Plagiarism
Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property Was Utilized by Robert W. Malone, MD
06 June 2024
Introduction
Intellectual property (IP)—including copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, patents, and algorithms—is a strategic asset that provides significant value. IP rights ensure creators can benefit from their hard work, discovery, and innovation. Infringement can damage the marketability and value of the IP. IP rights are so important that IP theft is a federal crime.
Scott M. Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyrights and other IP rights.
This article covers the news that Robert W. Malone, MD used Graffius’ copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' intellectual property in his book. However:
- Malone did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ intellectual property;
- Malone used Graffius’ copyrighted content word-for-word;
- Malone used Graffius’ intellectual property commercially—in his book;
- Malone used a significant amount of Graffius' copyrighted property; and
- Malone did not cite, reference or otherwise attribute Graffius’ respective IP content to Graffius.
Ensuring the integrity of intellectual property is paramount to Graffius. He is resolute in protecting and enforcing his copyrights and other IP rights.
This article presents facts—including visuals and additional evidence—and a critical analysis of this consequential matter.
Overview of Graffius' Copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' IP
Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman, Ph.D. and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Scott M. Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP. It’s a unique perspective on the five phases of team development — Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning — and it’s inclusive of the characteristics and strategies for each phase.
Graffius published his 'Phases of Team Development' work as an article, among other mediums. The body of his article has text in typical — not bullet point — format. The typical format text by Graffius was used by Malone.
(For reference only, Graffius' same article includes a visual which incorporates a graph showing how performance varies by phase, as well as the characteristics and strategies for each phase. The visual has text in bullet-point format. Again, the body of the article has text in typical — not bullet point — format; that typical format text by Graffius was used by Malone.)
Graffius' ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP is registered with the United States Copyright Office.
Graffius initially developed his material in 2008, and he periodically refreshes it. In this case, the applicable edition is 2021. An example is here and other locations.
(For reference only, the most current [2024] edition of his 'Phases of Team Development' is here.)
Here’s a macro/wide view of Graffius' respective 2021 IP.
Here’s another macro/wide view of Graffius' respective 2021 IP, showing the main body of the article.
Here’s a zoomed-in view of Graffius' respective 2021 IP, showing the applicable text.
Here’s a zoomed-in view of Graffius' respective 2021 IP, showing his copyright information.
Graffius' copyright ownership details are clearly noted: "Copyright © 2021 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius."
Graffius presented his 2021 'Phases of Team Development' IP via multiple channels/platforms in 2021. Select examples include:
- Graffius’ blog (January 4, 2021) at: here.
- Graffius’ ResearchGate account (January 4, 2021) at: here.
- Graffius’ Twitter (now called X) account; one of many examples is (January 17, 2021) at: here.
- And some of Graffius’ appearances at conferences and other events; one example is Graffius’ talk at the IEEE’s ‘IEEE Day’ 2021 Event (October 5, 2021), a recording of his session is at: here.
Conference organizers, businesses, professional organizations, government agencies, and universities around the world engage Graffius to deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries:
- Armenia,
- Australia,
- Brazil,
- Canada,
- Czech Republic,
- Finland,
- France,
- Germany,
- Greece,
- Hong Kong,
- Hungary,
- India,
- Ireland,
- Lithuania,
- Luxembourg,
- Nepal,
- Netherlands,
- New Zealand,
- Norway,
- Romania,
- Sweden,
- Switzerland,
- United Arab Emirates,
- United Kingdom,
- and the United States.
His 'Phases of Team Development' IP is central and key to many of those sessions. Graffius' rate card and a listing of his engagements are here and here, respectively.
With an authorization/license from Graffius, many organizations have featured and used his 'Phases of Team Development' IP. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Boston University,
- Cisco,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Hasso Plattner Institute,
- IEEE,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- New Zealand Government,
- Torrens University Australia,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway Ireland,
- U.S. National Park Service,
- U.S. Tennis Association,
- Virginia Tech,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Robert W. Malone's Unauthorized, Word-for-Word, Commercial, Significant Amount, and Unattributed Use of Graffius' Intellectual Property
As already covered, Graffius' copyright ownership details are clearly noted: "Copyright © 2021 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius."
