Problems in project groups: An anticipatory case study

Semester long team projects are common in MBA programs. Building team skills for later work effectiveness is a major reason. However, it seems rather optimistic to expect that positive attitudes toward group work and effective team skills will develop spontaneously while students struggle to complete challenging group projects under time and grade pressure. Reports of miscommunication, free riding, inadequate planning, lack of leadership, poor decision making, and difficulty in working with foreign students are common in many group projects.