the army crew team case study harvard business school

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Leadership & Managing People

Army Crew Team

Army Crew Team ^ 403131

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Publication Date: January 31, 2003

Source: Harvard Business School

The coach of the varsity Army crew team at West Point assembled his top eight rowers into the first crew team and the second tier of rowers into the second team using objective data on individual performance. As the second boat continually beat the first boat in races, the coach attempted to discern the team dynamics causing these aberrant results. By using very clean, objective performance data, the case makes clear that a team can be more (or less) than the sum of its individual parts, but allows students to analyze the factors that make this true.

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Jeffrey T. Polzer

Ups foundation professor of human resource management.

Jeff Polzer is the UPS Foundation Professor of Human Resource Management in the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. He studies how people collaborate in teams and across organizational networks to accomplish their individual and collective goals. He has ongoing projects in collaboration with a number of organizations, often working with members of their people analytics groups on problems of mutual interest. He has taught a variety of courses in the MBA, Executive, and Doctoral Programs at HBS, and published his research in numerous top management and psychology journals.

Professor Polzer currently teaches in Executive Education programs including the Owner/President Management Program and the Harvard Business Analytics Program. His past MBA courses include Leadership and Organizational Behavior, Leading Teams, Leading with People Analytics, and Field Immersion Experiences for Leadership Development. He taught the doctoral course Human Behavior and served as the faculty chair of Harvard’s Organizational Behavior PhD program. He has also conducted executive training sessions for a variety of organizations including IBM, Novartis, AT&T, Allianz, Seagate, Jabil, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Citizens Bank, Bharti Airtel, Fresenius, Mercy Corps, and Ernst & Young.

At HBS, he has received the Robert F. Greenhill Award for outstanding service, the Apgar Award for Innovation in Teaching, the Charles M. Williams award for his work with doctoral students, and the Wyss Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring. Before coming to Harvard, he taught courses in Organizational Behavior and Negotiations at the University of Texas at Austin and Northwestern University, where he won the Kellogg Graduate School of Management's Doctoral Teaching Award. 

A native of Wisconsin, Professor Polzer earned a B.S. in Finance and Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and an MBA from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, where he worked for Burlington Northern Railroad as a marketing analyst. He received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He has published his research in the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Psychological Science, and Small Group Research.

Books Books

• Neale, M., E. Mannix, and J. Polzer, eds. Identity Issues in Groups . Vol. 5, Research on Managing Groups and Teams. Stamford, CT: JAI Press, 2003.  View Details

Journal Articles Journal Articles

• Polzer, Jeff. "The Rise of People Analytics and the Future of Organizational Research." Art. 100181. Research in Organizational Behavior 42 (December 2022). (Supplement.)  View Details
• DeFilippis, Evan, Stephen Michael Impink, Madison Singell, Jeff Polzer, and Raffaella Sadun. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Digital Communication Patterns." Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 9, no. 180 (May 2022).  View Details
• Satterstrom, Patricia, Jeffrey T. Polzer, Lisa Kwan, Oliver P. Hauser, Wannawiruch Wiruchnipawan, and Marina Burke. "Thin Slices of Workgroups." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 151 (March 2019): 104–117.  View Details
• Tadmor, Carmit, Melody Chao, Ying-yi Hong, and Jeff Polzer. "Not Just for Stereotyping Anymore: Racial Essentialism Reduces Domain-General Creativity." Psychological Science 24, no. 1 (January 2013).  View Details
• Seidel, M. D., J. Polzer, and K. Stewart. "Friends in High Places: Structural Discrimination in Salary Negotiations." Administrative Science Quarterly 45, no. 1 (March 2000): 1–24. (Reprinted in Social Capital in Business, edited by K.W. Koput and J.P. Broschak, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2010.)  View Details
• Tadmor, Carmit, Patricia Satterstrom, Sujin Jang, and Jeffrey Polzer. "Beyond Individual Creativity: The Superadditive Benefits of Multicultural Experience for Collective Creativity in Culturally Diverse Teams." Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 43, no. 3 (April 2012): 384–392.  View Details
• Groysberg, Boris, Jeffrey T. Polzer, and Hillary Anger Elfenbein. "Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth: How High Status Individuals Decrease Group Effectiveness." Organization Science 22, no. 3 (May–June 2011): 722–737.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey, Ranjay Gulati, Rakesh Khurana, and Michael Tushman. "Crossing Boundaries to Increase Relevance in Organizational Research." Journal of Management Inquiry 18, no. 4 (December 2009): 280–286.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T. "Making Diverse Teams Click." HBS Centennial Issue Harvard Business Review 86, nos. 7/8 (July–August 2008): 20–21.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., Brad Crisp, Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa, and Jerry W. Kim. "Extending the Faultline Concept to Geographically Dispersed Teams: How Colocated Subgroups Can Impair Group Functioning." Academy of Management Journal 49, no. 4 (August 2006). (This article was subject of a Recent Research of Note in the Organization Management Journal , Vol. 3, no. 3 (2006): 157-159.)  View Details
• London, Manuel, Jeffrey T. Polzer, and Heather Omoregie. " Group Learning: A Multi-Level Model Integrating Interpersonal Congruence, Transactive Memory and Feedback Processes ." Human Resource Development Review 4, no. 2 (2005): 114–136.  View Details
• Polzer, J. " How Subgroup Interests and Reputations Moderate the Effect of Organizational Identification on Cooperation ." Journal of Management 30, no. 1 (February 2004): 71–96.  View Details
• Swann, W. B., Jr., J. Polzer, D. C. Seyle, and S. J. Ko. "Finding Value in Diversity: Verification of Personal and Social Self-Views in Diverse Groups." Academy of Management Review 29, no. 1 (January 2004): 9–27.  View Details
• Swann, William B., Jr., Virginia S. Y. Kwan, Jeffrey T. Polzer, and Laurie P. Milton. "Fostering Group Identification and Creativity in Diverse Groups: The Role of Individuation and Self-verification." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 29, no. 11 (November 2003): 1396–1406.  View Details
• Swann, William B., Jr., Virginia S.Y. Kwan, Jeffrey T. Polzer, and Laurie P. Milton. " Waning of Stereotypic Perceptions in Small Groups: Identity Negotiation and Erosion of Gender Expectations of Women. " Social Cognition 21, no. 3 (June 2003): 194–212.  View Details
• Polzer, J., L. P. Milton, and W. B. Swann Jr. "Capitalizing on Diversity: Interpersonal Congruence in Small Work Groups." Administrative Science Quarterly 47, no. 2 (June 2002): 296–324. (Winner of Academy of Management. Outstanding Publication in Organizational Behavior Award presented by Academy of Management​.)  View Details
• Polzer, J. "Book Review of Identity in Organizations: Building Theory Through Conversations edited by David A. Whetten and Paul C. Godfrey." Administrative Science Quarterly 45, no. 3 (September 2000): 625–628.  View Details
• Swann, W., L. Milton, and J. Polzer. " Should We Create a Niche or Fall in Line? Identity Negotiation and Small Group Effectiveness ." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 79, no. 2 (August 2000): 238–250.  View Details
• Polzer, J., K. Stewart, and J. Simmons. " A Social Categorization Explanation for Framing Effects in Nested Social Dilemmas ." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 79, no. 2 (August 1999): 154–178.  View Details
• Chatman, J., J. Polzer, S. Barsade, and M. Neale. "Being Different Yet Feeling Similar: The Influence of Demographic Composition and Organizational Culture on Work Processes and Outcomes." Administrative Science Quarterly 43, no. 4 (December 1998): 749–780.  View Details
• Polzer, J., E. Mannix, and M. Neale. "Interest Alignment and Coalitions in Multi-party Negotiation." Academy of Management Journal 41, no. 4 (February 1998): 42–54.  View Details
• Polzer, J., R. Kramer, and M. Neale. " Positive Illusions About Oneself and One's Group: Antecedents and Consequences ." Small Group Research 28 (May 1997): 243–266.  View Details
• Polzer, J. "Intergroup Negotiations: The Effects of Negotiating Teams." Journal of Conflict Resolution 40, no. 4 (December 1996): 679–699.  View Details
• Polzer, J., and M. Neale. "Constraints or Catalysts? Reexamining Goal Setting Within the Context of Negotiation." Human Performance 8, no. 1 (1995): 3–26.  View Details
• Rutte, C., T. Diekmann, J. Polzer, F. Crosby, and D. Messick. "Organization of Information and the Detection of Gender Discrimination." Psychological Science 5, no. 4 (July 1994): 226–231.  View Details
• Polzer, J., M. Neale, and P. Glenn. " The Effects of Relationships and Justification in an Interdependent Allocation Task ." Group Decision and Negotiation 2, no. 2 (June 1993): 135–148.  View Details
• Polzer, J., K. Diekmann, and M. Neale. " Book Review of Intuition in Organizations: Leading and Managing Productively edited by Weston H. Agor ." Journal of Organizational Behavior 13 (1992): 531–536.  View Details