Robert W. Malone, MD used Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property in his 2022 book, Lies My Gov’t Told Me: And the Better Future Coming. However:
- Malone did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ intellectual property;
- Malone used Graffius’ copyrighted content word-for-word;
- Malone used Graffius’ intellectual property commercially—in his book;
- Malone used a significant amount of Graffius' copyrighted property; and
- Malone did not cite, reference or otherwise attribute Graffius’ respective IP content to Graffius.
Evidence is archived. Visuals and additional information follows.
A side-by-side comparison is below. It shows Graffius' 2021 copyrighted content, on the topic of Forming. It also shows what Malone has in his 2022 book on the same topic: Malone uses Graffius' content word-for-word.
A side-by-side comparison is below. It shows Graffius' 2021 copyrighted content, on the topic of Storming. It also shows what Malone has in his 2022 book on the same topic: Malone uses Graffius' content word-for-word.
A side-by-side comparison is below. It shows Graffius' 2021 copyrighted content, on the topic of Norming. It also shows what Malone has in his 2022 book on the same topic: Malone uses Graffius' content word-for-word.
A side-by-side comparison is below. It shows Graffius' 2021 copyrighted content, on the topic of Performing. It also shows what Malone has in his 2022 book on the same topic: Malone uses Graffius' content word-for-word.
A comparison is also delineated next.
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2021 'Phases of Team Development' IP, his content on Forming includes:
"include displaying eagerness, socializing, generally polite tone, sticking to safe topics, being unclear about how one fits in, and some anxiety and questioning."
🔴 From page 376 of Malone's 2022 book, Forming includes:
"include displaying eagerness, socializing, generally polite tone, sticking to safe topics, being unclear about how one fits in, and some anxiety and questioning."
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2021 'Phases of Team Development' IP, his content on Storming includes:
"resistance, lack of participation, conflict related to differences of feelings and opinions, competition, high emotions, and starting to move towards group norms."
🔴 From page 376 of Malone's 2022 book, Storming includes:
"resistance, lack of participation, conflict related to differences of feelings and opinions, competition, high emotions, and starting to move towards group norms."
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2021 'Phases of Team Development' IP, his content on Norming includes:
"improved sense of purpose and understanding of goals, higher confidence, improved commitment, team members are engaged and supportive, relief—lowered anxiety, and starting to develop cohesion."
🔴 From page 376 of Malone's 2022 book, Norming includes:
"improved sense of purpose and understanding of goals, higher confidence, improved commitment, team members are engaged and supportive, relief—lowered anxiety, and starting to develop cohesion."
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2021 'Phases of Team Development' IP, his content on Performing includes:
"Characteristics of Performing include higher motivation, elevated trust and empathy, individuals typically deferring to the team's needs, effective production, consistent performance, and demonstrations of interdependence and self-management (also referred to as self-organization)."
🔴 From page 376 of Malone's 2022 book, Performing includes:
"Characteristics of Performing include higher motivation, elevated trust and empathy, individuals typically deferring to the team's needs, effective production, consistent performance, and demonstrations of interdependence and self-management (also referred to as self-organization)."
The indisputable proof shows that Malone used Graffius' copyrighted property.
Conclusion
Again, Graffius' copyright ownership details are clearly noted: "Copyright © 2021 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius."
Robert W. Malone, MD used Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property in his book and:
- Malone did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ intellectual property;
- Malone used Graffius’ copyrighted content word-for-word;
- Malone used Graffius’ intellectual property commercially—in his book;
- Malone used a significant amount of Graffius' copyrighted property; and
- Malone did not cite, reference or otherwise attribute Graffius’ respective IP content to Graffius.
