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Virtual intercultural teams 
Session 3: 
Developing from a group into a virtual team
Learning journal

Except where otherwise noted, the content contained in this document is licensed under a 
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v 4.0. 
The work is attributable to: 
Project Team „Edubox Virtual intercultural teams“ / HOOU

Content / Tasks

3.1	Prelude
3.2	Introduction
	Differences between a group and a team	
3.3	The life cycle of virtual teams
	Developing into a team	
	Central characteristics of team development stages	
3.4	Features of team development
	A framework for supporting team development	
3.5	Summary
3.6	Learning review
	Case „Development of a project team“	
3.7	Sources, further reading and web links

► 3.2 Introduction
	Differences between a group and a team	
Look at the figure below and, in your own words, note down the main differences between a group and a team.

	
► 3.3 The life cycle of virtual teams
	Developing into a team	
Think about a team you have been part of: Referring to the team life cycle, how would you illustrate or describe this team's development? Draw / paste the figure into your learning journal or note down the description in the journal (you can also do both).

Paste your illustration here.

Description:

	Central characteristics of team development stages	
Look at the images of team development and note down central characteristics of the different development stages.
Forming: 	

Storming: 	

Norming: 	

Performing: 	

Adjourning: 	

► 3.4 Features of team development
	A framework for supporting team development	
You work for a German company specialised in software development for cash registers. The company has subsidiaries in Austria, Switzerland, France, Russia, China and Mexico. For one year, the project ‘new universal software architecture’ has been in place but did not advance very well. This is why a new team of five has been put together with the task to overcome the issue of having two different software structures for Asian and European/American cash registers.
You are a member of this diverse virtual team and because of your experience in virtual team work are supposed to support the team. As a team you have three months to develop a proposal for a new software architecture. You are sitting in your office and reflect the Tuckman model of team development as well as the knowledge you have considering critical dimensions for developing into a mature team. With this in mind, you are sketching out a framework which should help you to quickly develop into a team. You have a budget for one personal meeting and the proposal is that you have weekly conference calls.
For drafting this framework you may use the graphic below (or alternatively the text field)

Forming: 

Adjourning: 

Storming: 

Performing: 

Norming: 

	

► 3.8 Learning review
	Case “Development of a project team”	
Based on the case study written by Gina Abudi, we want you to review how a group develops into a team by moving through the different stages described in the team development cycle by Tuckman. Please read the depiction of the various phases the team moves through and, with the knowledge you have acquired, think about what a team coach could do to support the team development in each of these phases. Consider each team development phase and provide a feedback. A feedback can aim at enhancing what the team is doing and it can include an advice to amend and improve something. Note down your results.
Forming: 	

Storming: 	

Norming: 	

Performing: 	

Adjourning: