Creating an atmosphere of growth and development is crucial in all learning. I strive to develop a learning environment that fosters student growth through a variety of techniques in the online community. By providing practical and hands on experience for the student they immerse themselves into realizing their full potential as a manager and leader. I create a supportive and inclusive structure that embeds creativity, engagement and collaboration. 

The best way to learn management is through practice.  I work to bring out collaborative learning skills to facilitate “real-world” problem solving. Each semester the students are placed in groups to learn “true management skills.” Although many students will complain at the end they understand that they have learned to lead and manage their peers. Utilizing my training background, I have seen that scaffolding the team project allows for the best acquisition of time management and team dynamics. Starting out with small deliverables and leading to a final assignment culminates the learning experience for the students. It has been a learning journey for me as to how this should happen. We help the student groups create a team contract that facilitates a discussion around expectations, roles, and timelines. We then move into a norming phase to develop their group dynamics through research and experiential learning with a real-life manager in an organization. This allows students to connect the theory in class to the practice in business. Our final assessment pulls the entire process together for a team analysis paper centered around a challenge the manager is facing and how they would work to overcome the issue. It is a blend of research and consultancy skills that are needed in the industry.

Team Assignment Overview:

You will work in teams of approximately four students to complete a semester-long project culminating in a business-style final report to the rest of the class. Take advantage of this great opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about a company and practice your management skills. We encourage your team to present your findings to the business and manager that you select. The project is designed to encourage creativity, critical thinking, networking and enjoyment!

Phase I: Team Contract + Team Meeting  

Phase II: Organizational Profile + Interview Qs

Team Check-in with Instructor

Phase III: Manager Interview

      Phase IV: Managerial Analysis Team Paper

      Phase V: Team Participation Evaluation 

Team Contract 

This contract will serve as a strategy for your collective learning experience. It should outline group policies and procedures as well as a timeline for development of your team case analysis and final project. You should recognize that this contract is a dynamic and changing document that may be revisited and updated throughout the process. Grading of this assignment will be dependent upon the thoughtful reflection by all group members. You must host at least one zoom meeting prior to the submission of your contract with your team. 

Organizational Profile

Each team will develop an organizational profile as well as understand the skills needed to one particular organization. Your team will analyze the company, their strategy & structure as well as the skillsets needed to work in that organization. This assignment will give your team an understanding about the management principles at the organizational level. 

Interview Questions

Each team will interview a manager that is currently working in this business organization and conduct an interview in person or online with the ENTIRE team to better understand the manager’s job. You may not interview someone in the immediate family of a team member, or a person interviewed from a previous course (i.e. BUS 303). Develop a sound list of questions you will ask in order to complete your managerial analysis—it is helpful to review the managerial analysis guidelines found in Canvas before formulating the questions. Once approved by your recitation instructor you will interview the manager either in person or via Zoom. 

Managerial Analysis

The team will also gather information about a current issue or problem the manager is facing and write a paper that provides an in-depth analysis of this issue or problem using principles learned in this class, concluding with a recommendation to the manager. This assignment challenges you to connect the real-life experiences of a business manager to the theoretical principles of management and to draw your own conclusions about how to approach problems that managers face in the business world today. This assignment will give your team an understanding about the management principles at the individual manager level.