Not another team assignment! Student perceptions towards teamwork at university management programs

Abstract

PurposeAs group work is becoming more common in the classroom, teamwork as an andragogical tool continues to be problematic for students in management programs. The purpose of this paper is to determine how university students perceive teamwork and to identify teamwork problems along with potential solutions.Design/methodology/approachA triangulation mixed-methods approach was used. In study 1, qualitative data were gathered from a focus group comprising nine students. In study 2, quantitative data were gathered from an online survey completed by 127 students.FindingsThe data were analyzed using content analysis and ordinary least squares regression. The results indicated that free-rider experiences and peer evaluation are two key areas in determining dissatisfaction with teamwork. Teamwork challenges may be addressed via knowledgeable team leaders who balance task and relationship styles, equitable workloads, smaller team sizes, anonymous peer evaluations and the effective use of technology.Practical implicationsThe findings are valuable to educators at tertiary-level institutions who utilize teamwork as an andragogical tool.Originality/valueThis study was designed to deepen understanding of university students' dissatisfaction with teamwork in Trinidad and Tobago and provide andragogical improvements that can be implemented to enhance the students' teamwork experience.

Student psychological well-being in higher education: The role of internal team environment, institutional, friends and family support and academic engagement

“…At the same time, there is sufficient contradictory evidence regarding the perceived benefits of teamwork due to group processes such as social loafing and inability to manage group conflict [ 17 , 49 ]. Students may experience dissatisfaction with work teams if the teams are high on social loafing and the team process does not enable them to meet their academic goals [ 22 ]. Given that management students spend extensive amounts of time working in groups, their experiences in the team and its outcomes can have a significant impact on their mental health.…”

“…Conversely, students experience dissatisfaction and negative affect when there is uncooperative behaviour and social loafing in teams. as they impede goal achievement [ 22 ]. Most literature on ITE, to our knowledge, is in the context of shared leadership [ 12 , 23 ].…”

Visual thinking and cooperative learning in higher education: HOW does its implementation affect marketing and management disciplines after COVID-19?

“…According to ( Johnson, 1994 ) Cooperative Learning has an effective level of structuring for learning basic content such as formulas, as well as developing a certain degree of individual responsibility in the achievement of common goals. In our approach, we combine group dynamics with VTS in the introductory marketing course where students must develop their mathematical competences individually (although active and collaborative learning is used for this purpose), as well as they can start from their previous knowledge to interpret the proposed audiovisual contents and share them with the group in the common strategy ( Ramdeo et al, 2022 ). Many authors recommend the incorporation of cooperative learning in training programs, regardless of the degree or organizational context in which they are located ( Biggs & Tang, 2011 ).…”

Student engagement through teamwork skills: the mediating role of psychological well-being

“…However, collaborative learning may not always result in successful outcomes due to the ineffective functioning of teams (Julie, 2005). Students often face problems during collaboration (Janssen et al, 2009), such as interpersonal conflicts (Miller et al, 2007) and unsatisfactory group experiences often attributed to social loafing or free riding (Harding, 2018;Ramdeo et al, 2022). In addition, factors like individual dissatisfaction, group size and structure, team stability and diversity among group members also influence team performance (Koppenhaver and Shrader, 2003).…”

“…, 2009), such as interpersonal conflicts (Miller et al. , 2007) and unsatisfactory group experiences often attributed to social loafing or free riding (Harding, 2018; Ramdeo et al. , 2022).…”