This assignment is a chance to not only discover and apply concepts on teamwork, but to have some fun as well. The ability to analyze and diagnose a situation using group and team principles will serve you well in organizational life. This is but one opportunity to hone those skills. It will be completed in your regular teams.
Directions
Step 1. Each individual is to choose a feature-length film from which can be distilled important team and group principles. Only one person in the team may watch any given film. So you’ll need to negotiate among your teammates.
Note that the films vary in the kind of group/team issues in them. For example, some are more about collaboration, some more about influence, some more about structure, etc. So, you might want to coordinate in your team ahead of time (to either get maximally diverse or maximally similar films), but that is up to you. You might find it easier to write up a paper if all group members have coordinated ahead of time to converge on some central theme or on a certain film genre (e.g., war films, sports films).
Step 2. Individuals watch the films. Even if you have seen the movie before, you need to watch it again with an eye toward the teamwork themes – don’t rely on your memory!
Step 3. Groups meet virtually and discuss the group & team implications of the films they watch. I would envision that when the group meets, you take turns to discuss each person’s film and his/her initial insights. Then, the group helps each person push his/her thinking about the film and together the group finds ways to apply course topics, readings, and discussion to each film. Note that others do not have to have seen the film for this to work well because it’s the ideas that are important, not the details of the film. (Also, you shouldn’t just write up your parts then paste them together. That’s tremendously boring and not what the assignment is meant for. Rather, I want you to make this a task wherein you use synergy and creativity to create a paper whose whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.)
Step 4. The group paper is written that integrates and synthesizes the findings/learnings of the group members. Note that the reason I’m having you write a group paper instead of 4 or 5 individual papers is that I want you to learn from each other and provide a product that reflects your ability to transcend the details of any given film.
A list of potential films is at the end of the assignment to get your creative juices flowing. If there is a film you’d like to see that is not on the list, email me your requested film and briefly explain how teams/groups issues are important to the film; that will help me know if it’s appropriate.
Please upload as a Word document, not a pdf (to facilitate feedback and grading process). Here is the format for the paper (single-spaced, one-inch margins, 12 font):
- Title (either on separate page or atop executive summary) including all team members’ names and team number/name.
- Executive summary of key takeaways (approximately 1 page)
- Introduction (brief)
- Film-by-film analysis (approximately 1 page each) – major team/group theme takeaways, parallels, insights, etc. Be sure not to use very much space recapping the story – just enough for a reader to understand the analysis/takeaways, like a very short paragraph. Rather, focus on your analysis of teamwork themes!
- Film 1
- Film 2
- Film 3
- Film 4
- (Film 5 for teams with 5 people)
- Synergistic analysis (approximately 3-4 pages)
- Comparisons / contrasts among the films
- Themes or ideas across films
- Higher-level observations about what you learned about teams/teamwork/groups from the films and your conversations.
- Etc.!
- Conclusion (brief)
- Appendices
- I leave the content up to you to decide, based on your particular films. But the idea here is to create two or more tables, figures, etc. that help bolster your analysis. For example, a table comparing/contrasting the main character(s) from the films and their characteristics/ strengths/ weaknesses/ personality/ etc. And/or a table that summarizes the main issues in your write up (main characters, plot, key takeaways, teamwork themes). There is no “one right way” to do this – think about your particular movies and your insights from them. Be creative but also be sure to convey the information clearly.
Step 5. Your group will make a 5-6 minute video that covers the highlights of your paper. A format such as PowerPoint with audio narration (or equivalent technology) would be ideal. Note that you do NOT need to have all group members record their voices; it is usually smoothest to have just one or two. However, all group members should participate in the process of designing/creating the video. This video will be made available to all students in the course so that everyone can benefit from the insights of all the groups’ work. You will upload the video as a separate team assignment to Video of Fictional Film Assignment – Upload Here and it will be worth 25 points. The goal is to convey the highlights of your paper, but gear it toward your “stakeholders” of your fellow students – that is, include actionable takeaways from the films and your analysis (things they can learn and do regarding teams).
Important Notes
- With the exception of a brief, generic description of the film or description of appropriateness such as on IMDB (to help you know which film to pick) you are NOT to consult or view any other source of information about this film as part of your write-up (books, websites, previous student papers, etc.). For example, don’t do a search for what others have said/written about the leadership or management implications of the film. I want those ideas/insights to come from you only. Also, do NOT discuss your team’s paper or your film with any student outside of your team until after the due date. (For example, I don’t want people who are watching the same movie from different groups to collaborate or discuss what they will write.) Also, do NOT obtain or use similar assignments from past semesters or other courses. Really, what you can use is your brain, your team, the movie itself, and your knowledge from the course; that’s it!
- Please note that the ratings and content of the suggested movies vary. I trust your own judgment about what is appropriate viewing based on your own value system, and it’s perfectly fine to investigate this kind of content before screening the film (e.g., through IMDB or sites that warn viewers of potentially objectionable content). I don’t want you to feel like you have to watch a movie that would be objectionable to you. Remember, in addition to the wide variety of films I’ve suggested, you can suggest another film.
- You should strive to incorporate specific course principles and readings into your papers. Failure to do so in a meaningful way will prevent you from earning an A. I don’t really want to read generic statements like “this film shows that teamwork is important” or “we learned that group process and conflict are intertwined”. Show me that you have internalized on a deep level the course principles and readings.
- Late papers will automatically receive 5% point penalty for each 3 days it’s late. (1-3 days late = 5%, 4-6 days = 10%, etc.).
Potential Films
- A Bug’s Life
- A Few Good Men
- A League of Their Own
- Bridge on the River Kwai
- Coach Carter
- Galaxy Quest
- Glory
- Glory Road
- Goonies
- Invictus
- Kung Fu Panda 2
- Lifeboat
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Movie (1995)
- Miracle
- Moneyball
- Oceans 11
- Remember the Titans
- The Dirty Dozen
- The Great Escape
- The Incredibles
- The Mighty Ducks
- The Sting
- Thirteen Days
- Toy Story
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