APPL 650.185 Fall 2013
General Course Information:
APPL 650.185.Fall 2013
Mondays 8:15 to 10:45
Work Groups in Organizations
Walther
Work Groups in Organizations
Instructor Information:
Todd Walther
Telephone Number: 443.542.4580
Email: tbwalther@gmail.com
Office Hours: By appointment only
Course Description
A study of group dynamics in the context of organizations, focusing on the
predominant psychological theories and research findings that explain the
formation and development of work groups. Emphasis on learning how effective
strategies and techniques can be used to enhance teamwork in organizations.
Course Goals/Objectives
Course objectives: This course is designed to enable students to learn to apply
relevant social, personality, and cognitive psychological theories and models
to the creation and maintenance of effective work groups and teams in
organizations. Students will develop an understanding with current theories and
practices that contribute to group or team effectiveness. The course will focus
upon the ingredients that combine to make effective groups/teams, including
composition, size, types of tasks, resources, leadership, diversity, roles,
goals, work, organizational factors, interpersonal processes (including
decision-making), training, interventions (including conflict resolution), and
commitment.
Grading Information
Grade Determination:
Mid-Term(20%) + Final (20%) + Group Project (20%) + Thought Papers (20%)
+ Class Participation (20%) = 100%
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APPL 650.185 Fall 2013
Work Groups in Organizations
Walther
Course Schedule
Class Date
Readings, Assignments, and Due Dates
9/9
Topic: Introduction to Work Groups in Organizations
Relationship Building for Teams
Description of course objectives, requirements.
Experiential Exercise: Have You Ever?
Homework Assignment Case Study: Wetlaufer, S. (1994). The team that wasn't.
Harvard Business Review. November-December , p.4-7.
9/16
Topic: Defining Teams
Discussion: The team that wasn’t. (Report out)
Experiential Exercise: Understanding Aspects of Team Performance
Assigned Reading: Cannon-Bowers, J.A., Tannenbaum, S.I., Salas, E., and Volpe,
C.E. (1995). Defining competencies and establishing training team requirements.
In P. Goodman (Ed.), Designing effective work groups (pp. 334-380). San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
9/23
Topic: Appreciative Inquiry
Experiential Exercise: Dream Teams
Assigned reading: Bush, G. (1998) Appreciative Inquiry with Teams. The
Organizational Development Journal, 16:3, pp. 41-50.
9/30
Topic: Team Processes and Outcomes
Experiential Exercises: Blended Team Problem-solving Challenges – Warp Speed/
Hang Time
Assigned Reading: Tuckman, B. (1965) Developmental Sequence in Small Groups.
Psychological Bulletin, 63 pp. 384-399.
10/7
Topic: Groupthink
Experiential Exercise: Survival
Chapter 18. A First Look at Communication Theory, 3rd Edition. Ed. Griffin, (1997),
McGraw-Hill. [Available:
http://www.afirstlook.com/archive/groupthink.cfm?source=archther].
10/14
Topic: Abilene Paradox
Video: Abilene Paradox
Assigned Reading: Deiss, K. (1999) Revisiting the Abilene Paradox: Is Management
of Agreement Still an Issue? Leading Ideas, (8). Association of Research Libraries,
Washington, DC. [Available:
http://www.arl.org/diversity/leading/issue8/abilene.html]
10/21
*** Midterm Exam ***
10/28
Topic: Preparing for Team Building; Motivation
Experiential Exercise: The Keypunch
Assigned reading: Kerr, S. (1995). On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B.
Academy of Management Executive, 9(1), 7-14.
11/4
Topic: Conflict in Teams
Experiential Exercise: The Ugli Orange
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APPL 650.185 Fall 2013
11/11
11/18
11/25
12/2
12/9
12/16
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Work Groups in Organizations
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Assigned reading: Understanding the TKI – tbd
Topic: Emotional Factors in Work Groups
Experiential Exercise: Baron EQ-I Feedback Session
Assignment: Complete the BarOn EQ-I on-line by April 23rd.
Assigned reading: Goleman, D. (2000b). Leadership that gets results. Harvard
Business Review, March-April, pp. 78-90.
Bar-On, R.(2001). Emotional intelligence and self-actualization. In Joseph Ciarrochi,
Joe Forgas, and John D. Mayer (Eds.), Emotional intelligence in everyday life: A
scientific inquiry. New York: Psychology Press
Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D., & Salovey, P. (1999). Emotional intelligence meets
traditional standards for an intelligence. Intelligence, 27, pp.267-298.
Recommended: Goleman, D. (1998b). What makes a leader? Harvard Business
Review, November-December, pp. 92-102.
Topic: Communication and Feedback
Experiential Exercise: Colorblind
Assigned reading: Argyris, C. (1991) Teaching smart people how to learn. Harvard
Business Review, May-June, pp. 99-109.
Ross, R. The Ladder of Inference. In The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies and
Tools for Building a Learning Organization (New York: Doubleday, 1994), pp. 242246.
Ross, R. & Kleiner, A., The Left-Hand Column. In The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook:
Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization (New York: Doubleday,
1994), pp. 246-53.
