A THEORETICAL EXPLORATION OF ACADEMIC TEAMWORK PERFORMANCE AND ITS INFLUENCING FACTORS IN ZHEJIANG’S HIGHER VOCATIONAL COLLEGES

Abstract

Academic teams serve as the core driving force for higher vocational colleges (HVCs) to achieve quality improvement, industry-education integration, and regional economic service. Against the backdrop of vocational education reform in Zhejiang Province, local HVC academic teams face unique challenges including weak research foundations, suboptimal team structures, and inadequate institutional support. However, existing research on team performance has predominantly focused on research universities and corporate teams, lacking targeted exploration of the characteristics and influencing mechanisms of academic teamwork performance in HVC contexts. This study aims to theoretically explore the key factors influencing academic teamwork performance in HVCs and their action mechanisms. Drawing on organizational behavior theory, team effectiveness theory, and vocational education-related research, this paper systematically analyzes eight core influencing factors: team heterogeneity, team roles, team conflict, team innovation climate, team goal clarity, team communication quality, team organizational structure, and team institutional environment.A theoretical framework for academic teamwork performance in HVCs is constructed, and corresponding research propositions are proposed. The findings enrich the theoretical system of team performance research in vocational education and provide practical guidance for optimizing the construction and management of academic teams in Zhejiang’s HVCs, supporting the province’s development as a national vocational education highland.