Basic Idea

A global manager usually relies on task-related competencies, and also on a variety of social skills. These include specific qualifications in communication, conflict management, teamwork, power and influence management, and negotiation. This course offers a general introduction to skills in these areas, and practice in effectively using these skills in a global context.

You will be required to complete a team project. This team project simulates the reality of the international workplace, in that you will be a team member of a GDMT (globally distant, multinational team). Working in such teams requires demands the ability of creative problem solving and innovative work behavior.

Each team will consist of students from University of Saarland, Germany and IECS Ecole de Management /Université de Strasbourg, France. You will work in a virtual team, via the internet, to complete your team project.

Participation

As a student of the courses of Prof. Barmeyer and Prof. Scholz/Dr. Stein, to participate, please do the log-in procedure first. As a reply, you will receive your personal password for the restricted project site. Then send a digital photo of you to vs@orga.uni-sb.de. The profiles of all participants will be visible in the restricted area of the project.

Teambuilding

At the end of the first week, the teams which are put together by the professors will be visible in the restricted area of the project. According to the timeframe of the project, you will have one week time to get into closer contact with your team colleagues.

Dates for Teamwork

Monday, 20.10.2003 – Friday, 24.10.2003 Team Building
Monday, 03.11.2003 Team Tasks
Monday, 03.11.2003 – Friday, 14.11.2003 Teams works
Friday, 14.11.2003 Submision Deadline 12.00h

General Topic for the gdmt

„Darwiportunism“ is a phenomenon of modern work life: Companies find themselves in a more and more darwinistic competition, while at the same time, the employees look for own opportunities and benefits. Mutual loyalty decreases, and the social contracts under which work had been defined for decades, dramatically changes.
The general topic of gdmt 2003/04 is „Darwiportunism in France“.

• The students from France contribute the culture competency on France (inside perspective).
• The German students contribute the theoretical frame of Darwiportunism and the cultural outside perspective.

Coordination among Students

mainly via E-Mail

Grading

Each team as a whole will be graded for this report by all three professors:

• 33% Christoph Barmeyer (on cultural content)
• 33% Chris Scholz (on theory application of Darwiportunism)
• 33% Volker Stein (on team integration)

The mean of the professors’ evaluations will constitute your grade on this assignment. The evaluation will take place according to traditional criteria upon which excellent research and analysis is based (e.g., valid use of sources and citations, a valid, logical and clear structure, created insight from the analysis, rigor of implications that are derived from the analysis, etc.).