What Malone did was alarming and profoundly concerning. When others have done something not to Malone's liking or what he thought was wrong, Malone has been known to publicly criticize and characterize them as having "no moral compass." Examples are here and here.
Ensuring the integrity of intellectual property is paramount to Graffius. He is resolute in protecting and enforcing his copyrights and other IP rights.
This case is currently open.
Read on for additional information, including:
- About Scott M. Graffius;
- About Robert W. Malone;
- About Book by Robert W. Malone;
- About Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Rights;
- References/Sources; and
- How to Cite This Article.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius, PMP, SA, CSP-SM, CSP-PO, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is an agile project management practitioner, consultant, creator, multi-award-winning author, and international public speaker. Founder and CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ and subsidiary Exceptional Agility™, he has generated over $1.9 billion for Global Fortune 500 businesses and other organizations he has served. Graffius and content from his books, talks, workshops, and more have been featured and used by Microsoft, Oracle, Broadcom, Cisco, Gartner, Project Management Institute, IEEE, National Academy of Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Tennis Association, Yale University, and others. He delights audiences with dynamic and engaging talks and workshops on agile project management, AI, video game development, strategic alignment, the science of high performance teams, and more. To date, he's presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries. His full bio is available here.
About Robert W. Malone
Robert Wallace Malone is a physician and biochemist. His early work focused on mRNA technology, pharmaceuticals, and drug repurposing research. He's the author of the bestselling book, Lies My Gov't Told Me: And the Better Future Coming. Malone used Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property in his book. Malone did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ intellectual property (IP). Yet, Malone used Graffius’ IP word-for word; he used it commercially—in his book, for his financial gain; he used a significant amount of it; and he did not cite, reference or otherwise attribute Graffius’ respective IP content to Graffius.
About Book by Robert W. Malone
Malone, Robert W. (2022, December). Lies My Gov't Told Me: And the Better Future Coming. ISBN-13: 978-1510773240. New York City, New York: Skyhorse Publishing.
About Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Rights
For copyright/IP infringement cases, it is recommended that you consult a qualified attorney.
Infringement of copyright and other intellectual property (IP) rights is a deplorable act of intellectual theft, displaying a flagrant disregard for professionalism, morality, ethics, and the law. It undermines the hard work and innovation of others and is a disgraceful, unprofessional, dishonest, immoral, unethical, and illegal practice. IP rights are so important that IP theft is a federal crime.
To learn about copyrights, visit the United States Copyright Office’s website at https://www.copyright.gov.
The Reporting Intellectual Property Crime: A Guide for Victims of Copyright Infringement, Trademark Counterfeiting, and Trade Secret Theft publication by the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is a good resource.
The Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Center coordinates the U.S. government’s response to intellectual property crimes. Visit their website at https://www.iprcenter.gov to learn more.
See the References/Sources section for additional information.
References/Sources
Select bibliography:
- Bartlett, Tom (2021, August 12). The Vaccine Scientist Spreading Vaccine Misinformation. The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/08/robert-malone-vaccine-inventor-vaccine-skeptic/619734/.
- Blaskovic, Andrew K.; Rusk, John-David; Parker, Victor C.; and Payne, Bryson R. (2022). Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Theft: An Analysis of Modern Digital Forensics. In book: Proceedings of the Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2022, Volume 2. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-18458-1_36.
- Dolgin, Elie (2021, September 14). The Tangled History of mRNA Vaccines. Nature. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02483-w.
- Dyer, Jeff; Furr, Nathan; Lefrandt, Chris; and Howell, Taeya (2023, January 17). Innovation Depends on Intellectual Honesty. MIT Sloan Management Review. Available at: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/why-innovation-depends-on-intellectual-honesty/.
- Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions (n.d.). Rate Card for 2023-2024. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2023-2024-v23110907.pdf.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2021, January 4). Phases of Team Development (Update for 2021). DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22040.42246.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2021, January 4). Using Bruce Tuckman's Phases of Team Development to Help Your Team Grow and Advance: 2021 Update. Available at: https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/team-21.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (n.d.). Intellectual Property (IP). Available at: https://www.scottgraffius.com/intellectual-property.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (n.d.). Public Speaker. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html.
