Team Training

For truly international teams, knowledge of any single foreign culture is only of limited help. Finka develops the approach of enabling culturally heterogeneous teams by providing team members with generic competencies that allow them to organize team processes and team communication in effective ways.

As a major training tool, Finka uses, researches, and develops mid-fidelity computer simulations. These simulations are demanding in terms of problem solving and team organization, they are, however, usually distant from the concrete work experience of participants in order to facilitate reflection. Examples for such computer simulations include the MS Antwerpen, Goliath, Babylon, and some older simulations like Moro.

This line of work is heavily supported by the student research group SikKFuT (Simulations in Intercultural Research and Training) which develops simulations and training concepts, works on the theoretical basis and develops trainer competences.

Projects and Reports:

• Balls, Stefanie (2017). The impact of training measures on team-internal communication processes: Evaluation of the Teachbox for teamprocess optimization using the example of computer simulation MS Antwerpen. (in German: Der Einfluss von Trainingsmaßnahmen auf teaminterne Kommunikations­prozesse: Evaluation der Teachbox zur Teamprozessoptimierung am Beispiel der Computersimulation MS Antwerpen.) – unpublished Master's Thesis, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena.
• Orbes, Vera Irina (2016). Opportunities and limits of mindfulness concepts for interculturel trainings. (in German: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen von Achtsamkeitskonzepten für interkulturelle Trainings.) – unpublished Master`s Thesis, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena.
• Balls, S., Bohlen, A., Geßner, R. & Umlauf, C. (2016). Development of a Teachbox for the teamprocess optimization in the context of computer-supported planning games of TATA Interactive Systems GmbH. (in German: Entwicklung einer Teachbox zur Optimierung von Teamprozessen im Rahmen computergestützter Planspiele der TATA Interactive Systems GmbH) – unpublished P5-project report, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena.
• Kranich, Ph., Preuß, K. & Stein, A.-M. (2014). Development of a combination tool for the assessment of emergency staff training exercises at the Academy for Crisis Management, Emergency planning and Civil Security (in German: AKNZ – Entwicklung eines kombinierten Werkzeugs zur Bewertung von Stabsübungen an der Akademie für Krisenmanagement, Notfallplanung und Zivilschutz.). Unpublished P5-Project Report. Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena.
• Florian, M. (2013). Conceptual design and practical test of a one-and-a-half-day simulation-based training in “problem solving in teams” (in German:  Konzeption und Durchführung eines an­derthalbtägigen computersimulationsba­sierten Trainings […] zum Thema „Problemlösen im Team“. Unpublished P5-Project Report. Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena.