Group Dynamics in Projects: Don't Forget the Social Aspects

As faculty members, we have the opportunity to serve as references for our students. One of the questions potential employers invariably ask is, “How well does the student work with others?” The practicing engineer must have the knowledge required to function as a member of a team, combining each individual's expertise with the skills of others on the team. Numerous organizations, most notably the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), have put an emphasis on the need to prepare engineers to work in such an environment. To address this need, we have instituted a series of projects, joining graduate industrial and systems engineers and undergraduate civil engineers, focusing on statistical applications in civil engineering. The courses chosen to pilot this program allow us to explore the hierarchical issues in project management and give us a multidisciplinary setting for potential projects. This paper discusses the issues of teamwork, leadership, and the difficulties of simultaneously creating a group identity and producing a quality product.