WM9M1-15 Collaborative Project Working

Department: WMG
Level: Taught Postgraduate Level
Module leader: Nancy Olson
Credit value: 15
Module duration: 1 week
Assessment: Multiple
Study location: University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

Introductory description

The module aims to examine best practice in Collaborative Working in a Project (and to some extent programme) context. The impact of effective Leadership, Teamworking, Communication and Stakeholder Engagement will all be explored. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on their own style of leadership and interaction in order to facilitate their personal and professional development.

Module aims

The module aims to examine best practice in Collaborative Working and Leadership in the context of Projects, Programmes & Portfolios (P3M). The impact of effective Leadership, Teamworking, Communication and Stakeholder Engagement will all be explored. Themes focusing on individual differences and group dynamics will be addressed. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on their own style of leadership and interaction in order to facilitate their personal and professional development. Collaboration will be considered at the level of individual interactions, teams and groups, inter-departmental, inter-organisational and inter-cultural co-operation.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Introduction: The Concept of Collaboration
Individual Factors in Collaboration: Personality, Motivation, EQ, Trust
Components of Collaboration: Trust (Activity)
Communication for Collaboration
Teams (inc Virtual Teams)
Components of Collaboration: Co-ordination (Activity)
Keynote Speaker: International Standards in Collaborative Leadership
Collaborative Strategies
Components of Collaboration: Co-operation (Activity)
Inter-Cultural Negotiation
Components of Collaboration: Influence (Activity)
Keynote Speaker: A Systems Thinking Approach to Developing Collaborative Environments
Stakeholder Engagement Strategies & Tools
Collaborative Leadership
Reflection, Action Planning & Module Summary

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

Critically evaluate and apply appropriate techniques to the management and engagement of stakeholders, drawing on individual characteristics of personality, motivation and emotional intelligence.
Understand and critically apply appropriate strategies, tools and techniques for enhancing collaboration and dealing with conflict at the interpersonal, intra and inter-organisational level.
Demonstrate knowledge of key contemporary approaches to leadership and management and understand their relevance to fostering collaboration in P3M.
Understand the challenges of leading and managing in a virtual context and demonstrate familiarity with examples of some of the tools and techniques which can be used to support virtual collaborative working.

Indicative reading list

APM (2020) APM Book of Knowledge (7th Edition)
Arnold, Silvester, Patterson, Robertson (2004) Work Psychology
Beardwell & Claydon (2010) Human Resource Management
Boddy & Buchanan (1999) Take the Lead: Interpersonal Skills for Project Managers
Briner, Hastings & Geddes (1996) Project Leadership
Buttrick (2013) The Project Workout
Friedman & Miles (2006) Stakeholders, Theory and Practice
Gardner & Matviak (2022) Smarter Collaboration: A New Approach to Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work
Hansen (2009) Collaboration: How Leaders Avoid the Traps, Build Common Ground, and Reap Big Results
Hawkins & Connor (2023) The Next Generation in Leadership
HBR (2013) On Collaboration
Huczynski & Buchanan (2013) Organizational Behaviour
Husted & Allen (2010) Corporate Social Strategy
ICW (2018) Insight into ISO 44001
Kahn (1990) Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work
Katzenbach & Smith (2005) The Wisdom of Teams
Kliem & Ludin (1994), The People Side of Project Management
Lock & Scott (2013) Gower Handbook of People in Project Management
MacLeod & Clarke (2009) Engaging for Success
MacNicol & Coleman (2015) Project Leadership
Mayfield (2013) Practical People Engagement
Muller & Turner (2010) Project Oriented Leadership
PMI (2021) PMBOK (7th Edition)
Reiss (1996) Programme Management Demystified
Tamm (2020) Radical Collaboration: Five Essential Skills to Overcome Defensiveness and Build Successful Relationships
Zander & Zander (2002) The Art of Possibility

Subject specific skills

Understanding the role of stakeholder engagement in P3M; appreciation of individual differences in facilitating collaboration; understanding the structure and governance of joint ventures and commercial partnerships; appreciation of the influence of national culture; corporate culture and structure; collaborative communication; developing teamworking and leadership (including virtual environments).

Transferable skills

Collaboration, negotiation, conflict management, facilitation, groupwork, presentation skills, communications skills, critical thinking skills, leadership, self-reflection, cultural awareness, strategic thinking

Study time

Type	Required
Lectures	20 sessions of 1 hour (12%)
Seminars	5 sessions of 1 hour (3%)
Practical classes	5 sessions of 1 hour (3%)
Online learning (scheduled sessions)	(0%)
Online learning (independent)	60 sessions of 1 hour (36%)
Assessment	75 hours (45%)
Total	165 hours

Private study description

No private study requirements defined for this module.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A1

	Weighting	Study time	Eligible for self-certification
Post Module Assignment	85%	60 hours	Yes (extension)
Assessed essay Words 3,000 +/- 250 Weighting 85%
In Module Assessment	15%	15 hours	No
A combination of (individual) pre-sessional/in-module online quizzes (based in moodle) plus an (individual) assessed reflective piece with a number of separate components. The quiz questions will be multiple choice and auto-marked; the reflective pieces will be assessed by the module tutor against the module learning outcomes.

Assessment group R1

	Weighting	Study time	Eligible for self-certification
Post Module Assignment	100%		Yes (extension)
Assessed essay Words 3,500 +/- 250 Weighting 100%

Feedback on assessment

Immediate oral feedback will be provided after in module activities, which will be focused upon the learning targets of each session. Feedback will also be provided to any questions which arise from students with the lecture session.

PMA and IMA feedback will be focused on the strengths and weaknesses of the respective submissions with regard to the module learning objectives and the post-module assignment marking guidelines. Suggestions for improvement will also be provided.

Courses

This module is Core optional for:

TWMS-H1SB Postgraduate Taught Programme and Project Management (Full-time)
- Year 1 of H1SB Programme and Project Management (Full-time)
- Year 1 of H1SB Programme and Project Management (Full-time)