How do we deal with a classmate that no one wants to work with? Team projects are required.?

Question

I'm in an MBA program and we are required to complete some group assignments in each class in addition to our individual work. The problem is that one of our classmates isn't very bright and can't carry his share of the team projects. He tries hard but his work is of such poor quality that we end up having to re-do it all for him. I tried to help but he merely plagiarized the paper I had given him as an example of formatting and style. He has been shuffled between teams for the past few classes but now we have a very small class and every single person has been burned by him.
It looks like there will only be 6 students in the next class and the other 5 of us refuse to work with him. How can we handle this without being cruel?

The team assignments generally involve each person writing two short papers (required) and then we all combine them into one synthesized paper which addresses our case study's problem so unfortunately, a "make work" assignment for this individual won't work.
This individual's short papers have been poorly researched, not documented properly, and written on (maybe) an 8th grade level. The nicest thing I could say after reading the first one was "half plagiarized, half incoherent." We just don't have the time to do our own work and do his work for him.
I know that learning to work with people is an important skill but in the workplace, this individual would have been fired for lack of ability. None of us are willing to continue to do all the work and let him receive the same grade.

Answer 1

honestly speak to the person and explain that the project is to be workout by a team not by an individual, ask what he/shes good at & tell him/her where your specialty as well so you can divide the labor necessary.
if no success. suggest to your professor if you can work alone if you can & if it is possible.

Answer 2

Although you could try to get your professor to let you work without him, or you could ask him what his strengths are, and try to assign him something that he could do to utilize that area of expertise, you might be better of just assigning him a "make work" type of project, that has little or no bearing on the outcome of the whole project. Unfortunately you will find these types of people in the world, when you get into it. One of the things that this exercise will teach you is to work around this type of difficulty.

Answer 3

Well, the purpose of a group activity is to test how people work together as a team. Trust me, in real life situations you would find a lot of people who are under performers and as a manager you would need to work around these limitations.

I suggest that you talk to this person frankly, and tell him of the opinoin people carry of him. Assure him that you would help him improve, only if he is willing to work hard to improve himself. If required, have your prof speak with him as well. I'm sure everyone would want their friend to do well in life going forward.