Archetypes of heeding instructions among students engaged in virtual teams of online MBA classes: preliminary evidence of socioemotional learning

Purpose The article reports findings produced by a study that examined the heeding of instructions provided to students engaged in virtual teams of online MBA classes. The purpose was to identify archetypes of heeding instructions and test whether they are significantly linked to the activation of socioemotional abilities. Design/methodology/approach In two MBA classes, students received instructions for working with others in virtual teams and prompts to aid reflection on activated socioemotional abilities. The final reports submitted by students were content analyzed; the resulting classifications were used to identify archetypes of heeding instructions and test hypothesized relationships. Findings Three archetypes of heeding instructions were identified. Testing suggests that a significant multivariate association exists between archetypes of heeding instructions and activation of socioemotional abilities among students. Originality/value The article is one of the first to report a study devoted to instruction-heeding, and the socioemotional abilities activated by the archetypes of instruction-heeding.