Book Chapters Book Chapters

• Polzer, Jeff. "Foreword." In Handbook of Graphs and Networks in People Analytics: With Examples in R and Python . 1st Edition by Keith McNulty, xi–xiii. Chapman & Hall/CRC, 2022.  View Details
• Fernandes, Catarina, and Jeff Polzer. "Diversity in Groups." In Emerging Trends in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: An Interdisciplinary, Searchable, and Linkable Resource , edited by Robert A. Scott and Stephen M. Kosslyn. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2015. Electronic.  View Details
• Satterstrom, Patricia, Jeff Polzer, and Robert Wei. "Reframing Hierarchical Interactions as Negotiations to Promote Change in Health Care Systems." Chap. 18 in Handbook of Conflict Management Research , edited by Oluremi B. Ayoko, Neal M. Ashkansy, and Karen Jehn, 291–307. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., Lisa Kwan, and Lisa B. Kwan. "When Identities, Interests, and Information Collide: How Subgroups Create Hidden Profiles in Teams." In Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Review of Group and Team-Based Research . v.15, edited by Margaret A. Neale and Elizabeth A. Mannix, 359–381. Research on Managing Groups and Teams. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing, 2012.  View Details
• McGinn, Kathleen L., and Jeffrey T. Polzer. "Changing Identity, Changing Language." In Advances in Group Processes . Vol. 28, edited by Shane R. Thye and Edward Lawler, 125–145. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing, 2011.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Heather M. Caruso. "Identity Negotiation Processes Amidst Diversity: Understanding the Influence of Social Identity and Status Differences." In Diversity at Work , edited by Arthur P. Brief. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2008.  View Details
• Elfenbein, H. A., J. T. Polzer, and N. Ambady. " Team Emotion Recognition Accuracy and Team Performance ." Chap. 4 in Research on Emotions in Organizations . Vol. 3, edited by N. M. Ashkanasy, W. J. Zerbe, and C. E.J. Härtel, 87–119. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2007.  View Details
• Polzer, J., W. Swann, and L. Milton. " The Benefits of Verifying Diverse Identities for Group Performance ." In Research on Managing Groups and Teams: Identity Issues in Groups . Vol. 5, edited by M. Neale, E. Mannix, and J. Polzer. Stamford, CT: JAI Press, 2003.  View Details
• Polzer, J. " Negotiation Tactics ." In Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Human Resource Management , edited by L. Peters, S. Youngblood, and C. Greer. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 1997.  View Details
• Polzer, J. "Role; Role Ambiguity; Role Distancing; Role Set; and Role Theory." In Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Organizational Behavior , edited by N. Nicholson. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 1996.  View Details
• Polzer, J., E. Mannix, and M. Neale. " Multiparty Negotiation in Its Social Context ." In Negotiation as a Social Process , edited by R. Kramer and D. Messick. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1995.  View Details
• Northcraft, G., J. Polzer, M. Neale, and R. Kramer. " Diversity, Social Indentity, and Performance: Emergent Social Dynamics in Cross-functional Teams ." In Diversity in Work Teams: Research Paradigms for a Changing Workplace , edited by Susan E. Jackson and Marian N. Ruderman. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1995.  View Details
• Polzer, J., and M. Neale. " Conflict Management and Negotiation ." In Health Care Management: Organization Design and Behavior , edited by S. Shortell and A. Kaluzny. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers, 1994.  View Details

