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FTMBA2024_II Workshop Working in Global Teams

Course code
WS039
Course type
FT MBA Course
Weekly Hours
0,67
ECTS
0
Term
HS 2023
Language
Englisch
Lecturers
Juniorprof. Dr. Pisitta Vongswasdi
Please note that exchange students obtain a higher number of credits in the BSc-program at WHU than listed here. For further information please contact directly the International Relations Office.

The ability to work with and lead a team effectively and responsibly is fundamental for career success at all levels. It requires a skill set that involves guiding the team to reach its goals, communicating clearly, and fostering the development of oneself in conjunction with the team and its members.

You will emerge from your MBA programs to join companies that rely on people from around the world to help the firms capitalize on the promise of their global reach and resources. Global teams, however, face a wide range of challenges: physical separation and demographic differences can create social distance, or lack of emotional connection between groups, that then contributes to disruptive misunderstandings and mistrust. You are likely to face these specific teamwork challenges during your MBA programs as well since many of the activities will involve you collaborating with your diverse classmates in group settings.

Therefore, this workshop aims to lay the conceptual foundation for teamwork, and prepares you with the knowledge and skills necessary to address global teamwork challenges during your MBA program and beyond. The workshop makes use of case study, group/peer discussion, and self-reflection to facilitate your learning and development of critical skills. Moreover, the workshop introduces a simulation exercise—a team charter task, where you will get build a shared understanding with your actual MBA team members to lay the groundwork for effective teamwork during your MBA program). All materials for the exercise will be distributed in class.

Lecturer’s Biography

Dr. Pisitta Vongswasdi is an Assistant Professor at WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management (Management Group). Her research expertise includes topics such as leadership, leadership development, learning, and training in organizations, diversity, and mindfulness at work. The main goal underlying her research is: designing impactful, evidence-based interventions that help leaders and teams make effective decisions and thrive in the workplace. After obtaining a Bachelor (BA)’s degree in Economics from Chulalongkorn University, she went on to pursue a Master of Science (MSc)’s degree in Sociology from University of Oxford in the UK. She then worked as a strategy analyst in Bangkok, and returned to the world of research by serving as a research associate in Organizational behavior at INSEAD business school in Singapore. Continuing on the academic career path, she moved to the Netherlands and graduated with a PhD in Management at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University in 2020. During her PhD, she was a visiting researcher at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business’s Experiential Leadership Development Lab in the US. She now lives in Düsseldorf, Germany. Her work has been published in leading publications such as the Journal of Applied Psychology. She regularly presented her research at several international conferences including the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, and the European Group for Organizational Studies.

Date Time
Wednesday, 20.09.2023 09:00 - 16:30
Learning goals
  1. Understand and identify the challenges that global teams face.
  2. Understand the critical components required for a high performance team.
  3. Develop skills for leading and managing team processes in a way that builds shared mindset, while at the same time recognizing difference and fostering constructive conflict.
  4. Use evidence-based frameworks and insights to improve global, digital, and cross-cultural communication.
We do not expect you to do any reading before coming to the workshop. However, the below resources offer more insights into the topics covered during the workshop.Eisenhardt, K. M., Kahwajy, J. L., & LJ III, B. (1997). How management teams can have a good fight.Harvard business review,75(4), 77-86.Meyer, E. (2014). Navigating the cultural minefield.Harvard Business Review,92(5), 119-123.Neeley, T. (2015). Global teams that work.Harvard Business Review,93(10), 74-81.Neeley, T., & Kaplan, R. S. (2014). What's your language strategy?.Harvard business review,92(9), 70-76.Siebdrat, F., Hoegl, M., & Ernst, H. (2009). How to manage virtual teams.MIT Sloan Management Review,50(4), 63.
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