This class exists in these courses :
• IÉSEG > IESEG Degree - Programme Grande École > Semester 1 > 2,00 ECTS

Prerequisites

- A training period in a company
- Basic knowledge in organizational behavior
- Basic knowledge in leadership
- Sensitivity to human relations

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student should be able to :
• Identify and reflect on team issues in your own and business life
• Understand the key processes teams engage in and how they impact performance
• Frame unknown problems using academic modelling
• Apply theories of team effectiveness to practice by formulating concrete implications for the management of teams.

Course description

Anyone who has experienced small group work can recall an instance in which they have been part of a team that performed exceptionally well, enhanced its processes over time and whose members emerged greater, fulfilled, and more competent. However, teams can be loaded with exceptionally smart individuals or highly-skilled students, but still fail to achieve their objectives, improve performance and come away from the experience more frustrated. More crucially, many examples of air crashes, medical errors and disasters have been caused by breakdowns of team collaboration. These extreme cases as well as situations in which team members fail to engage in effective teamwork and exhibit poor team performance raise questions of interest. For example, what are the properties of effective teams? What are the most powerful factors that allow teams to build up their power as a collective entity? Besides explaining why some teams thrive and others disappoint, it is important to question possible ways to achieve behavioral changes. What can team managers do to prevent a downward spiral in performance and help team engage in crucial behaviors that will drive them to success? These questions are at the top of the agenda of this course.

Class type

Class structure

Teaching methods

• Case study
• Coaching
• Interactive class
• Project work
• Research
• Visits/fields trips

Assessment

Participation, individual reflective assignement and team consultancy report based on the interview of a team manager.

Recommended reading

• list of readings to choose from a list on ieseg online (course syllabus) -

Internet resources

• IESEG online