- Hartline, Devlin (2016, September 26). Criminal Copyright Infringement is Crime of "Moral Turpitude." George Mason University Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy. Available at: https://cip2.gmu.edu/2016/09/26/criminal-copyright-infringement-is-crime-of-moral-turpitude/.
- Huppert, Elizabeth; and Levine, Emma (2023, August 31). The Rise of Dishonest Leaders: Causes and Solutions. Academy of Management Perspectives, 37 (3). DOI: 10.5465/amp.2021.0063.
- Kenton, Will (2022, August 23). What Is a Whistleblower? Protections, Law, Importance, and Example. Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/whistleblower.asp.
- Malone, Robert W. (2023, August 8). Demonic Nihilism. Substack. Available at: https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/demonic-nihilism.
- Malone, Robert W. (2023, January 6). Project Veritas has Broken Pfizer's Gain-of-Function Research Program Wide Open. Substack. Available at: https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/project-veritas-has-broken-pfizers.
- Malone, Robert W. (2022, December). Lies My Gov't Told Me: And the Better Future Coming. ISBN-13: 978-1510773240. New York City, New York: Skyhorse Publishing.
- McGregor, Jena. (2017, May 15). More CEOs are Getting Forced Out for Ethical Violations. Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2017/05/15/more-ceos-are-getting-forced-out-for-ethics-violations/.
- National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) (n.d.). About the Center. Available at: https://www.iprcenter.gov/about.
- Popomaronis, Tom (2020, August 20). These 11 Famously Disgraced CEOs Have Entered the Reputation Hall of Shame. Entrepreneur. Available at: https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/these-11-famously-disgraced-ceos-have-entered-the/354739.
- Rivera, Kristin; and Karlsson, Per-Ola (2017, June 6). CEOs Are Getting Fired for Ethical Lapses More Than They Used To. Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2017/06/ceos-are-getting-fired-for-ethical-lapses-more-than-they-used-to.
- Smith, Isaac H.; Kouchaki, Maryam; and Wareham, Justin (2021, April 14). The Price Leaders Pay for Cutting Ethical Corners. MIT Sloan Management Review. Available at: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-price-leaders-pay-for-cutting-ethical-corners/.
- Steffen, Thomas (2019, May 24). For CEOs, Integrity Is the Best Policy. Yale School of Management. Available at: https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/for-ceos-integrity-is-the-best-policy.
- Sterne, Robert; and Chaplick, Trevor (2005, February). Why Directors Must Take Responsibility for Intellectual Property. Intellectual Asset Management Magazine. Available at: https://www.wsgr.com/PDFSearch/IP_RESPONSIBILTY.pdf.
- Stim, Richard (2024). Patent, Copyright & Trademark: An Intellectual Property Desk Reference (18th Edition). Berkeley, California: Nolo.
- Stubben, Stephen; and Welch Kyle (2018, November 14). Whistleblowers Keep Companies Healthy. Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2018/11/research-whistleblowers-are-a-sign-of-healthy-companies.
- Thomson Reuters (2022, December 16). Copyright Litigation 101. Available at: https://legal.thomsonreuters.com/blog/copyright-litigation-101/.
- United States Copyright Office (USCO) (n.d.). Can I Use Someone Else's Work? Can Someone Else Use Mine? (Excerpt: "In cases of willful infringement for profit, the U.S. Attorney may initiate a criminal investigation.") Available at: https://copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html.
- United States Copyright Office (USCO) (n.d.). Welcome to the U.S. Copyright Office. Available at: https://www.copyright.gov.
- United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (n.d.). Intellectual Property Theft and Commercial Fraud. Available at: https://www.dhs.gov/hsi/investigate/intellectual-property-and-commercial-fraud.
