LDR 385 Teamwork in Organizations

Class studied teamwork and team dynamics in conjunction with the MSPP. The MSPP project provides students in Teamwork in Organizations with the unique opportunity to learn about teamwork in non-profit organizations at the same time they are "doing" teamwork to complete the project.

Students are tasked with organizing and coordinating team roles, responsibilities, team norms, and their project timeline. They research philanthropy and their selected non-profits online and conduct interviews with a representative of their selected organizations via either phone, zoom, email, or on-site visit. As part of that interview, they learn about teams and team dynamics in that organization. Each team then prepares a final report and delivers a presentation to the class in which they inform the class about the organizational structure, teamwork in that organization, how team concepts apply to the grant project, etc. and advocate for their selected organization's project. As part of their presentation, students reflect on their teamwork lessons learned from their personal experiences as well as organizational insight.

Students consistently report that the project is more meaningful and "real" to them than other team-based experiences. 

Responses from each group of students and their picked nonprofit:

The team that represented Chicks & Chucks shared the following: "All in all, the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Group Project allowed this Team to experience real world group dynamics and team building activities which they thoroughly enjoyed doing together. Although Team Three did not [initially] think the most practically about delegating tasks, they still learned a lot of incredible information and used this as a lesson to balance their future work ethics between completing work and forming relationships."

The team that represented ION Center shared the following: "Through working with ION Center for Violence Prevention, many of us were able to learn and experience the seriousness of public/domestic violence and the many hardships that people face on a daily basis. The ION Center was very helpful in providing their insight and information into the company's mission and future goals as well as the greatest challenges they have faced. One of our group members had the opportunity to work directly with ION previously and provided valuable insight to other group members as to what their experience was like and how this company strives to help all different types of people and their backgrounds which was very helpful for our group understanding and knowledge of the company. This organization uses teamwork in everyday life through essential communication, and the care and welfare of their guests and customers. It takes many hardworking and goal-oriented people to keep a necessary facility such as ION open and successful in providing a safe haven to those in need." 

Mission

To take the best care of people of all identities who have been impacted by power-based personal violence and to measurably reduce the number of people who have been hurt by it.

Vision

To shift the cultural norms to create a society where violence isn’t tolerated.

https://ioncenter.org/

Remarks from Cathy Halloran, Founder and President:

"Just so grateful to be chosen to receive this grant especially since the pandemic crippled and cancelled our fundraiser the past 2 years."

Mission Statement

The mission of Chicks & Chucks Inc. is to be a resource for Breast Cancer patients who require products and services in their battle and have little or no financial means to acquire what they need.

https://chicksandchucks.org/about-us/

Professor Downing: 

"We followed NKU masking and distancing protocol. Student group collaboration moved from the classroom into locations of choice to further minimize classroom crowding during collaboration."

"On a related note -- When I was sick during the month of Sept. with a non-Covid illness, I still needed to recover at home -- students voted to continue meeting in person and I zoomed into the classroom."