PTMBA2024_Core A - Workshop Working in Global Teams

You will emerge from your MBA programs to join companies that rely on people from around the world to help the firms capitalize on the promise of their global reach and resources. Global teams, however, face a wide range of challenges: physical separation and demographic differences can create social distance, or lack of emotional connection between groups, that then contributes to disruptive misunderstandings and mistrust. You are likely to face these specific teamwork challenges during your MBA programs as well since many of the activities will involve you collaborating with your diverse classmates in group settings.

Therefore, this workshop aims to lay the conceptual foundation for teamwork, and prepares you with the knowledge and skills necessary to address global teamwork challenges during your MBA program and beyond. The workshop makes use of case study, group/peer discussion, and self-reflection to facilitate your learning and development of critical skills. Moreover, the workshop introduces a simulation exercise—a team charter task, where you will get build a shared understanding with your actual MBA team members to lay the groundwork for effective teamwork during your MBA program). All materials for the exercise will be distributed in class.

Lecturer’s Biography

Dr. Pisitta Vongswasdi is an Assistant Professor at WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management (Management Group). Her research expertise includes topics such as leadership, leadership development, learning, and training in organizations, diversity, and mindfulness at work. The main goal underlying her research is: designing impactful, evidence-based interventions that help leaders and teams make effective decisions and thrive in the workplace. After obtaining a Bachelor (BA)’s degree in Economics from Chulalongkorn University, she went on to pursue a Master of Science (MSc)’s degree in Sociology from University of Oxford in the UK. She then worked as a strategy analyst in Bangkok, and returned to the world of research by serving as a research associate in Organizational behavior at INSEAD business school in Singapore. Continuing on the academic career path, she moved to the Netherlands and graduated with a PhD in Management at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University in 2020. During her PhD, she was a visiting researcher at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business’s Experiential Leadership Development Lab in the US. She now lives in Düsseldorf, Germany. Her work has been published in leading publications such as the Journal of Applied Psychology. She regularly presented her research at several international conferences including the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, and the European Group for Organizational Studies.

1. Understand and identify the challenges that global teams face.
2. Understand the critical components required for a high performance team.
3. Develop skills for leading and managing team processes in a way that builds shared mindset, while at the same time recognizing difference and fostering constructive conflict.
4. Use evidence-based frameworks and insights to improve global, digital, and cross-cultural communication.