, and a meta-analysis on team training supports the recommendations. The conclusion turns the analysis into a lesson for future innovators. Each dysfunction is illustrated by one observable behavior, such as nodding in meetings and complaining afterward, so the reader can see the model in action rather than in the abstract. A concluding paragraph turns the case into a habit the writer will carry forward. Specific numbers from the meta-analysis show evidence for the fixes.
Reading the HCI 311 Module 7 grading rubric
Readers look for accurate use of all five dysfunctions, application to a specific team rather than general description, recognition of how the dysfunctions build on one another, practical recommendations and correct citation of the textbook, at 500 words or more. Marks drop for summarizing the book without applying it, for skipping dysfunctions, for vague examples and for recommendations that do not connect to the model. Strong essays also make recommendations that follow the pyramid's logic, starting with trust, and connect teamwork to patient outcomes or project success. Clear writing and correct citations round out the grade. Graders notice when examples feel real and specific rather than invented to fit the model.
HCI 311 Module 7 help: mistakes that cost marks
Choose a team you know well, at work, school or in a club. List one behavior for each dysfunction before writing. Follow the pyramid from the bottom up. Suggest one fix for the foundation, trust, and show how it would help the rest. Cite the book by page or chapter if your instructor asks. If you have not worked on a team, the desk can help you choose a suitable example. If your team example is sensitive, change identifying details. Re-read the book's model chapter before drafting so your terms are precise. Aim a little above the 500-word minimum so every dysfunction gets room.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More HCI 311 and BS in Health Innovation sample papers
- HCI 311 Module 2: My Strengths and Personal Communications Essay
- HCI 311 Module 3: Evidence-Based Practice Reflection Paper
- HCI 311 Module 4: Policymaking Essay
- HCI 311 Module 5: Telehealth Essay
- HCI 421 Module 5: Negotiation Proposal
- HCI 313 Module 3: Cultural Views Presentation: Curanderismo
- HCI 201 Module 7: Final Presentation: Innovations Today for a Greener Tomorrow
HCI 311 Module 7 questions, answered
Where can I find a free HCI 311 Module 7 sample paper?
The full teamwork essay applying the five dysfunctions to a stalled hospital project is on this page.
What are Lencioni's five dysfunctions of a team?
Absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results.
How long is the HCI 311 teamwork essay?
At least 500 words.
Which dysfunction comes first?
Absence of trust, at the base of Lencioni's pyramid.
Does team training work in health care?
Yes; pooled studies show structured team training improves both teamwork and results.