APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2014/2015

BIK 2926 Effective Teams - Influence Through Leadership

Responsible for the course
Geir Thompson

Department
Department of Leadership and Organizational Behaviour

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
7,5

Language of instruction
Norwegian

Introduction

Being familiar with different types of team effectiveness models

Knowing the factors that influence team effectiveness

Gaining knowledge on communication strategies that contribute to effective information sharing and reducing conflict

Team creativity – knowing what stimulates creative processes in teams

Virtual teams – have knowledge on how to deal with the common obstacles in virtual teams

Being familiar with the leadership theories: transactional leadership, transformational leadership, self leadership / super leadership, and situational leadership

Knowledge on team leadership

Skill goals
.Team development – being able to influence team functioning by using empirically validated interventions

Being able to counteract conflict

Having the right skills to compose well-functioning teams

Being a better team leader – by knowing when to use different kinds of leadership strategies

Attitude goals

Being able to reflect upon how to understand and apply the science on teams

Knowing when to work in teams, and when not to

Being aware of the ethical issues of leading teams

Prerequisites


Compulsory reading
Books:
Bang, Henning og Thomas Nesset Midelfart. 2012. Effektive ledergrupper. Gyldendal akademisk. Hele boken
Thompson, Geir and Jane Zhen Li. 2010. Leadership : in search of effective influence strategies. Gyldendal Akademisk. pages 15-119

Articles:
Hülsheger, U. R., N. Anderson & J. F. Salgado. 2009. Team-level predictors of innovation at work : a comprehensive meta-analysis spanning three decades of research. Journal of Applied Psychology. vol 94. s. 1128-1145

Recommended reading

Course outline

Team effectiveness models – What makes an effective team?

Team development

Communication in teams

Team creativity

Virtual teams

Leadership theories – Transactional leadership, transformational leadership, self leadership / super leadership, and situational leadership

What does the effective team leader do?

Computer-based tools
itslearning

Learning process and workload
The course consists of three modules over a semester. Each module consist of two days with lectures. Besides lectures, group work will be used to create dialogue and explore certain topics. Cases, tests and skill training will be used to enhance the learning process. Lecturers will not cover the whole syllabus. The purpose of the instruction is to point out main topics and delve into certain themes and examples. Participants are responsible for going through the entire syllabus.


Examination
The students will be handing in a term paper at the end of the course. They will be working on this paper throughout the course individually or in groups of up to three persons. The topic of the paper may be obtained from one’s own place of employment and could explain how teams/one’s own team functions (strengths and weaknesses). This will then make the basis for considering efforts to improve the team’s performance. The term paper will increase the practical value of the course.

Examination code(s)
BIK 29261 - Term paper; accounts for 100% of the final grade in BIK 2926, 7,5 credits

Examination support materials
All

Re-sit examination
Re-sit at the next ordinary exam.

Additional information