Learning Team Dilemma

2 Pages Posted: 21 Oct 2008

See all articles by R. Edward Freeman

R. Edward Freeman

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Jenny Mead

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Joe Winkler

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Abstract

Although not set specifically in a business environment, this case illustrates the various options one must consider when a member of a team—whether in a business setting or elsewhere—is not pulling his or her weight and is having a detrimental effect on the group.

Excerpt

UVA-E-0257

Rev. Feb. 28, 2011

LEARNING TEAM DILEMMA

First-year Darden student Carl and members of his learning team found themselves in the midst of major turmoil. Most of the controversy centered on Jim, one of their team members, who repeatedly came to learning team unprepared and was unable to contribute any work to the group. He asked distracting, often pointless questions during team preparation, and team morale and productivity suffered as a result. Inevitably, Jim had an excuse for his lack of preparation and commitment. Carl and the team tried to resolve the situation by talking with him a number of times, but their efforts were unsuccessful, and Jim remained the weakest member of the group. As the first semester passed, things only got worse. The situation was tearing the learning team apart.

After returning from vacation for the second semester, the team members unanimously decided to share midterm grades with one another. They made this decision in an effort to better understand each other's strengths and weaknesses and to identify areas in which each member might benefit from additional help. Carl and the others were somewhat surprised and suspicious, however, when Jim announced his grades: all As and high Bs. Although the grade disclosure helped the group develop an appropriate game plan for the second semester, some unforeseen problems developed. After the discussion, a few of the team members' group participation dropped off dramatically. Only weeks later did Carl discover why.

During a private conversation, some frustrated team members asked Carl why their participation was important, especially since Jim's grades were better than their own. What these distraught team members failed to realize, however, was that no one else on the team believed that Jim was telling the truth about his grades. As the discussion continued, Carl disclosed that he noticed Jim writing his grades down before sharing them. Why would someone have to write his or her grades down before disclosing them? After all, they had just received their grades, and they were fresh in everyone's mind at the time of the team discussion. Furthermore, one of the team members who was in Jim's section commented that Jim rarely, if ever, participated in Quantitative Analysis, a subject in which he claimed to have received a B+. For Jim to have received that grade, he would have needed to get an A on the exam, an unlikely event based on the lack of understanding of the subject he had demonstrated in learning team throughout the first semester.

. . .

Keywords: ethical issues responsibility leadership teamwork fairness honesty lying

Suggested Citation

Freeman, R. Edward and Mead, Jenny and Winkler, Joe, Learning Team Dilemma. Darden Case No. UVA-E-0257, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1278356 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1278356

R. Edward Freeman (Contact Author)

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States
804-924-0935 (Phone)
804-924-6378 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.darden.virginia.edu/faculty/freeman.htm

Jenny Mead

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States

Joe Winkler

affiliation not provided to SSRN

No Address Available

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