Indian School of Business

Course Title: Managing Teams

Academic Year & Term: 2017 18 Term: 4

Instructor: Richard Daft
Office Hours: Email me directly or see
Affiliation: Vanderbilt University me after class for appointment. I am
available most days.
Email: dick.daft@owen.vanderbilt.edu

Course Objective and Key-takeaways

The purpose of this course is to develop new skills and insights concerning the dynamics and
processes of team behavior so that leaders can successfully manage a team. Students who take
advantage of everything this course has to offer will become more comfortable and adept
managing a team. This course examines the team leadership, design, roles, processes and
effectiveness in organizational settings. The focus is on the interpersonal skills that influence
the effectiveness of teams, individual behavior in face-to-face interactions, and group
dynamics.

This course is designed to complement the technical and diagnostic skills learned in the other
courses at ISB. A basic premise is that the manager needs analytic skills as well as interpersonal
skills to effectively manage a team. The course will allow students the opportunity to develop
these skills experientially and to understand team behavior via useful frameworks.

The following is a partial list of objectives:

1. Lead and motivate team members

2. Deal with conflict productively
3. Influence team innovation and creativity
4. Help teams make better decisions
5. Evaluate and reward team performance
6. Understand team roles and processes
7. Improve your ability to manage groups effectively

Learning Goals

Effective Personal Communication

Each student should be an active listener as well as communicate verbally in an organized,
clear, and persuasive manner.

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Critical and Integrative Thinking
Each student shall be able to identify key issues in a business team setting, develop a
perspective that is supported with relevant information and integrative thinking, to draw and
assess conclusions. Interpersonal

Awareness and Working in Teams

Each student shall demonstrate an ability to work effectively in a team, exhibiting behavior that
reflects an understanding of the importance of individual roles and tasks, and the ability to
manage conflict and compromise, so that team goals are achieved.

Course Description
The core content of the course is a series of in-class team exercises, case analyses, and
readings. The in-class exercises are framed and analyzed in terms of readings, lecture, and in-
depth class discussions.

This course is an opportunity to increase your skills relevant to your career. Success as a leader
requires learning continually from your experience through the disciplined integration of action
and reflection (i.e., use the feedback to create change). You wont learn about teamwork by
simply reading or attending lectures. Learning more about teamwork depends on a willingness
to act and to learn from experience: Only you can provide this.

Course Pack Distribution to students

Cases and readings will be distributed as part of the Course Pack (referred to as CP in the
schedule)

Handouts for the class:

Will be provided during class or in a separate packet.

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 Tentative schedule of classes

Class Topic Readings (CP) Activities Assignments Due

Session 1 Leader Impact on Team 1. Leadership and Teaming Team Leadership exercise What leader behaviors
Performance (HBS) Googles 8 Rules, EQ energize team
2. What Makes a Leader? Your Strengths and production?
-Demonstrate essential (HBS)
Weaknesses Why is EQ Important
aspects of team
leadership Review Syllabus for team leaders?
Hand out New England
Wire and Cable
Session 2 Compelling Team 1. Purpose: The Starting Point Memory Exercise What is your vison for
Purpose and Vision of Great Leadership (Leader Video--New England Wire New England Wire and
Motivating Team to Leader) and Cable Cable?
members
2. Employee Motivation Mary Kay Motivation What motivates Mary
-Demonstrate the value Theories and Their Video Case Kay employees?
of a team vision and how Applications to Modern Assign Teams
to use it. How to Organizations (Ovidius Assign Team Charter
motivate others. University Annals, Economic Exercise
Sciences Series Volume XIII, Hand out Right People and
Issue 1/ 2013) Winning Readings
Session 3 Right People and 1. Do You Have the Right People Right People on the Bus Hand in Team Charter.
Persuasion on the Bus? (Handout) Video Exercise How does a leader get
2. Winning Them Over Gain Team Buy-in Video the right people on the
-How get right people on (Handout) Exercise
team?
the team? How get team 3. The Language of Persuasion
to do something (HBS) How can you persuade
members may not want 4. Hiring for Emotional a team?
to do? Intelligence (Harvard
Management Update)
5. Perfect Match (Fortune
Small Business)