- United States Department of Homeland Security (US DHS) (n.d.). Intellectual Property Rights. Available at: https://www.dhs.gov/intellectual-property-rights.
- United States Department of Justice (DOJ) (n.d.). Reporting Intellectual Property Crime: A Guide for Victims of Copyright Infringement, Trademark Counterfeiting, and Trade Secret Theft (Third Edition). Available at: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-ccips/file/891011/dl.
- United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Inspector General (OIG) (n.d.). Whistleblower Rights and Protections. Available at: https://oig.justice.gov/hotline/whistleblower-protection.
- United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) (2013, July 24). Copyright Policy, Creativity, and Innovation in the Digital Economy. Available at: https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/news/publications/copyrightgreenpaper.pdf.
- Vitasek, Kate (2022, November 29). The Role of Honesty in Success (and Why Cutting Corners is a Bad Idea). Forbes. Available at: https://forbes.com/sites/katevitasek/2022/11/29/the-role-of-honesty-in-success-and-why-cutting-corners-is-a-bad-idea/.
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2024, June 6). Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property Was Utilized by Robert W. Malone, MD. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ip-theft.html.
About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.
There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:
- Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum;
- Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement; and
- Support innovation and drive competitive advantage.
Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”
Winner of 17 first place awards.
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
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About Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
Thriving in today's marketplace frequently depends on making a transformation to become more agile. Those successful in the transition enjoy faster delivery speed and ROI, higher satisfaction, continuous improvement, and additional benefits.
Based on actual events, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change provides a quick (60-90 minute) read about a successful agile transformation at a multinational entertainment and media company, told from the author's perspective as an agile coach.
The award-winning book by Scott M. Graffius is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
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The short link for this article is https://bit.ly/theft-ip
© Copyright 2024 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Radio Silence from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons on Report of Blatant Plagiarism in Their ‘Journal of Neurosurgery’ Publication
08 October 2024
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Introduction
Plagiarism, defined as ‘to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own: use (another's production) without crediting the source’ (source: Merriam-Webster), damages trust, credibility, and the value of original content. The theft of intellectual property distorts the scholarly record and results in misinformation. It often violates copyright as well.
Publications must respond decisively to plagiarism reports by swiftly acknowledging complaints, conducting thorough investigations, and taking appropriate actions such as retractions.
Quiz Question
The visual at the top of this article depicts a quiz related to a real situation. Here's the question:
You discovered blatant plagiarism in a Journal of Neurosurgery publication of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. You reported it—with detailed specifics and indisputable evidence—to the authors, the editors, and the publisher. What should happen next (within five business days)?
🔘 A. The publisher or one or more of the authors or editors replies with, “Thank you for alerting us about the violation; we’re looking into it.”
🔘 B. The publisher or one or more of the authors or editors challenges you to a duel to defend their honor.
🔘 C. Neither the publisher nor any of the authors or editors responds. Radio silence.
Quiz Answer
The question is about what should happen. For that reason, the correct answer about what should happen is: 'A. The publisher or one or more of the authors or editors replies with, "Thank you for alerting us about the violation; we're looking into it."
When publications receive a report of plagiarism, they should promptly acknowledge receipt of the report by responding within no longer than five business days. This action demonstrates transparency, professionalism, and a commitment to maintaining the integrity of the academic record. Conversely, not expeditiously acknowledging receipt of the report conveys a lack of transparency, a lack of professionalism, and a lack of commitment to integrity.
Radio Silence by the Publisher, the Editors, and the Authors
It would be nice if the quiz above was just a hypothetical/thought experiment. Unfortunately, it's related to the real situation where Scott M. Graffius discovered blatant plagiarism in a Journal of Neurosurgery publication of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and notified the authors, the editors, and the publisher of the violation on 24 September 2024.
As mentioned earlier, publishers should promptly acknowledge receipt of plagiarism reports by responding within no longer than five business days. As of the date of this article (8 October 2024), 10 business days (14 calendar days) have elapsed since the violation was reported. And the publisher, the editors, and the authors maintain radio silence.
