Bachelor Seminar: Founding Teams – Talent, Trust & Trouble

How are successful founding teams formed? What makes collaboration in start-ups strong—and why do many teams fail? In this seminar, students explore the dynamics of teamwork in start-up contexts. The focus is on questions of team composition, trust, conflicts, and common goals in the early stages of a company.

Different perspectives on founding teams are considered, such as:

•    Teams in start-ups and spin-offs,

•    Start-up teams with different backgrounds and experience,

•    Diverse and international start-up teams.

 

Students will examine scientific concepts relating to team processes, trust, conflict management, leadership, and communication. Working in small groups, they will each tackle a specific topic and present their findings to the group. A written paper complements the teamwork.

 

Thematic focus

•    Composition and dynamics of founding teams

•    Trust, communication, and conflict resolution

•    Diversity and psychological safety in founding teams

•    Leadership and decision-making in the early stages of founding a company

•    Factors contributing to the success and failure of entrepreneurial collaboration

 

Seminar objectives

Students will...

•    understand key concepts of team research in the context of start-ups,

•    analyze success factors and challenges of founding teams,

•    reflect on the role of trust, diversity, and conflict in teamwork,

•    deepen their skills in scientific work and team communication.

 

Formal scope: 

• Work in small groups, each focusing on one topic
• Team presentation (colloquium)
• Written paper (approx. 10 pages per person, with reference to the group)
• Maximum number of participants: 15

 

Organization:

Time: Thursday, 2:15-5:30 p.m. (individual appointments)

• April 23
• May 7
• May 21
• May 28
• July 2
• July 9

Location: Room: M.13.09

Moodle course: to follow

Further information on the chair's master's program offerings can be found on Studilöwe.