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Class Topic Readings (CP) Activities Assignments Due
Session 4 Dysfunctional teams 1. Read Case: Internal In-class Team
-Recognize when and CompetitionA Curse for Marshmallow Exercise
how to handle a team Team Performance (HBS) Discuss case: Internal
malfunction
2. The Discipline of Teams CompetitionA Curse for
(HBS) Team Performance
3. Diagnosing and Fixing
Dysfunctional Teams (HBS)
4. Building a TeamIts not just
About Those Exercises
(Information Outlook, V12,
N09, Sept 2008)
Session 5 High Performance Team 1. Making Dumb Groups In-class video exercises: How can teams
Dialogue Smarter (HBS) Twelve Angry Men and perform so badly or so
2. Conflict Management in Green Valley Ranch perfectly?
Teams (HBS) Team Robust Dialogue How can you provide
Exercise psychological safety to
Hand out Skylab Reading teammates?
Session 6 Handling Team Member 1. Read Case: Skylab and the One-On-One Mid-Term: Hand in
Conflict and Influence Sit-Down Strike in Space Communication and Team case Analysis 1
- (Handout) Coaching Exercises Medisys Corp (HBS)
2. 6 Hostage Negotiation Media Richness Theory
Techniques That Will Get You
What You Want (Time
Magazine)
3. You Cant Be a Great
Manager If Youre Not a Good
Coach (HBS)

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Class Topic Readings (CP) Activities Assignments Due
Session 7 Team Development 1. Read Case Army Crew In-Class Video: The Titans Why did the less
Stages and Processes Team (HBS) In-class Team Feedback experienced team win
-Utilize stage of team 2. How the Right Measures Exercise races?
development and the
Help Teams Excel (HBR) Discuss case: Army Crew
power of accountability
3. Revisit: Building a TeamIts Team
not just About Those Forming, Storming,
Exercises Norming, Performing
Team Development
Model
Executive and Elephant
Presentation
Hand out HBDI, KAI,
Belbin role questionnaires
Session 8 Team Member Creativity, 1. Read Case: Satera Team at In-class exercise on HBDI, Complete and bring to
Roles, & Thinking Styles Imatron Systems (HBS) KAI, and Belbin class HBDI, KAI, and
-Recognize your team 2. Spotlight on the New Science Questionnaires Belbin questionnaires
role and how to combine
of Team Chemistry (HBS) Leader Style Task vs (Handouts)
diverse roles into a high
performing team People Exercise
Team Member KSAs
Discuss case, Satera
Team at Imatron Systems
Session 9 Team Innovation and Design Thinking for Social IDEO video Team Case Analysis--
Creativity Innovation (Stanford Social The Wallet Team Team Collapse at
-Show how all teams can Innovation Review) Creativity Exercise Richard Wood (HBS)
be creative when they
follow the right process

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Class Topic Readings (CP) Activities Assignments Due
Session 10 Multicultural Team 1. Read Case: The Global Discuss case: The Global Complete Online
Differences and how to Software Team: Jugaad Software Team Team Peer
resolve them Needed (HBS) Leadership Across Evaluations
2. Building an Effective Global Cultures
Business Team (HBS) Media Richness Theory
Student Team Debrief and
Member Feedback
FINAL EXAM

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Pre-requisite Course(s)
None

Evaluation Components

Your grade will be based upon:

1. Team Case Analysis (15%, 20%) 35%

2. Contribution to teamwork (Individual) 15%

3. Class Attendance and Participation (Individual) 15%

4. Final exam (Individual) 35%

5. Team Charter Exercise 0%

Description of Graded Assignments

1. Team Case Analyses

Students will work in their teams to analyze and write two cases in this course. The case analyses
have three purposes:

a) To give you the opportunity to apply the class concepts in the solution of practical
problems.

b) To provide your group with a common task through which you can learn to be more
effective group members.

c) To provide students an opportunity to learn from the feedback received from others
regarding their contributions to the team.

Teams will complete these analyses using the general guidelines provided in Appendix A. The
assignments will be evaluated based on how well you identify and justify underlying problems
in the case and the adequacy of and support from course concepts for the recommendations
made. In addition, written case analyses will be judged based on the clarity and technical
quality of the writing and report presentation. The main text of the analysis should not
exceed 2 single-spaced pages. Appendices containing relevant charts, figures, or other visual
material may be included in addition to the 2 pages, as needed.