Plagiarism is bad. By not acknowledging receipt of the report, the publisher, the editors, and the authors made the bad situation worst. And the publisher (JNS Publishing Group / American Association of Neurological Surgeons) has not yet taken action such as retraction or removal of the infringing material.
It is imperative that the publisher demonstrate—through their actions—a commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and intellectual property rights. The publisher must take immediate and decisive action such as retracting or removing the infringing content. Otherwise, the publisher is knowingly endorsing, permitting or otherwise allowing ongoing misinformation and the perpetual violation of Graffius' intellectual property.
Details follow. If there's an update on this consequential matter after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Details on the Plagiarism
On 24 September 2024, Scott M. Graffius observed plagiarism in a Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS) publication of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. That same day, Graffius wrote to the publisher, the editors, and the authors of the violating material. His email was titled, 'JNS paper plagiarized and damaged the marketability and value of Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted property.' It contained detailed specifics and indisputable evidence. Saved as a PDF, Graffius' email is 19 pages.
As a high-level overview, thumbnails of the 19-page email are shown below. Then, select 'readable' excerpts are provided.
Excerpts from Graffius' 19-page email follow. They're shown in italic font.
Here's an excerpt from the introduction section of Graffius' email.
Authors of a Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS) paper plagiarized Graffius’ copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property, constituting a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Here are the specifics on the publication.
Here's an excerpt from the section of the email with background information.
Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman, Ph.D. and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Scott M. Graffius’ first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his ‘Phases of Team Development.’ It’s a unique perspective on the five phases of team development — Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning — and it’s inclusive of the characteristics/features/traits and strategies for each phase.
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property is registered with the United States Copyright Office.
The integrated text from Graffius’ copyrighted property applies in this case.
Graffius initially developed his intellectual property in 2008, and he periodically refreshes it. An authorized example of his copyrighted property applicable in this case (2022 edition) is here: https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/teams- 2022.html .
Here's more from the section of the email with background information.
Graffius’ copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on his copyrighted property. Specifically, it reads: “Copyright © 2008-2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.”
Additionally, his respective article includes this: “To request permission to use the 'Phases of Team Development' visual, contact Scott M. Graffius. If approved, high resolution JPG and PNG image files will be provided, subject to terms and conditions.”
And also this: “© Copyright 2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.”
Conference organizers, businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities around the world engage Graffius to deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he’s presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including:
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property is central and key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are at https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions- Rate-Card-for-2024-2025-v24071607.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.
With an authorization/license from Graffius, many organizations around the world have featured and used his copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ work. Select examples include:
The following excerpts are from the section of the email detailing the violation.
Again, Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are clearly noted.
Authors (Whitney E. Muhlestein, MD; Kate W. C. Chang, MA, MS; Denise Justice, OTRL, Sarah Johnson, MS, OTRL; Shawn Brown; and Miriana Popadich, MSN, NP-C) of the JNS paper ('Developing interdisciplinary research teams in neurosurgery: key elements to success in brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery') did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property.
Nevertheless, the authors used Graffius’ copyrighted property in their JNS article: they plagiarized Graffius’ work, damaging the marketability and value of his intellectual property.
The following excerpts from the email provide some side-by-side examples of Graffius' copyrighted property and the plagiarism in the JNS publication.
The exhibit below also shows some examples of the blatant plagiarism.
The following excerpts are from the conclusion section of Graffius' email.
Graffius’ copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on his copyrighted property. Specifically, it reads: “Copyright © 2008-2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.” Additionally, his article includes this: “To request permission to use the 'Phases of Team Development' visual, contact Scott M. Graffius. If approved, high resolution JPG and PNG image files will be provided, subject to terms and conditions.” And also this: “© Copyright 2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.”
Authors (Whitney E. Muhlestein, MD; Kate W. C. Chang, MA, MS; Denise Justice, OTRL, Sarah Johnson, MS, OTRL; Shawn Brown; and Miriana Popadich, MSN, NP-C) of the JNS paper (Developing interdisciplinary research teams in neurosurgery: key elements to success in brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery) did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property.
