GRA 2427 Groups and Teams: Dynamics and Effectiveness

GRA 2427 Groups and Teams: Dynamics and Effectiveness

Course code: 
GRA 2427
Department: 
Leadership and Organizational Behaviour
Credits: 
6
Course coordinator: 
Emilie Lapointe
Course name in Norwegian: 
Groups and Teams: Dynamics and Effectiveness
Product category: 
Master
Portfolio: 
MSc in Leadership and Organisational Psychology
Semester: 
2020 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

Organizations frequently use groups and teams to accomplish tasks, and several psychological processes may affect groups' performance. This course will provide an overview of some of the major theories and studies that may help understand psychological processes in groups and teams. The theories are related to issues such as group composition, group development, group dynamics, and group effectiveness. The theories and the scientific evidence will be examined and discussed. Students will work in groups during the course, presenting and discussing literature, and participate in various exercises related to groups and team processes described in the literature.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

The candidate

  • Has advanced knowledge of major theories related to group processes and group effectiveness in an international environment, and studies related to psychological processes in and between groups.
  • Has experience with some psychological processes in groups, demonstrated by group exercises through the course.
  • Can critically assess the empirical evidence for theories related to group processes and group effectiveness, which is important in creating sustainable groups in a digitalized and international environment.
Learning outcomes - Skills

The candidate

  • Can recognize and identify processes in groups, and use psychological theories to understand such processes.
  • Can critically examine theories explaining why some groups are more effective than others.
  • Can present and discuss theories and studies about group processes and group effectiveness.
General Competence

The candidate

  • Can reflect on issues related to group processes and studies explaining psychological processes in groups.
  • Can be critical toward theories of group performance
Course content
  • Important factors that influence effectiveness in groups
  • Group effectiveness, group composition, and group processes
  • Creativity in groups
  • Conflict and groups
  • Leadership in groups
  • Assessment of groups and teams
  • Team interventions
Teaching and learning activities

The course is structured as a combination of lectures, group exercises, group presentations and group discussions. Students will work in groups most of the time.  The course requires a substantial amount of preparation by the students and active involvement in the groups.

Students are required to attend the first day of class, or inform the instructor in advance about their absence.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Additional information

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.

This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades when the course starts.

At resit, all exam components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course.

Qualifications

All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have specific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.

Covid-19

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there may be deviations in teaching and learning activities as well as exams, compared with what is described in this course description.

Required prerequisite knowledge

GRA 2205 Organisational Behaviour or equivalent

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Activity
Form of assessment: 
Class participation
Weight: 
30
Grouping: 
Group (2 - 3)
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Exam code: 
GRA 24271
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Invigilation
Weight: 
70
Grouping: 
Individual
Support materials: 
  • Bilingual dictionary
Duration: 
3 Hour(s)
Comment: 
Written examination under supervision.
Exam code: 
GRA 24271
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Type of Assessment: 
Continuous assessment
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
36 Hour(s)
Student's own work with learning resources
124 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
160

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.