‘Rules of engagement’: Does competition drive engagement in faculty development

Introduction: Faculty development (FD) is integral to the implementation of educational programmes. However, attracting new faculty is challenging. Competition is a motivator for learning at an undergraduate level; however, incorporating competition to engage faculty in continued FD has not been explored. In the context of a new strategy to embed in situ simulation in postgraduate education across our healthcare group, and drawing on motivational theory, we asked ‘does competition drive engagement in new FD initiatives?’. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine healthcare professionals (HCPs) who had participated in an in situ simulation ‘SimStars’ competition. Guided by thematic analysis and borrowing from constructivist grounded theory, we explored participants' motivations for entering a competition, their experiences of competition throughout their education and how this process impacted on their engagement in FD. Results: Three overarching concepts arose and challenged our understanding of the role of competition as a motivator: (1) ‘Competition is a necessary evil’; (2) ‘It really is the taking part that counts’; and (3) ‘Teamwork makes the dream work’. In contrast to previously published work, our results suggest participants view competition negatively and as a means to career progression. However, the opportunity to work as part of an (interprofessional) team towards a goal, and to develop a new skill (i.e. the process), was more motivating for participants than ‘winning’ a competition. Conclusion: Competition may not provide a motivation for HCPs to engage in FD and may be a barrier. Providing collaboration opportunities, faculty coaching and the chance to develop new skills could enhance engagement.