Term Project

The term project consists of an investigation compares two more groups (the more the better). The groups should have at least 10 members and could be teams, dorms, departments, organizations, etc. An easy way to structure the study is to try to explain why some groups are more successful than others. For example, why are certain BC sports teams more successful than others?

Ideally, you should observe the groups first-hand -- talking to the members yourself, attending their events, and so on. However, it may also be possible (you'll need to check with me) to study groups based on secondary data. For example, you might read Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder and compare the group in that book with the group described in Liar's Poker. Or you might try to figure out, based on published articles, why the US Women's Basketball team was so much more successful than the Men's.

The project may be done individually, but may also be done collaboratively with others in the class. It is up to you. (I recommend working in pairs -- is easier than working alone, but is not as hard to coordinate as teams with more members.)

With respect to the presentation and write-up, I can tell you exactly what gets an "A". I like a strong, clear thesis -- in other words a point -- to run through the work. I want it to say something, not just cover a pot pourri of material. I also prefer depth to breadth -- i.e., taking one idea and exploring it deeply rather than covering a bunch of ideas more superficially. I also want claims to be supported, either by data or argumentation. Just stating interesting ideas won't do it -- you need to provide evidence that they are true.

Project reports should be a minimum of 20 pages double-spaced with 12-point font and 1" margins. They are due Dec 11 at midnight, via e-mail. Please do not submit paper versions.