Extreme Frustration with Online MBA Team!!!

One of the reasons I rejected a modular study method when assessing my chosen business school MBA was the fact that part of the assessment was via group projects.

I think much can gained from group interactions and team-based projects, however I do not like my individual grading to be partially influenced by the effort/lack of effort of others. I personally believe there is a place for group assessments, but only to gauge each group members participation and dynamic within the group.
When the actual group output such as the presentation described is assessed and a group mark assigned there is a danger that the input of the group bully/bullies will overule.

I have been avidly watching the UK version of 'The Apprentice', and this perfectly illustrates the scenario of mouthy (sometimes less talented) individuals dominating proceedings to the point where the efforts of others are marginalised. All good fun!

 

I think it is useless to do these group projects for online programs. Most of us already work, have experience dealing with stressful situations or with people who are basically lost, so what´s the point? Don´t let it bother you, fauss. A B is OK, too. It gives personality to your transcripts. All A´s looks too perfect.

 

Gosh, Dave!

I wasn't trying to suggest being the group bully, merely to let self-interest prevail by volunteering to become group leader if you are clearly the best and the brightest of the group and handing out such responsibility as can be handled by each of the respective group members.

As to the Donald, I'm not following his show currently but I have seen a few episodes. I think the Donald's point has to with the notion that if you have nothing to say for yourself, then you (or your project or your ideas) must be indefensible, because that is exactly how the real world will treat you.

It may not be a pretty factoid, but these group projects with all the political garbage and jockeying by the respective members do in some small measure replicate the real world, which is a tough, cruel Social Darwinian place.

 

Not to worry, I've already blown the all "A" thing anyway. I've always been a good student. Well, magna in UG, marginally above average in law school, but never have I been--nor would I want to be, too much stress--a straight "A" student. I'm only about 30% of the way through the MBA program, but while I have yet to get a "B", I also have yet to get an actual bona fide "A". Seems almost beyond my grasp. I missed an "A" (as opposed to a minus) in one class by .07 of a point!

 

That's a fair point, Ted, but in my defense (not that you were really getting agressive with me with this post) the fittest don't always win out, at least when it comes to the assignment getting posted. Sometimes it's the very ones who sieze control who are least capable of assuming it.

I suppose in retrospect I should've tried to assume for myself the position of final editor. I was too naive, assuming that since it was a "team project", the leader would ensure that all competent contributions would be part of the final posting, and that we would work together to meld them into a cohesive whole before the final post to the forum. I hjad no idea someone would be so brazen as to say thanks, but we're ignoring your contribution, and that the final posted project would be only faintly different from the original outline of the leader. I guess I learned my lesson. Maybe it'll make me stronger, more "fit".

 

This forum is great!

Sorry Ted, didn't mean to insinuate you were the bully...I have only watched one episode of the US version of 'The Apprentice', however I am UK based and watched every episode of the UK version. Know doubt they are very similar in content.
They are certainly more entertaining than the majority of reality TV programmes.

There was actually an interesting episode relating to this thread where the team leader overruled the opposing view of ALL her team members, and promoted a product none of them supported. She was fired.

This is indeed a tough old world, but hard work prevails, and there is enough good moments and people to make it all worthwhile. Best to stop before I get too philosophical!

 

Sorry Ted!

Ted,

It's early and I'm on my first coffee. When I said I didn't mean to insinuate you were the bully I meant to say I didn't want to insinuate you promote being the bully!

It all makes perfect sense in my world.

 

Indeed!

 

Well, true enough, there haven't been too many "real world" group projects in my fifteen years as ranch hand, history and business tutor, drill press operator, survey card taker for a computer school, fast food cook, and convenience store clerk. But I'm wondering how the academic and real world group projects really differ. Indeed, the real world group projects have a boss; normally, the academic group projects have a group leader, too. In academic group projects each group member has his/her specialization; real world group project members also have their specializations. I have experienced having incompetent group members in at least six of my fifteen MBA group projects; my computer consultant brothers assure me that the real world has incompetent group project members (and leaders, too)! I just don't see the difference, except, of course, that in real world group project you get to play with real money and get fired (while MBA group project members only get to play for grades and get flunked).

 

Bruce, you're a nice guy. At least we agree on something!

 

Gosh, Dave and Little Fauss! I didn't really think that either one of you were accusing me of being a bully or even recommending being a bully. But upon re-reading my own post I was a bit concerned that I may have sounded rather a little bit like some neofascist advocating some sort of modern day beer hall putsch.

 

Well, there are, of course, many different levels on which one can be either the fittest or the unfittest. There are, of course, raw brawn and pure brains. In the brawn department, there are things like the ability to punch out one's opponent, the ability to sink one's jaws into one's prey's neck, and the ability to run like the devil, among other things. In the brains department, there are book smarts, common sense, and cunning, among other things. Cunning would include having the ability to notice that one does not, on one's own power alone, meet the survival of the fittest test and therefore building a coalition of liliputians for the common defense against the giant. So, people like you and me and Munch from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit must needs find some way to deal with intellectual insects and mental amoebas. Good luck on your MBA! And you're right: adversity builds character!

 

Bruce, you're a nice guy. At least we agree on something!