Corso di Laurea in Economia e Management

Aggiornato A.A. 2026-2027

Learning objectives and expected learning outcomes

Learning objectives

The course aims to train and develop transversal skills, particularly interpersonal skills, collaboration and group leadership. Its ultimate objective is students’ personal development, enabling them to better understand social and professional contexts and to deal more consciously with university, internship and organisational situations.

The course connects theoretical concepts, observable behaviours and outcomes through short explanations, practical exercises, simulations and reflection on experience. Experiential learning enables students to justify their choices and revise them in light of evidence and feedback.

The programme is structured into two key areas of development:

• Section I: Social skills for group management. Objective: to develop competencies for analysing individual behaviour within a group and the group as a work unit. Topics include individual differences, complementary contributions, interdependence, composition, development, roles, status, norms and cohesion, connecting decision-making and communication with team effectiveness.
• Section II: Leadership skills for group guidance. Objective: to develop relational, interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills for leading people and teams. Topics include the relationship between leaders, collaborators and context, sources of influence, the choice of direction and support, comparison among leadership perspectives and the management of disagreement. Reflection and the personal development plan connect both areas with the transfer of learning.

Knowledge and understanding

1. Acquire and demonstrate mastery of concepts related to teamwork and leadership. In particular:

1.1. Understand models and theories concerning teamwork dynamics and challenges. Distinguish personality, competence and motivation: the Big Five and the critical use of 16Personalities, without equating it with MBTI; competence as the integration of knowledge, abilities and experience; motivation as direction, intensity and persistence.

Explain person-context interaction, interdependence, technical and social composition, group development, roles, status, norms, cohesion, effectiveness, creativity and innovation. Understand information sharing, conformity, groupthink, polarisation, social loafing and the construction of shared meaning.

1.2. Understand leadership styles and behaviours that support individual and group effectiveness. Distinguish influence, authority and bases of power; understand SLII, task-specific competence and commitment, direction and support.

Compare transactional, charismatic, authentic and transformational leadership, including the four I’s. Understand bounded rationality, interests and positions, task and relationship conflict, psychological safety, feedback and experiential learning.

Applying knowledge and understanding

2. Develop competencies for analysing individual behaviour and the group as a work unit.

Create a map of contributions and a team agreement; compare individual and collective decisions; calculate and interpret distance from the lunar simulation answer key; check understanding through questions and reformulation.

Select appropriate levels of direction and support in relation to the task and the collaborator; prepare a dialogue, participate in a meeting and formulate a recommendation including responsibilities, deadlines and follow-up checks, within the limits of one’s authority.

Independent judgement

3. Develop analytical and problem-solving skills concerning teamwork and group leadership.

Distinguish facts, interpretations and attributed intentions; assess alternatives and missing information; recognise pressures towards agreement and the limitations of questionnaires, models and simulations. Justify conclusions without inventing data or generalising from a single episode.

4. Use relational, interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills for the development of teams and individuals.

Assess the effects of choices on the task and on relationships, address disagreement and consider interests, constraints, consequences and the boundaries of authority.

Communication skills

5. Develop written communication skills through a clear and structured reflective report connecting theory, episodes, evidence, alternative explanations and actions.

Acknowledge sources and distinguish one’s own contribution from outcomes produced jointly with others.

6. Develop presentation and concise communication skills through dialogues, discussions and the final presentation.

Argue in support of a proposal, listen, manage time, answer questions and provide usable feedback based on behaviours and evidence.

Learning skills

7. Demonstrate the ability to reflect and engage in continuous learning.

Use Kolb’s cycle to move from experience to observation, conceptualisation and a new attempt. Use feedback, distinguish learning from transfer, formulate goals and if-then plans, identify obstacles and sources of support, and select indicators for assessing progress in future contexts.

Prerequisites

None.

Students are nevertheless encouraged to review the contents of any previous courses in Organisation Theory or Organisational Behaviour taken during their bachelor’s degree.

Concepts are introduced progressively through examples accessible to second-year students. Preparation for the activities, willingness to engage with others and personal reflection on experience are required.

Programme

Week 1: Analysis of group dynamics

Two 180-minute sessions, totalling 6 hours.

Session 1: person and context; personality, the Big Five and critical use of 16Personalities; competence as knowledge, abilities and experience; motivation as direction, intensity and persistence.

Interdependence, composition and integration of differences, roles, status, norms, group development, effectiveness, creativity and innovation.

Identification of individual contributions, construction of a team map and team agreement; beginning of the reflective diary.

Session 2: individual and collective decision-making in the lunar simulation; calculation of the absolute distance from the answer key and comparison with the individual average and the best individual result.

Shared information, cohesion, conformity, groupthink, polarisation and social loafing.

The word game compares communication without questions and communication with questions: listening, reformulation, feedback and shared meaning.

Debriefing on observed behaviours and selection of a rule to test.

Week 2: Analysis of leadership dynamics

Two 180-minute sessions, totalling 6 hours.

