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DESIGNING, IMPLEMENTING AND LEADING VIRTUAL TEAMS IN AN ORGANISATION

Syllabus

EN IT

Learning Objectives

LEARNING OUTCOMES: The course's objective is twofold: first, to make the student understand how to design, implement and lead virtual teams in an organisation. Second, to introduce the basic concepts of leadership and teamwork.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: The course covers designing, implementing, and leading virtual teams from both a macro and a micro perspective. Individuals influence team dynamics, particularly when these teams are virtual. Besides, teams often belong to a larger organisation to which they are accountable in terms of behaviour and expected results. It is therefore important to constantly align these expectations and consider the complications of the virtual. Understanding both the macro and micro perspectives and how these two interrelations are essential for understanding virtual teams and their effective design and implementation.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Through role-playing and experiential exercises, students will be able to experience first-hand what they have learnt during the course.

MAKING JUDGEMENTS: Following successful completion of the course, students will be able to describe the principles of design, implementation and leadership of virtual teams; explain what roles and phases characterise a team; and discuss in depth issues related to team dynamics and how these change in virtual contexts.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS: To achieve its objectives, the course includes reading, experimental activities, role playing, individual and team tasks. All activities are an important basis for class discussions and must be completed before each session.
Since everyone brings unique perspectives and experiences to the class, participation in class discussions and activities is essential for one's own learning, as well as that of the other class members.

LEARNING SKILLS: During the classroom discussions and role-playing, students will be asked to:
1. Take a specific position on certain issues and/or points.
2. Ask clarifying questions.
3. To collaborate in order to keep the discussion alive.
4. Help guide and involve other students in the discussion.
5. Integrate the discussion with theories, content and concepts already seen in other sessions.

Prerequisites

There are no specific prerequisites, other than a generic knowledge of business organisation subjects.

Program

The course is structured in 18 different sessions, each lasting 2 hours, divided in 5 sections:

SECTION I: INTRODUCTION TO TEAMS (8 hours)
1 COURSE INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
2 DEFINING ORGANISATIONS AND TEAMS
3 TEAM ROLES AND DEVELOPMENTAL PHASES
4 LEADING TEAMS

SECTION II: INTRODUCTION TO VIRTUAL TEAMS (4 hours)
5 DEFINING VIRTUAL TEAMS
6 DEFINING SMART LEADERSHIP

SECTION III: DESIGNING VIRTUAL TEAMS (8 hours)
7 ACHIEVING OUTCOMES
8 INVOLVING OTHERS
9 VIRTUAL COLLABORATION
10 FIRST STAGE OF ROLE-PLAYING

SECTION IV: IMPLEMENTING VIRTUAL TEAMS (8 hours)
11 HOW TO COMMUNICATE FROM DISTANCE
12 HOW TO COMMUNICATE FROM DISTANCE
13 RUNNING VIRTUAL MEETINGS
14 SECOND STAGE OF ROLE-PLAYING

SECTION V: LEADING VIRTUAL TEAMS (8 hours)
15 LEADING VIRTUAL TEAMS
16 OURSELVES
17 HOW TO DEVELOP SMART LEADERS
18 LAST STAGE OF ROLE-PLAYING

Books

Textbook:
1. Eikenberry, K., & Turmel, W. (2018). The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Readings:
2. The Virtual Manager Collection. U.S., Harvard Business Review Press, 2016.
3. Zander, L., Mockaitis, A. I., & Butler, C. L. (2012). Leading global teams. Journal of World Business, 47(4), 592-603.

Bibliography

Slides and other material will be available under the course web site.
The slides do not represent a support for an effective and successful preparation to the exam of the course. They represent only a help to facilitate the transfer of the knowledge to students during the lectures.

Teaching methods

Lectures, flipped lectures, exercies, role playing, individual and team projects.

Exam Rules

The examination will consist of a reflective essay (70% of the final grade) and the presentation of a project to be developed during the course (30% of the final grade). It will only be possible to take this mode at the first appeal after the end of the course. This test is particularly relevant as it requires an in-depth analysis of team dynamics through Gibbs' reflective cycle scheme (description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan).
From the second call onwards, the examination mode will be oral and will include theoretical questions relating to the theory of the course and discussion of incidents relating to team dynamics in virtual contexts.

The exam will be assessed according to the following criteria:
Not Successful: important deficiencies and/or inaccuracies in the knowledge and understanding of the topics; limited ability to analyse and synthesise, frequent generalisations and limited critical and judgemental skills, the topics are set out inconsistently and with inappropriate language;
18-20: Barely sufficient knowledge and understanding of the topics with possible generalisations and imperfections; sufficient capacity for analysis synthesis and autonomy of judgement, topics are frequently exposed in an incoherent way and with inappropriate/technical language;
21-23: Routine knowledge and understanding of topics; ability to analyse and synthesise correctly with sufficiently coherent logical argumentation and appropriate/technical language;
24-26: Fair knowledge and understanding of the topics; Good analytical and synthetic skills with arguments expressed in a rigorous manner but with language that is not always appropriate/technical;
27-29: Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the topics; considerable capacity for analysis and synthesis. Good autonomy of judgement. Arguments presented in a rigorous manner and with appropriate/technical language;
30-30L: Excellent level of knowledge and thorough understanding of topics. Excellent analytical and synthetic skills and independent judgement. Arguments expressed in an original manner and with appropriate technical language.