Group and Team Formation Methods In Management Education: What’s Fun and For Whom?

Abstract: Group and teamwork (G&T) in management education remains a persistent challenge for students, educators, and employers. This roundtable explores how different G&T formation methods: self-selection, instructor-assigned, criterion-based, random, and fun approaches, affect learning, engagement, and educator workload. Drawing on a scoping review of 54 business and management education articles and the facilitators’ collective experience across undergraduate to MBA teaching, participants will compare formation practices, share experiences, and co-create a good-practice checklist. Framed by the MOBTS Oceania 2026 theme, the session emphasises the often-overlooked tension between pedagogical intent, institutional constraints, and the fun dynamics of teamwork in management education.

Keywords: Team formation; teamwork dynamics;