The class will be divided into four- or five-member groups, and each group will take a contemporary case (or other case of your choosing), in which an organization grapples with challenging internal or external conditions and how the leaders of the organization responded to the conditions and succeeded (or failed).
You will research the pertinent issues of the case and provide an analysis of the leadership decisions and effects of group dynamics on the outcome, positive and/or negative.
From your research and division of the tasks in a Team Project Plan, each team will produce a white paper on the case, a one-page executive summary for your boss to share with other executives, and a short narrated presentation that succinctly covers the case. There are eight steps that will lead you through this project.
Begin with the scenario, which introduces the project as it might occur in the workplace, and then continue with Step 1.
In response to the case study, your team will write an instructive white paper (6-8 pages excluding cover sheet and References) that analyzes a company’s management and leadership environment in a particularly challenging period. Your paper should:
review the issues of the case study as background for the events relating to the role of the leadership and teams, analyze the leadership practices of the organization in the case study, and define the practices that leaders used to create collaborative and successful teams, or failed to effect successful working relations resulting in negative conditions propose remedial principles and practices that the organization might adopt to enable a better outcome.
Now it is time to do a closer read of the chosen case and do any additional research. Revisit guidelines on conducting research, if needed. Then look at Table 1, which provides some topics for your search strategies. In your search, you should consult scholarly resources as well as online resources, newspapers, and business blogs and sites for similar contemporary cases. Topics to Consider as They Apply to Your Team’s Case
1. Principles of teamwork within an organization: What were the practices of this organization, and how did these practices influence the issue and challenges the project team and leader confronted?
2. Best practices for leaders: What practices did the team (or leadership) employ that influenced the outcome, leading to resolution of the crisis, or further exacerbating the situation?
3. How the composition of leadership influences outcomes: Were there unique characteristics of the project team and leaders?
4. Judging the success of project teams, immediate and longer term: Are there any unique issues, challenges, or practices relevant to the leaders, industry, or company?