Ross, R. & Roberts, C. Balancing Advocacy and Inquiry. In The Fifth Discipline
Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization (New York:
Doubleday, 1994), 253-59
Group Projects
Group Projects
Group Projects
Final Exam – Take Home: Due Midnight
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APPL 650.185 Fall 2013
Work Groups in Organizations
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Thought Papers
Each week, you have an article or more to read in preparation for class. Please take time to
summarize your thoughts about that article into a one page or less thought paper. What did
you learn? What surprised you? What do you agree or disagree with? Please double-space and
format the papers to a 12-point font. These thought papers account for a significant portion of
your grade, so please take them seriously.
Group Project
Early in the semester you will form groups of 4-5 (no more, no less!) classmates to work with on
the project. You should then identify an organization where you have access to employees and
management.
1. Identify an issue or problem. Here, you can be creative, but the issue should be (a)
relevant to topics we are learning about in work groups in organizations, and (b)
relevant to members of the organization that you are studying.
2. Identify your conceptual framework. Pick a model as a basis to explore your research.
3. Collect “data”. What work group phenomenon are you seeing. How does it match or
differ from what you expected to see based up research and course materials?
4. Write up an analysis, and make recommendations.
Group Presentation
20% of Total Grade
Group Presentation (50% of Project Grade): On that day, your group also will present its
findings to the class in a 45-60 minute presentation.
• Develop and present your presentation (PowerPoint optional)
• Use lots of pictures and few words; ClipArt is unoriginal and outdated.
• Make the presentation an experience; do not bore the audience, especially me.
• Do NOT read slides
• Find a large role in the presentation for everyone on your team.
• Do not exceed 60 minutes on your presentation.
Peer Evaluation (50% of Project Grade): Additionally, when the group project is turned in the
group members also will submit a peer evaluation of the contribution of each group member to
the product as a whole. The norm is to assign one group grade to each group member;
however, I reserve the right to alter the allocation of grades based on strong evidence of freeriding in groups. As we will discuss in class, this policy is based on a significant body of research
on social loafing in task groups.
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APPL 650.185 Fall 2013
Work Groups in Organizations
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Course Materials
Course materials are available through Langsdale Library's E-Reserves:
A First Look at Communication Theory, 3rd Edition, Chapter 18.. Ed. Griffin,
(1997), McGraw-Hill. [Available:
http://www.afirstlook.com/archive/groupthink.cfm?source=archther].
Argyris, C. (1991) Teaching smart people how to learn. Harvard Business Review,
May-June, pp. 99-109.
Bar-On, R.(2001). Emotional intelligence and self-actualization. In Joseph
Ciarrochi, Joe Forgas, and John D. Mayer (Eds.), Emotional intelligence in
everyday life: A scientific inquiry. New York: Psychology Press.
Bush, G. (1998) Appreciative Inquiry with Teams. The Organizational Development
Journal, 16:3, pp. 41-50.
Cannon-Bowers, J., Tannenbaum, S., Salas, E. & Volpe, C. (1995). Defining
competencies and establishing team training requirements. In Guzzo, R., Salas,
E. & Associates (1995). Team effectiveness and decision making in
organizations. (pp. 333-79). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Deiss, K. (1999) Revisiting the Abilene Paradox: Is Management of Agreement
Still an Issue? Leading Ideas, (8). Association of Research Libraries,
Washington, DC.
[Available: http://www.arl.org/diversity/leading/issue8/abilene.html]
Dyer, W. (1995) Team Building: Current Issues and New Alternatives, 3rd ed.
Addison Wesley Publishing Company. ISBN: 0-201-62882-1
Goleman, D. (2000b). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review,
March-April, pp. 78-90.
Goleman, D. (1998b). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review,
November-December, pp. 92-102.
Katzenbach, J.R. and Smith, D.K. (1993) The Discipline of Teams, Harvard
Business Review, March-April, pp. 111-120.
Kerr, S. (1995).
On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B. Academy of Management
Executive, 9(1), 7-14.
Rev Aug 5 2013
5
APPL 650.185 Fall 2013
Work Groups in Organizations
Walther
Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D., & Salovey, P. (1999). Emotional intelligence meets
traditional standards for an intelligence. Intelligence, 27, pp.267-298.
Ross, R. The Ladder of Inference. In The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies
and Tools for Building a Learning Organization (New York: Doubleday, 1994), pp.
242-246.
Ross, R. & Kleiner, A., The Left-Hand Column. In The Fifth Discipline
Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization (New York:
Doubleday, 1994), pp. 246-53.
Ross, R. & Roberts, C. Balancing Advocacy and Inquiry. In The Fifth Discipline
Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization (New York:
Doubleday, 1994), 253-59.
Stevens, M.J., & Campion, M. A. (1994). The knowledge, skill, and ability
requirements for teamwork: Implications for human resource management. Journal
of Management, 20, pp. 503-530.
Stewart, G, Manz, C., & Sims, H. (1999). Teamwork and Group Dynamics, John
Wiley and Sons, ISBN 0-471-19769-6
Tuckman, B. (1965) Developmental Sequence in Small Groups. Psychological
Bulletin, 63 pp. 384-399.
Wetlaufer, S. (1994). The team that wasn't. Harvard Business Review.
November-December , p.4-7.
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