Cases and Teaching Materials Cases and Teaching Materials

• Polzer, Jeffrey T., Leonard A. Schlesinger, and Max Hancock. "Doing Business in Lima, Peru." Harvard Business School Case 323-050, June 2023. (Revised February 2024.)  View Details
• Whillans, Ashley, and Jeff Polzer. "Applied: Using Behavioral Science to Debias Hiring (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 921-047, March 2021.  View Details
• Whillans, Ashley, and Jeff Polzer. "Applied: Using Behavioral Science to Debias Hiring." Harvard Business School Case 921-046, March 2021. (Revised September 2021.) (https://www.beapplied.com/.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeff. "People Analytics at Teach For America (B) (Data Set)." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 421-054, December 2020.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Olivia Hull. "People Analytics at McKinsey." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 421-022, August 2020.  View Details
• Grushka-Cockayne, Yael, Jeffrey T. Polzer, Susie L. Ma, and Shlomi Pasternak. "Ment.io: Knowledge Analytics for Team Decision Making." Harvard Business School Case 420-078, April 2020.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Julia Kelley. "People Analytics at Teach For America (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 420-086, March 2020.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T. "Sarah Powers at Automated Precision Products." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 419-705, August 2018.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T. "People Analytics at Teach For America (Data Set)." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 418-715, February 2018. (Revised December 2020.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Julia Kelley. "People Analytics at Teach For America (A)." Harvard Business School Case 418-013, February 2018. (Revised December 2020.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Olivia Hull. "People Analytics at McKinsey." Harvard Business School Case 418-023, January 2018. (Revised January 2020.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., Michael Norris, Julia Kelley, and Kristina Tobio. "Sarah Powers at Automated Precision Products." Harvard Business School Case 417-072, February 2017. (Revised August 2018.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Michael Norris. "Susan Cassidy at Bertram Gilman International." Harvard Business School Case 417-053, January 2017. (Revised January 2017.)  View Details
• Khurana, Rakesh, Jeffrey Polzer, Willy Shih, and Eric Baldwin. "Teaming at GE Aviation." Harvard Business School Case 413-074, November 2012.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Heidi K. Gardner. "Bridgewater Associates." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Case 413-702, May 2013.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey, and Heidi K. Gardner. " Bridgewater Associates (TP). " Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 413-115, May 2013.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T. "Leading Teams Note." Harvard Business School Module Note 410-051, September 2009.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T. " Team Processes: Instructor's Overview. " Harvard Business School Module Note 405-008, April 2005.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Scott A. Snook. "Army Crew Team, The (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 404-117, June 2004. (Revised March 2005.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., Hillary Anger Elfenbein, and Jenny Illes. "Flextronics: Deciding on a Shop-Floor System for Producing the Microsoft Xbox (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 405-007, August 2004. (Revised March 2005.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T. "National Semiconductor's India Design Center (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 405-006, August 2004. (Revised March 2005.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld. "Flextronics: Deciding on a Shop Floor System for Producing the Microsoft Xbox." Harvard Business School Case 403-090, February 2003. (Revised August 2004.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Elizabeth Kind. "National Semiconductor's India Design Center." Harvard Business School Case 404-102, February 2004. (Revised August 2004.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Hillary Anger Elfenbein. "Henry Tam and the MGI Team (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 404-079, May 2004.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Anita Williams Woolley. "Chapter Enrichment Program Teams at the American Red Cross (A)." Harvard Business School Case 402-042, January 2002. (Revised April 2004.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Anita W. Woolley. "Chapter Enrichment Program Teams at the American Red Cross (B)." Harvard Business School Case 403-091, January 2003. (Revised April 2004.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., Anita Williams Woolley, and Jenny Illes. "Chapter Enrichment Program Teams at the American Red Cross (TN) (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 404-120, April 2004.  View Details
• Snook, Scott A., and Jeffrey T. Polzer. "Army Crew Team, The." Harvard Business School Case 403-131, January 2003. (Revised March 2004.)  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., Ingrid Vargas, and Hillary Anger Elfenbein. "Henry Tam and the MGI Team." Harvard Business School Case 404-068, October 2003.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T. "Leading Teams." Harvard Business School Background Note 403-094, February 2003.  View Details
• Polzer, Jeffrey T., and Hillary Anger Elfenbein. "Identity Issues in Teams." Harvard Business School Background Note 403-095, February 2003.  View Details

Presentations Presentations

• Satterstrom, Patricia, Lisa Kwan, Wannawiruch Wiruchnipawan, and Jeff Polzer. "Perceiving Collaborative Potential." Paper presented at the International Association for Conflict Management Annual Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, June 2011.  View Details
• Tadmor, Carmit, Patricia Hernandez, Sujin Jang, and Jeff Polzer. "The Influence of Multiculturalism and Self-verification on Creativity in Culturally Diverse Dyads." Paper presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Chicago, August 2009.  View Details

Other Publications and Materials Other Publications and Materials

• Polzer, Jeff, Heather M. Caruso, and Manuel London. "Building Interpersonal Congruence Through Explicit Identity Negotiation." 2009.  View Details

Jeff Polzer is the UPS Foundation Professor of Human Resource Management in the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. He studies how people collaborate in teams and across organizational networks to accomplish their individual and collective goals. He has ongoing projects in collaboration with a number of organizations, often working with members of their people analytics groups on problems of mutual interest.

