Online Groups
Virtual Teams and Cohorts: Group Potency in Virtual Teams
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Paul Shelton, Michelle Shelton
A majority of work today in Fortune 500 companies is accomplished through the use of teams and groups. (De Meuse, 2009). Much of education, especially graduate education, uses groups (cohorts) as a primary pedagogical approach. According to Maher (2005, p. 195), “a cohort is defined as a group of about 10–25 students who begin a program of study together, proceed together through a series of developmental experiences in the context of that program of study, and end the program at approximately the same time.” There are positive outcomes of learning within a cohort model. Some positive attributes of the cohort model are decreased attrition rates, development of strong social and professional relationships, and enhanced intellectual stimulation (Bista and Cox, 2014). With cohort (group) models being a growing trend in graduate education, it is increasingly important for us to more fully understand how groups develop and thrive. According to Shelton (2008, p. iii), “group potency is the collective belief that a group can succeed, achieve, and be effective in its endeavor.” GP has been shown to positively relate to overall group performance (Lee, Farh and Chen, 2011). Potency has been positively associated with performance, effectiveness and empowerment (Shelton, 2008; Stajkovic, Lee and Nyberg, 2009). Having a strong sense of GP has been shown to have a positive effect on the interpersonal climate of group members, as well as promoting greater collaboration within the group (Lira, Ripoli, Peiro´ and Zornoza, 2011). Technology has significantly impacted how we work together in groups, and this is seen in the cohort education model as well. Cohorts have access to virtual collaboration techniques that allow them to communicate synchronously or asynchronously from different places and times (e.g., videoconferencing, email, discussion boards, Google Hangouts, Zoom) (Garfield and Dennis, 2012-13). While much has been identified regarding group potency and different teams in organizations, little has yet to be discovered about group potency formation in virtual teams in the education system. This paper discusses how groups and teams have developed (or not developed) potency in virtual graduate education courses.
Independent Online Mentoring Platforms: A Chance for Everybody to Find Career Mentoring?
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Nadine Baumann
Mentoring is one of the most effective measures of career-oriented personality development. Therefore, it is a popular instrument of personnel development, women’s promotion, onboarding of new personnel, and the development of management trainees. Set as a program, companies and organisations deploy mentoring to support disadvantaged groups. Nevertheless, only the best candidates get access to these mentoring programs. With the digitalisation of society and thus social transition, the Internet’s potential concerning mentoring was discovered. Not only can mentors and mentees communicate via digital communication media but getting access to a mentoring program, or a mentor, becomes easier. Despite these developments, it still seems to be difficult for potential mentees to find a mentor. Therefore, this paper discusses independent online career mentoring platforms (in Germany) concerning recruitment of mentors, application procedures for mentees, the process of matching mentor and mentee, and preparation to take on the role as a mentor respectively the role as a mentee. The paper also explores how mentors and mentees assess the (online/blended) mentoring provided from an independent platform on the Internet.
