The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how instructional designers in higher education in the United States described their experiences with collective affective emergent states (team cohesion and collective efficacy) when collaborating with faculty to design online courses. The foundation for the study was the collaborative performance framework by Bedwell et al. The two research questions that were addressed were: (a) How do instructional designers in higher education describe their experiences with team cohesion when collaborating with faculty to design online courses? and (b) How do instructional designers in higher education describe their experiences with collective efficacy when collaborating with faculty to design online courses? Two primary data sources consisted of interviews and focus groups. There were 23 participants who held the title of instructional designer (or similar) in the higher education setting in the United States for at least one year and who had collaborated with at least one faculty subject matter expert to design at least one online course. Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data. There were five themes that emerged from the data, and all themes answered both research questions: (a) project accountability and relationship-building, (b) impact of situational circumstances, (c) adaptability and supportive collaboration roles, (d) role confusion and misperceptions, and (e) impact of expertise and personality. Study findings may assist higher education leaders, faculty, and instructional designers in their collaborative endeavors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]