Winner of the 2003 Outstanding Publication in Organizational Behavior from the Academy of Management's Organizational Behavior Division for "Capitalizing on Diversity: Interpersonal Congruence in Small Work Groups" (with L.P. Milton and W.B. Swann Jr., Administrative Science Quarterly , June 2002).

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Army Crew Team – Case Solution

In May 2002, Colonel Stas Preczewski, the coach of the Army Crew Team, was met with a unique problem. He had selected two teams, the top eight rowers in the Varsity crew and the bottom eight rowers in the Junior Varsity crew. Since the top 8 rowers were in the Varsity crew, it was assumed that as a team, their efficiency would be better than that of the Junior Varsity crew. However, the Junior Varsity crew often beat the Varsity crew, despite being a team of bottom eight rowers. With one week left for the national championship race, coach P has to make a decision such that his team wins the championship. The coach has tried all sorts of permutations and combinations to find the mistakes the varsity team is making but has been unsuccessful. How should the coach approach this problem?

​Scott A. Snook and Jeffrey T. Polzer Harvard Business Review ( 403131-PDF-ENG ) January 31, 2003

Case questions answered:

With one week left before the national championship race, Coach P has to make a decision such that his team wins the championship. The coach has tried all sorts of permutations and combinations to find the mistakes the Army Crew Team is making but has been unsuccessful. How should the coach approach this problem?

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Army Crew Team Case Answers

Introduction – army crew team.

In May 2002, Colonel Stas Preczewski, the coach of the Army Crew Team, was met with a unique problem. He had selected two teams, the top eight rowers in the Varsity crew and the bottom eight rowers in the Junior Varsity crew.

Since the top 8 rowers were in the Varsity crew, it was assumed that as a team, their efficiency would be better than that of the Junior Varsity crew. However, the Junior Varsity crew often beat the Varsity crew despite being a team of bottom eight rowers.

With one week left for the national championship race, coach P has to make a decision such that his team wins the championship. The coach has tried all sorts of permutations and combinations to find the mistakes the Army Crew Team is making but has been unsuccessful.

Main Problem

There are essentially three problems within the varsity team. These are the lack of leadership, lack of positive communication, and lack of trust.

These traits can be very easily recognized as it has been clearly communicated in the emails the varsity team sent each other and to the coach.

Varsity team members are more focused on their individual performances instead of the team’s performance.

For the Varsity team and the whole Army Crew Team to have the chance of finishing positively in the national championship, these problems have to be addressed by Coach P.

Although the Varsity team consists of the best and top players available in each form of evaluation, they are not able to pull off a good show.

When a group of people with the same goal come together to reach their aim, they work in solidarity, uplifting each other and moving forward.

Contrary to this, the Army Crew Team consists of team disrupters, arrogant snobs, and blame gamers.

Rather than correcting themselves, they accused Coach P of wavering their confidence by pitting them against the Junior Varsity team, thereby creating a rift within the Army Crew Team.

They were apprehensive of the CEP training and always had issues with every single thing. This qualifies as a lack of teamwork and increases their chances of losing.

The team members are always criticizing each other and do not have positive or reaffirming slogans. The members of the Army Crew Team have a communication barrier wherein no one wants to admit their mistakes.

Very rightly, as said in the study, “the whole is less than the sum of parts.”

In order for a team to function effectively, they have to…

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The Army Crew Team Harvard Case Solution & Analysis

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The Army Crew Team Case Solution

Introduction:

The key players of the army crew team are Coach Preczewski, the varsity team and the Junior varsity team.

Coach Preczewski : Preczewski coaches the army team at the west point of the US for the United States Military Academy. He formed two crew teams with the names of Varsity (V) and the junior Varsity (JV).

The Varsity team : It consists of the top rowing group which comprises of the main eight individuals with brilliant quality and conditions however, this crew team had no team leader and a little team commitment.

The Junior Varsity : It comprises of bottom eight rowers with strong commitment and motivational values and attitudes, which was expected to perform better than the varsity crew team.

