Project management

Week 2-3: Team Paper

Overview and Rationale:

Through our lectures and reading this week, we have focused on some key topics--team building and development, consensus and collaboration, leadership styles, conflict resolution--related to leadership, applying those topics to the virtual environment. Although we have treated these as somewhat separate topics, in action they must be integrated together when execution in the context of a virtual team. For this assignment, your team will be writing a research paper exploring a topic related to the material presented this week.

Course Outcome Connection:

Demonstrate an understanding of key topics related to leading remote teams, such as team building and development, leadership styles, conflict resolution, building consensus, and fostering collaboration

Assignment Instructions:

Write an 8 - 10 page paper addressing one of the topics listed below:

Strategies for team development in a virtual environment

Sources of and solutions to conflict in a virtual environment

Near vs. far leadership strategies (how might leadership strategies or approaches differ in an onsite vs. remote setting)

Building trust in a virtual workplace

Keeping team members accountable on a virtual project

If your team has a strong desire to write on a slightly different topic related to the topics covered this week, please let me know, and I will consider it for approval. Papers that show strong and reflective consideration of these issues will be more likely to earn a higher grade.

Assignment Format & Requirements:

This assignment should meet the following requirements:

Include a title page

Be 8 - 10 pages, not including title page

Cite a minimum of 6 peer reviewed sources

Be double-spaced

Use Times New Roman 12 point font

Have 1" margins on all sides

Include page numbers

Make appropriate use of section and topic headers to organize paper

Team member responsible for submitting the assignment should submit it using this assignment link and using the Team Plagiarism Report Link below. This is a total of two submission. Please let me know if you have questions about this.

Note: Failing to meet any of these items will automatically remove the possibility of earning an 'A' on this assignment. Meeting them does not guarantee an 'A', but makes it possible. Please see Grading Notes below for a further explanation.

*Failing to cite the use of outside materials appropriately will result in a loss of credit on the assignment (including a possible failing grade in the course) and a charge filed with the University for Academic Dishonesty.

Grading Notes:

When grading this assignment, I will be looking at the completeness of the assignment by verifying that you have covered all the required areas. I will also be focusing on how well you succinctly cover the key items mentioned above. I will also be making certain that you meet all the formatting guidelines and requirements, such as six peer reviewed sources and others. Although following the formatting guidelines will not guarantee an ‘A’ on the assignment, if you do not meet the guidelines, you will not earn an ‘A’, regardless of the quality of the specific content you submit. An ‘A’ will be assigned to those submissions that do not merely meet the basic assignment guidelines, but are exceptionally well written and executed.

Please make sure that a team member is responsible for performing a quality audit on this paper. Do this by not simply proofreading the document, but ensuring that it meets all of the guidelines outlined above.