2. Teamwork Participation

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 Working in your team is an important aspect of the course. As such, there are several
teamwork related requirements.

a) Team charter (contract): Each team will be expected to complete a team charter. This
contract lays out expectations the team holds for team members. There are several steps
in this process. First, team members should individually identify their own expectations of
other team members. (Readings on team charter will be handed out. You are encouraged
to search for team charter examples on the Internet.) Second, share your team
experiences and expectations with one another at your first meeting. Third, develop a
team charter to which all team members can agree (all group members should sign it).
Fourth, hand in your charter by the 3rd class session. The charter will be graded pass/fail,
which means you will be asked to redo it if incomplete.
b) Peer feedback: Team members will provide feedback to one another in class session 7,
and will evaluate each other at the end of term using a web-based team member survey.
Team members will be asked to rate one another in terms of (a) teamwork, (b) quality of
work, (c) motivation, (d) reliability, and (d) fulfillment of the team charter. (Appendix B is
an example survey, although a different form will be used for actual feedback). These
ratings will be aggregated and anonymously shared with your teammates. It will also be
used to determine the teamwork aspect of your grade.

Completing the peer evaluations is an essential learning requirement for this course.
Failure to complete the peer evaluations will cause a substantial decrease in your team
contribution grade.

3. Class Participation

Experiential learning works only through participation in course exercises, debriefings, and
case discussions. Thus, we expect that you will attend and actively participate in all class
meetings. We understand that some conflicts cannot be avoided. If you must miss a class,
please inform us of your absence before class starts.

If you are not in attendance when a role assignment for a case or exercise is distributed, you
are responsible for obtaining the needed material.

4. Final exam

This will be a closed book exam requiring you to respond to specific questions about readings
and cases. Further details will be discussed in class.

Assignment Schedule

Name of the Date of Take-home Group Instructions to Coding

Component Submission or in-class Assignment students on word Schem
/Deadline (Y/N) limit/format of e
submission etc.
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Team Charter Session 3 Take-home Y See under 0N
description of
graded
assignments
Team case Session 6 Take-home Y ,, 2N-a
analysis 1
Team case Session 9 Take-home Y ,, 2N-a
analysis 2
Complete online Session 10 Take Home N See under 4N
peer evaluation description of
of teamwork graded
contribution assignments
Final Exam Session 11 In-class N TBA 4N

Group Information
Group Size
Group Composition
Can groups be formed
across different sections?
5 students per team
To be determined by professor using pre-course data about
students interests and backgrounds
No

Attendance, Punctuality & Readings

Attendance is required and will be recorded. ISB students are admitted partly based on the
experiences they bring to the learning community and what they can add to class discussions.
You have to be present in all the classes to get full attendance/participation credit. Absence is
only appropriate in cases of serious personal illness, injury, or close family bereavement.
Voluntary activities such as job interviews, business school competitions, travel plans, joyous
family occasions, etc. are never valid reasons for missing any class. The Academic Associate will
keep track of your attendance. Excessive class misses will be penalized. Four misses will mean a
drop of one letter grade. Five misses and you will fail the course.
Late arrival is disruptive to the learning environment; so you have to be in class before the
scheduled time. Class and Exam schedules are posted on the PGP intranet site. Any change in the
class schedule is notified in advance. If you find it necessary to miss a class or make a late
submission, you must seek permission from the instructor in advance. In case of illness, the
professor may also require a letter of confirmation from a qualified doctor.

Students are expected to read and prepare before the assigned cases for class discussion, along
with the articles and assigned readings for each class session. Student insights into the assigned
cases and readings are an important part of class participation.

Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is expected in this class. Academic integrity means that you are expected to
approach all assignments within the letter and the spirit of the class rules. Dishonesty will not be

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tolerated in any form. Activities that constitute dishonesty include: (1) copying test/article
passages verbatim or paraphrasing those passages in your papers without referencing the
original source (including form the internet); (2) consulting those who have already taken this
course about cases or assignments before they are due; (3) working with others on assignments
that are strictly individual. If you have any questions as to whether any behavior is below the
ethical guidelines established in this class, please ask and we will be happy to evaluate the
situation and discuss it without prejudice.

We reserve the right to adjust the grade up to 2 levels (negative) based on documented cases of
academic dishonesty.

We take grading seriously. We feel an obligation, not only to the person being graded, but also to
the other members of the class to evaluate each and every student as objectively and fairly as
humanly possible. However, we are human so we are prone to occasional misjudgments.

We allow students to discuss or address their grade for up to two Sessions after any grade is
posted. However, we request the following procedure be followed. First, we ask that written
communication be provided to us in the form of letter or email specifying the questions and
what your optimum resolution would be. We will evaluate the request and will contact the
individual within 1 week of receipt with either a decision or request for meeting.

Discussion Questions for Case Class Discussions

(A) Medisys Product Development Team

Use Appendix A analysis format.

