There is increasing use of peer evaluations in academic settings to assess student performance in team activities. Building on Kenny's social relations model, the authors analyzed peer ratings from 85 teams of graduate students enrolled in a teamwork and leadership course. Results indicate the presence of greater assimilation at mid-semester and…

Team projects are a component of many business courses. The objective is to build team skills in addition to learning subject matter. However, instructors often pay less attention to team design and behavior and assume students already have or will learn team skills on their own. The authors examined the effect of providing structure to team work…

By framing entrepreneurship courses in the context of interdisciplinary team projects, students build important work-related skills whether they pursue an entrepreneurial path or employment after graduation. However, the traditional classroom environment is not conducive to realistic interdepartmental interactions found in most corporations or…

Students at two universities were surveyed in order to determine if past experiences with classroom group work impacted attitudes about this pedagogical technique. Questions related to equitable distribution of effort (personal and of other group members), impact on learning and life skills, group structure, and fairness in grading. Business and…

The ability to use multimethod data is an increasingly desirable skill set for business practitioners. Projects that allow business students to practice mixed methods research create a valuable opportunity to improve work-readiness skills. This research tests the benefits of a mixed methods, client-based project, which was a collaborative effort…

Many have expressed concerns with respect to the development of managerial skills in business graduate programs. Time constraints and limited practice opportunities are, arguably, the key roadblocks for development. The author explores the outcomes of a course that addresses these roadblocks by providing an instruction that cuts across academic…

Team-based learning (TBL) was applied within a third-year unit of study about ethics and management with the aim of enhancing students' teamwork skills. A survey used to collect students' opinions about their experience with TBL provided insights about how TBL helped students to develop an appreciation for teamwork and team collaboration. The team…

The authors sought to gain insight on how students view group learning and development as part of their business education experience. Specifically, the authors categorize benefits and challenges using S. A. Wheelan's (2005) integrated model of group development. Additionally, they investigate (from the students' perspective) best practices that…

Groups are frequently used in courses, but there is substantial evidence that insufficient attention is paid to creating conditions for successful teamwork. One key condition is high-quality, individual, and team-level feedback. An online peer assessment system and team improvement process was developed for this test case based on three design…

A survey was administered to college students to gain insight into their attitudes about classroom group work. Students responded that group work is generally a positive experience; however, they do not necessarily prefer it to individual assignments. Students' responses also indicated concerns about instructors' motivations for using…

Using survey data the authors investigate the impact of grade point average (GPA) on students' preferences for classroom group work and its structure. Topics range from general attitudes and beliefs (benefits to grades, impact on mastery of material, professors' motives) to administration (group composition, grading, peer reviews, group…

The authors report the results of a cross-class project involving sophomore-level students in an Operations Analysis (OA) class with junior-level students in an Operations Management (OM) class. The students formed virtual teams and developed a simulation model of a call center. The OM students provided the management expertise, while the OA…

Teamwork and interpersonal communication are indispensable skills for business workers, and most companies are promoting diversity in teams to gain a competitive edge. Although findings suggest that diversity may not be as valuable as it seems for most teams, business workers need to manage diversity successfully. Therefore, the present authors…

In this article, the authors propose a semester-long experiential-learning project for introductory marketing students. The project requires an analysis of a product category, competition, and consumer base to support a new product proposal. The purpose is to (a) put into practice the concepts and definitions taught in an introductory marketing…

Recommends team assignments as an effective technique for business courses. Addresses peer evaluation and dealing with students who evade responsibility through a formal method of disassociating them from the team. (SK)