The Army Crew Team of varsity is in absolute dissatisfaction because of lack of rowing technique; and mental measurement kept habitually losing the JV group before the national title race. Confronting with this problem, Coach P. held a meeting with the colleagues to talk about the issues among the group. Presently on, he needs to settle on a decision among the decisions of exchanging the Varsity and Junior Varsity vessel, exchanging singular watercraft individuals or interceding to enhance the Varsity watercraft's execution.

The objective of the case is that Coach P is facing a challenge of improving the Junior Varsity (JV) team in comparison with the varsity team that is outperforming consistently. The coach P has to make decision to turn the situation within four days before the National Championships start.

Problem Identification:

The coach P was the main reason that caused rift between the JV and the V team due to lack of leadership quality. His goal was only to organize the teams in rowers and to train them as a manger of production line does. He used to select the team by considering the physical performance of the individuals rather than psychological performance. He was not successful in building a kind of team in which all top talented individuals were chosen for the varsity team with the closed eyes towards the performance of the team. As a coach, he should first identify the problems. (Ivancevich)

If we talk about the Varsity crew team, they had behavioral issues towards each other regarding relationships, rewards and responsibilities, as they were operating as a group of individual persons rather than a team, and they were lacking in trust, motivation and other several communication barriers. Therefore, the following two categories caused the problem identification:(Wener, 2015)

• Group Dissention: it led to many team disruptions, including, harsh individual critiques and passing blames to others, and the varsity team (V) was less oriented as compare to Junior Varsity team (JV).
• Lack of Motivation: Due to incompatibility among team members, the rower down team was always blamed that led to result in failure of JV team.

The Junior Varsity team is consistently losing from the varsity team due to lack of characteristics that make a real team such as team disruptions from the varsity crew team. (a) Team playing versus individuality: the varsity team was selected based on physical strengths and capabilities and they were not playing a team rather an individual. The lack of cohesiveness in team and trust led to greatest failure of down rowers’ crew team that is Junior Varsity (JV). (b) Lack of shared goals: the Varsity team only wanted to win with no solid team targeted objective or goal. The V team was too egoistic and centrally focused for their individual success of their personal goals and they never batter themselves as a team unit. (c).......................

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Fundamentals of Case Teaching

Our new, self-paced, online course guides you through the fundamentals for leading successful case discussions at any course level.

Case Companion: Build Students’ Confidence in Case Analysis

Case Companion is an engaging and interactive introduction to case study analysis that is ideal for undergraduates or any student new to learning with cases.

Discover Trending Cases

Stay up to date on cases from leading business schools.

Discover new ideas for your courses

Course Explorer lets you browse learning materials by topic, curated by our editors, partners, and faculty from leading business schools. 

Teach with Cases

Explore resources designed to help you bring the case method into your classroom.

Inspiring Minds Articles on Case Teaching

Insights from leading educators about teaching with the case method.

Book: Teaching with Cases: A Practical Guide

A book featuring practical advice for instructors on managing class discussion to maximize learning.

Webinar: How ChatGPT and Other AI Tools Can Maximize the Learning Potential of Your Case-Based Classes

Register now.

Supplements: Inside the Case

Teaching tips and insights from case authors.

Guide: Teaching Cases Online

A guide for experienced educators who are new to online case teaching.

Educator Training: Selecting Cases to Use in Your Classes

Find the right materials to achieve your learning goals.

Educator Training: Teaching with Cases

Key strategies and practical advice for engaging students using the case method.

Frequently Asked Questions

What support can I offer my students around analyzing cases and preparing for discussion?

Case discussions can be a big departure from the norm for students who are used to lecture-based classes. The Case Analysis Coach is an interactive tutorial on reading and analyzing a case study. The Case Study Handbook covers key skills students need to read, understand, discuss and write about cases. The Case Study Handbook is also available as individual chapters to help your students focus on specific skills.

How can I transfer my in-person case teaching plan to an online environment?

The case method can be used in an online environment without sacrificing its benefits. We have compiled a few resources to help you create transformative online learning experiences with the case method. Learn how HBS brought the case method online in this podcast , gather some quick guidance from the article " How to Teach Any Case Online ", review the Teaching Cases Online Guide for a deep dive, and check out our Teaching Online Resources Page for more insights and inspiration.

After 35 years as an academic, I have come to the conclusion that there is a magic in the way Harvard cases are written. Cases go from specific to general, to show students that business situations are amenable to hard headed analysis that then generalize to larger theoretical insights. The students love it! Akshay Rao Professor, General Mills Chair in Marketing at the University of Minnesota

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