Session 3: leadership as influence involving leaders, collaborators and context; authority and bases of power; task and relationships.

SLII: task-specific competence and commitment, direction and support; analysis of four collaborators and simulated dialogues.

Transactional, charismatic, authentic and transformational leadership, the four I’s, and individual and collective consequences.

Preparation for a role in the meeting concerning a delayed digital platform.

Session 4: preparation, a simulated meeting lasting no more than 60 minutes, observation and debriefing.

Distinction between facts and assumptions, bounded rationality, interests, positions and limits of authority; task and relationship conflict, psychological safety, criteria and options.

Preparation of meeting minutes and a recommendation to management.

Reflective writing workshop and preparation of the individual report and shared presentation.

Week 3: Presentation of final results

Two 180-minute sessions, totalling 6 hours.

Sessions 5 and 6: equivalent group presentation slots, individual questions and feedback.

Argumentation through episodes and evidence, distinction between description and reflection, alternative interpretations and use of sources.

Personal review, generalisation and maintenance of learning, development goals, if-then plans and progress indicators.

Theoretical preparation for both presentation slots is made available to all students before their own presentation; criteria and requirements are identical.

The course comprises six sessions and 18 classroom hours overall, corresponding to 3 ECTS credits.

Preparation, readings, diary entries and the report also require independent work outside classroom hours.

Assessment methods

Objective

The assessment gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and application of the concepts addressed during the course.

Personal reflection on experiences developed during the sessions must be supported by episodes and evidence.

Assessment considers critical thinking, independent judgement and the ability to explain the relationship between behaviours, processes and outcomes.

Project assessment

The final project comprises an individual written report and an oral presentation delivered with the group.

The result is individual and is recorded as Pass/Fail.

Team activities provide a shared experience; the argumentation, reflection and development plan included in the report are personal.

Discussion focuses on course exercises and may be supplemented with relevant university, professional or personal experiences, explaining how and why the concepts help to understand them.

Requirements

• Each student writes an individual report of at least 3,000 words. Exceeding the minimum is permitted, but greater length does not in itself represent an element of merit. Clarity, relevance and depth of analysis are what matter.
• The group presentation lasts 10-15 minutes and summarises observed dynamics and learning. All members participate with an identifiable contribution. Individual questions, discussion and feedback follow.
• Each student uploads their own report to the dedicated Google Classroom assignment. One group representative uploads the shared presentation including the names of all group members. Deadlines are communicated through the assignment associated with the presentation or examination sitting.
• The report and presentation jointly account for 100% of the final assessment. Both components are required. Individual exercises do not receive separate grades. A personality profile or the numerical outcome of a simulation does not determine whether a student passes.

Project structure

The written report addresses the following points:

1. Analysis of group dynamics. Describe the context, composition, goals, interdependencies, roles and norms. Analyse episodes of collaboration, decision-making and communication, showing the student’s personal contribution and connecting processes with outcomes. Distinguish cohesion, reasoned agreement and group pressure; discuss difficulties and alternatives.
2. Analysis of leadership dynamics. Identify influence behaviours, bases of power and the relationship between leaders, collaborators and the situation. Justify choices concerning direction and support, compare leadership perspectives and analyse the meeting in terms of constraints, conflict, understanding and responsibility. Distinguish facts from assumptions and consider effects on both the task and relationships.
3. Final reflections and personal development proposal. Connect learning, strengths and difficulties with episodes and evidence. Formulate a plan identifying the behaviour to be practised, context, actions, timing, obstacles, resources and indicators. Explain how feedback will be used, how learning will be transferred and how one’s own attempt will be reviewed, including through an if-then plan.

For each point, students must explain how and why the selected theories are relevant, consider alternative interpretations and cite their sources.

The report includes first name, surname, student number and group.

Outputs produced by the team may be used as evidence, provided that shared and individual contributions are clearly identifiable.

The presentation provides an argued synthesis of these contents. Graphic quality does not substitute for analysis.

Presentation opportunity

Students who meet the attendance requirements may give their presentation during the course, in the assigned slot during the third week, instead of presenting at an examination sitting.

In all other cases, the presentation takes place during an examination sitting, after any necessary make-up arrangements for experiential activities have been agreed upon.

Sessions 5 and 6 apply the same criteria and require the same preparation.

The digital-platform simulation takes place during session 4. The final presentation discusses evidence from this simulation together with evidence from the other activities.

Registration for the relevant examination sitting through DELPHI is always required in order to record the Pass result officially, even when the presentation has already been delivered during the course.

Assessment criteria

The assessment evaluates theoretical knowledge and its application to individual and group experiences.

The final section of the report focuses particularly on independent judgement, the quality of reflection and the concreteness of the personal development plan.

Assessment considers:

• accuracy and relevance of concepts;
• connections between theory and episodes;
• quality of evidence;
• distinction between facts and interpretations;
• consideration of alternatives;
• authenticity of personal reflection;
• clarity;
• appropriate use and acknowledgement of sources.

The oral component evaluates the individual contribution, structure, time management, listening skills and answers to questions.

