What are the mechanisms of learning and knowledge transfer? How do we conceptualize the dynamic mechanisms of learning and knowledge transfer within and between groups? What aspects of group dynamics and learning are emergent group phenomena and what aspects reflect individual level variables and dynamics?
How are we to understand and measure the impact of location, dispersion, identity and culture on group dynamics?
Are there lacunae or poorly understood aspects of group dynamics that remain even when combining knowledge across areas of interest and expertise? How might scholars address these going forward?
How can group and cultural dynamics be used to further develop organizations while being sensitive to and preventing potentially negative effects?
The content and structure of this PDW is such that it should interest seasoned scholars as well as doctoral students and others who are working upon issues of learning, organization design and integration, distributed work and knowledge management, but who to this point have mostly approached these from levels of analysis other than that of groups or teams. In addition to stimulating and advancing thinking on this topic, we would hope that new contacts and collaborations would arise from participation in this PDW. We will ask participants to share in advance an abstract on their research and/ or their key questions and interests. All of these, along with contact information, will be disseminated along with contact information and a follow-up online webinar organized by Professor Salk.
Facilitators (In alphabetical order):
Susan Brodt, (Queen's University, CA.) Professor Brodt is an Organizational Behavior scholar who has studied trust, conflict, and negotiation, both interpersonally and within and between groups. Her recent work, in collaboration with Wendi Adair and Terri Lituchy, examines the concept of Cultural Mosaic groups in which members of multicultural groups work effectively by maintaining their distinct cultural identities
Bjørn Ekelund, Norway. Bjorn Ekelund is a Psychologist, MBA. He is Managing Director of Human Factors AS in Norway, a business psychology consultation company that has worked especially with teams since mid 90-ies. Bjørn Z. Ekelund has developed assessments tools for team work including Diversity Icebreaker that is widely used in cross-cultural training and team work.
Julia Gluesing: (Wayne State University, Retired) is an Applied Anthropologist and President, Cultural Connections, Inc. who mixes information technology based dynamic network analysis and ethnographic methods to understand team dynamics and consults with companies to help them visualize, monitor, and manage distributed teams.
Sonja Sackmann: (University Bw Germany), Cross-Cultural / Organization Change & Development Scholar and researcher currently using simulation in her research on culture, identity and team dynamics.
Jane E. Salk: (MIT, HEC Montreal and UT Dallas), an International Management Scholar who has studied, Culture and identity faultlines in International Alliance Management Teams. And she currently studies creating dynamic learning and innovation environments for project teams in the creative industries of Animation and Gaming.