(B) The Satera Team at Imatron Systems, Inc. (A)

1. Assess the Satera team in terms of its strengths, challenges, and current health. What do
you see as the major problem facing Gary Pinto? Would you characterize the interactions
of Ira Lovas and David Bennett a productive result of creative tension or something else?
2. What are the psychological and interpersonal processes that have led to the tensions and
impeded the progress of the Satera team?
3. Your team is a consultant for [Ira] [David] [Gary] [the junior engineers on the Satera
team]. What advice would you give to him/them for dealing with this situation? For
example, how should he/they be viewing the situation? What should he/they do next?
What are the possible pitfalls of the actions you suggest? What should he/they do to
minimize or deal with those pitfalls? (Each team will be assigned to consult for a different
protagonist.)

(D) Internal CompetitionA Curse for Team Performance

1. What are the dysfunctional characteristics of the FIS project team?

2. Is a poor group development process a consequence of dysfunctional characteristics or a
cause?
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 3. What are the leadership issues for the project team?
4. How is the level of team cohesiveness related to the teams performance failure?
5. What actions should the team leader consider doing in the team management process?

(E) The Army Crew Team

1. Why do you think the Varsity Team loses to the JV Team?

2. What might Coach P. have done differently early in the season to resolve this problem?
At what point should he have intervened differently?
3. At the end of the case, what action should the coach take on Tuesday? Why? How
should he implement this action? Be specific.
4. How would you compare the Army Crew Team to other types of organizational teams?
Think in terms of similarities and differences.
5. What lessons can be taken away from the Army Crew Team experience to apply to other
teams in your future?

(F) Strike in Space (Handout)

(G) The Global Software Team: Jugaad Needed

1. What is team leader Jim Notrika trying to accomplish in this case?

2. Why is the team having problems?
3. If you were in Notrikas shoes, what would you try to do while in Mumba and upon your
return to Boston?

(H) Team Collapse at Richard Wood and Hulme LLP

Use Appendix A analysis format for team case write-ups. A handout with example will also be
provided.

Appendix A: Case Analysis Grading Criteria and Suggestions

For each case (including both those to be graded and those you prepare for class discussion), I
have identified specific preparation case discussion questions listed in the Course Schedule.
These specific questions should be the focus of your case preparation. The following questions,
however, apply generally to case analyses and may be helpful as you approach your first few
cases.

Problem identification and Analysis (30%)

(1) What are the key problems in the case? Try to identify the 2-3 key problems underlying
the variety of symptoms present in the case.

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(2) What is your justification for your identification of the key problems? Do some problems
share a cause?

(3) Use evidence-based thinking. Link your justification of the key problems and causes to
specific issues or concepts covered in class discussions and mini-lectures, or covered in
readings, videos, handouts, or other class materials. A handout will be provided with
example of how to show evidence-based thinking in your papers.

Developing and implementing an action plan (60%)

(4) List the specific steps of your action plan in sequential order to address the problems you
identified. What is your time horizon? Consider using a timeline to show how your
recommended steps fit together for implementation.

(5) Be specific and concrete about your action steps, rather than relying on broad
prescriptions, such as "stronger leadership," "better communication," or "do more
research."

(6) Justify your action steps. Use evidence-based thinking. You can use concepts covered in
class discussions and mini-lectures, and in readings, videos, handouts, or other class
materials. You should cite or refer to the relevant title in boldface type (e.g., Leadership
and Teaming; Mary Kay video) to make your evidence explicit to the reader. Using a
direct quotation is the highest evidence, in which case you should also include the page
number (e.g., Leadership and Teaming, p. 3).

(7) Assess the realism of your proposed action plan. For example, is there adequate time,
money, or other resources for your solution? Also, does your solution place too much
reliance on changing other people beyond what is "reasonable"?

Writing Clarity (10 %)

Use of clear and lucid writing, strong subheadings, logical order, solution creativity, length.

Appendix B Web-based team member evaluation

Team Number Your Name

________________ ____________________________________________

Rate each group member (including yourself) using the following scale:

1 = poor
2 = needs improvement
3 = satisfactory
4 = very good
5 = excellent

Definitions:
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Teamwork: receptive to others input, works well with others, cooperative, sensitive to
group process
Quality of work: knowledgeable about course material, has creative and sound ideas,
produces solid written work
Motivation: participates actively, contributes sufficient effort
Reliability: meets deadlines, is prompt, attends meetings
Fulfillment of
Team Charter: meets group expectations as outlined by your group contract

Overall Contribution: overall assessment of that individuals contribution to the group.

Group Members Teamwork Quality Motivati Reliability Fulfillment Overall

(list by name) of Work on of Group Contribution
Contract

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