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LS1003 Working in global virtual teams: global competence for international professionals 3.0 credits

Administer About course

Global Virtual Teams is an increasingly common way of working, with its own unique challenges. This course will help you understand and navigate these, strengthen your global skills and prepare you to succeed in a global landscape of virtual teamwork.

Information per course offering

Choose semester and course offering to see current information and more about the course, such as course syllabus, study period, and application information.

Termin

Course syllabus as PDF

Please note: all information from the Course syllabus is available on this page in an accessible format.

Course syllabus LS1003 (Spring 2025–)
Headings with content from the Course syllabus LS1003 (Spring 2025–) are denoted with an asterisk ( )

Content and learning outcomes

Course contents

The course explores, and lets participants discuss and relate their own experiences to, key areas for social interaction in global virtual team environments, for example team building, negotiation of roles and deadlines, asynchronous and synchronous communication, navigation in different time zones and legal standards, feedback and criticism, and use of and consequences of technology in and for team communication.

Theories and models are introduced to help students better understand common sources of, and discuss possible solutions to, problems in virtual international team environments, with a focus on communication as an aspect of global competence and technological tools for teamwork. Group work.

Intended learning outcomes

The overall aim of the course is to strengthen the global competence required for efficient communication in global virtual team environments. After passing the course, the student should be able to:

  1. give an account of key properties of global virtual teams and their potential advantages and challenges
  2. connect core dimensions of global skills (knowledge, skills, attitudes and critical awareness) to virtual teamwork contexts
  3. discuss consequences and challenges connected to the role of English as a lingua franca in global virtual team environments
  4. give an account of pragmatic strategies for working appropriately and efficiently in a global virtual team, and for preventing or solving misunderstandings and communication problems

Literature and preparations

Specific prerequisites

Minimum 30 ECTS from higher education.

Literature

You can find information about course literature either in the course memo for the course offering or in the course room in Canvas.

Examination and completion

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

Grading scale

P, F

Examination

  • LEXA - Continous assessment, 3.0 credits, grading scale: P, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

Other requirements for final grade

Examination format and detailed grading criteria and assignments are to be described in the course memo before the start of the course

Examiner

Profile picture Björn Kjellgren

Ethical approach

  • All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
  • In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
  • In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.

Further information

Course room in Canvas

Registered students find further information about the implementation of the course in the course room in Canvas. A link to the course room can be found under the tab Studies in the Personal menu at the start of the course.

Offered by

ITM/Learning in Engineering Sciences

Main field of study

Technology

Education cycle

First cycle