1. Discuss the stages of team development.

• As the leader of a virtual team, how would you facilitate the team’s development through each stage?

2. Lord Acton, a British historian of the late 19th century, said that “power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely,” suggesting that a person’s sense of morality lessens as his or her power increases.

Discuss this idea.

• Do you agree that power corrupts?  Can you provide an example?
• Considering this idea, is it ethical for leaders to try to increase their power?

3. Class, I’m sure many of you remember the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes – like me, some of you may even have been a finalist for the super prize of $10 million. 🙂 If you did win this prize, you would not actually receive a check for $10 million. Instead, you would receive $500,000 per year for 20 years. Imagine that you actually were the lucky winner. From a purely financial standpoint, would you be willing to accept $8 million today rather than $500,000 per year for the next 20 years? Why or why not? What non-financial factors might also be considered?

4. Read the “Global Economic Crisis” story on p. 212. Discuss the credit default swaps and the effects it had on the financial crisis.