Integrated Product Development(IPD) and Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) are important in industry today because teams can accomplish more in less time, with higher quality, than working individually and passing work along. This paper is a case study of IPD/IPT Leadership, an accredited course taught at The University of Akron (UA). The study consisted of a two-semester (Fall 1995 & Spring 1996) evening class available to industry and UA students, taught by a representative from industry with IPT experience (the primary author).

The main reasons teams fail are inexperience in operating as a cohesive team, and a reluctance to openly share ideas, trust actions, and agree on results. The answer is training.

During training, leadership roles/duties were defined, with each student given numerous opportunities to participate, lead and present to the class. All leadership positions on the team were rotated, some elected by the team, others assigned by the instructor. Many team projects were used throughout the course, providing the students with many opportunities to work on unique projects and requiring them to interact with other class members. As students gained experience and confidence in operating as teams, team dynamics dramatically improved, allowing the teams to efficiently move forward with their tasks.

A review of teaching techniques and obstacles to teaching this type of class will be addressed.