The assessment follows the criteria below.

Fail

• Significant gaps in knowledge and understanding of the topics.
• Weak or inappropriate application of theories to the social and experiential context.
• Generalisations, merely descriptive analysis or inadequate personal reflection, without a coherent development plan.
• Poorly structured argumentation, inconsistent language or imprecise use of concepts; difficulty in discussing one’s own contribution and answering questions.

The absence of any required component prevents completion of the assessment.

Pass

• Rigorous and relevant application of concepts to experience, supported by evidence and by a reasoned connection between behaviours and outcomes.
• Critical thinking and independent judgement, consideration of alternatives and a concrete, coherent and verifiable personal development plan.
• Well-structured written and oral discussion, appropriate language, acknowledged sources and an identifiable individual contribution.

This assessment method verifies that students understand the concepts and develop analytical, communication and leadership skills that can be transferred to future organisational situations.

Course materials

Material presented during the course covers individual differences and motivation; group composition, development and functioning; collective decision-making and communication; influence and leadership; conflict and meetings; reflective writing, feedback and transfer of learning.

Preparation integrates theoretical explanations, readings containing organisational examples and references to sources, operational instructions, direct experience from the activities and the personal diary.

Reference bibliography

• Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice-Hall.
• Kozlowski, S. W. J., & Ilgen, D. R. (2006). Enhancing the effectiveness of work groups and teams. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 7(3), 77-124. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1529-1006.2006.00030.x
• Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410617095
• Blanchard, K., Zigarmi, P., Zigarmi, D., & Halsey, V. (2020). SLII [Participant workbook, sample, version V010120]. The Ken Blanchard Companies.
• Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487
• Baldwin, T. T., & Ford, J. K. (1988). Transfer of training: A review and directions for future research. Personnel Psychology, 41(1), 63-105. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1988.tb00632.x

Other study materials

Theoretical and practical contents concerning groups, leadership and reflection are made available in the course environment or distributed in class.

They include extended explanations of the models, organisational examples, cases, exercises, simulations and guidance for analysing experience.

Confidential simulation information and the lunar answer key are distributed at the appropriate stages of the course.

Argumentation, feedback, goals, transfer and the personal development plan must be prepared before both final presentation slots.

The bibliography is intended to guide further study. Students are not required to purchase all the listed volumes.

Note: Summaries presented during classes provide support for studying but are not sufficient on their own for the final assessment. Students must integrate theory, readings, activities, collected records and personal reflection, acknowledging the sources used.

Delivery mode

The course uses a combination of in-person teaching methods, including interactive lectures, case discussions and practical exercises, within an experiential learning approach.

Lectures provide an introduction to the concepts required for experimentation and represent only a limited proportion of classroom time.

They are not limited to the transmission of knowledge, but include questions, examples and interaction between the instructor and students.

Readings prepare students for the experience and deepen its theoretical foundations, while avoiding the use of models as personal labels or automatic prescriptions.

The substantial part of the course is student-centred and includes individual and team-based work and reflection, normally in teams of approximately 3-4 students.

Through direct experience, observation, analysis and discussion, students address problems relating to collaboration and group leadership.

Students identify contributions and create a team map and team agreement; compare individual and collective decisions in the lunar simulation; and experience the word game both without questions and with questions.

They analyse four collaborators, practise dialogues involving different levels of direction and support, and prepare for an organisational meeting.

During session 4, the first 20 minutes are devoted to preparation. The meeting takes place between minutes 20 and 80 and, in teams of four, the observer changes at minute 50.

This is followed by debriefing, writing activities and preparation for the final assessment.

The team formulates a recommendation to management while respecting the limits of its authority.

Kolb’s cycle connects experience, reflective observation, conceptualisation and a new attempt.

The diary connects episodes, evidence, concepts, alternative interpretations and the next action. These records support the report but do not constitute additional separately graded assessments.

During sessions 5 and 6, minutes 0-15 are devoted to preparation, minutes 15-165 to presentations, questions and feedback, and minutes 165-180 to reviewing feedback, developing the personal plan and closing the session.

The instructor assigns the actual time intervals for each group within these overall time limits.

Both presentation slots use the same criteria and theoretical contents, which are made available in advance.

Questionnaires, simulations and feedback are used to help students understand behaviours and opportunities for improvement, without imposing labels or requiring disclosure of complete personality reports.

Attendance requirements

Attendance is compulsory, together with preparation and active participation.

During the first two weeks, corresponding to sessions 1-4, only one absence of 3 hours is permitted. Students must therefore attend at least three of the four sessions, corresponding to 9 of the 12 hours.

During the third week, attendance is compulsory for the presentation slot assigned to the student’s group. Participation in the other presentation slot is encouraged.

The first session is particularly important for team formation and for instructions concerning the final project.

Absences must be communicated promptly.

Students who do not meet the attendance requirements must agree with the instructor how to make up the experiential activities before being admitted to the individual assessment.

Contact: luca.gnan@uniroma2.it

Office hours: by appointment.