Negative Consequences of Using the Internet as a Team Building Tool

This semester I decided to take a course (OLS274 dubbed "Applied Leadership") online because the campus offering did not fit into my schedule.  The course consists mostly of web-based interactive activities and exams, but also includes a written project known as the "team-building report" which will serve as our final grade (and a substantial portion of our overall grade).  To complete this project, each student is to interview a manager (and summarize the results in an appendix), as well as choose 5 students from the online class with which to start a business with.  In choosing our teammates, we are never to contact them; our only resource will be to read their responses to a variety of personality assessments and situation resolutions.

While I understand that this exercise is only for the sake of learning how to assemble a team for a theoretical situation, there are many aspects that have been addressed in Small Group Communications that clash with the techniques used in this online course.  First, choosing a team without meeting them is a very daunting task that removes such elements as personality, non-verbals, attitudes towards certain people or situations, and most importantly, it is impossible to see how each individual will work in a group setting without first meeting them or observing them in such a setting.  Other students could represent themselves much differently online as opposed to how they actually behave and function in a group setting.

I bring this up because not only does it tie opposing views of how to work in a group (views from OLS274 and COM320), but it also has a lot of real world application.  For example, two of my summer jobs hired me simply based on my credentials listed on a resume.  They did not interview me, nor did they want to know how well I worked in a team environment.  Both of these jobs required teamwork each and everyday; one of them required teamwork to keep others safe and alive.  In these instances, I wonder how HR managers who hire employees can make such assumptions based only on the facts presented on a resume or from responses on a questionnaire.  There are many other facets that are vital to group communication and building a team.  Observing personality as well as how well each individual works in a group is extremely important when recruiting for any job, especially when safety is a concern.

Recognizing this post is getting long-winded, I will conclude my thoughts by recommending that managers actually meet applicants face-to-face before making hiring decisions.  Even though the world is becoming increasingly "globalized" and online meetings and interviews are becoming more and more prevalent, it is important to actually meet a live body and learn more than what is on paper.  This will lead to a much more satisfying relationship between the employee (and his or her peers) as well as between the employee and the employer.

-Clay Wildt