The authors of the JNS paper used Graffius’ copyrighted property, including plagiarizing it. The JNS paper did not attribute material to Graffius through citation or otherwise. By doing so, the authors are wrongly leading others to falsely believe that they are the author and owner of Graffius’ respective copyrighted content.
The JNS authors’ plagiarism damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ copyrighted property.
The aforementioned actions of the authors of the JNS paper are a disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
The following excerpt is also from the conclusion section of Graffius' email.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights. He is consulting with an IP attorney in Los Angeles. Graffius reserves his rights in this disturbing and consequential matter.
The preceding provided excerpts of key content—not the full transcript—of Graffius' email.
Authors of the Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS) paper blatantly plagiarized Graffius’ copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property, constituting a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
It is shocking that neither the publisher nor any of the editors or authors have responded to Graffius' report on the violation. By not acknowledging receipt of the plagiarism report, the publisher signals a lack of transparency, a lack of professionalism, and a lack of commitment to integrity.
It is imperative that the publisher, JNS Publishing Group / the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, demonstrate—through their actions—a commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and intellectual property rights. The publisher must take immediate and decisive action such as retracting or removing the infringing content. Otherwise, they risk losing their credibility and the trust placed in them by scientific and academic communities.
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Read on to learn:
About the Journal of Neurosurgery
The Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS) is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering all aspects of neurosurgery. It is published by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the editor-in-chief is James Rutka. The JNS brands itself as the world’s leading journal on neurosurgery and the official journal of the AANS.
Visit the JNS website to learn more.
Note: Scott M. Graffius included (among others) James Rutka, AANS Editor-in-Chief, on the 24 September 2024 email detailing the plagiarism violation.
About the American Association of Neurological Surgeons
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is dedicated to advancing neurological surgery. The AANS says that through rigorous education, groundbreaking research, robust advocacy, and the advancement of outcomes science, it strives to ensure the highest standards of patient care are met and exceeded. Katie O. Orrico is Chief Executive Officer of the AANS.
Visit the AANS website to learn more.
Note: Scott M. Graffius included (among others) Katie O. Orrico, AANS CEO, on the 24 September 2024 email detailing the plagiarism violation.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is a global leader in agile project management, an expert on teamwork tradecraft, an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms, a creator, a consultant, a trainer, an award-winning author, and an international public speaker.
He's generated over $1.9 billion of business value in aggregate for Global Fortune 500 businesses and other organizations he's served — as a consultant through Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions and Exceptional Agility, and as a member of staff at organizations. Businesses and industries range from consumer products to advanced technology (including AI, R&D), e-commerce, music, streaming/OTT video, television, film, video games, financial services, government, and more.
Graffius and content from his books (Agile Scrum and Agile Transformation), talks, workshops, and more have been featured and used by businesses, professional associations, governments, and universities around the world. Examples include Adobe, American Management Association, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Bayer, Boston University, Broadcom, Cisco, Deimos Aerospace, DevOps Institute, EU's European Commission, Ford Motor Company, Hasso Plattner Institute Germany, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, London South Bank University, Microsoft, National Academy of Sciences, New Zealand Government, Oracle, Project Management Institute, Torrens University Australia, UC San Diego, TBS Switzerland, UK Sports Institute, University of Galway Ireland, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Tennis Association, Virginia Tech, Warsaw University of Technology, Yale University, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, and many others.
He delights audiences around the world with dynamic and engaging talks and workshops. He's presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries. Visit here to learn more and here to ask Scott to speak at your event.
About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.
There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:
Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”
Winner of 17 first place awards.
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
About Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
Thriving in today's marketplace frequently depends on making a transformation to become more agile. Those successful in the transition enjoy faster delivery speed and ROI, higher satisfaction, continuous improvement, and additional benefits.
Based on actual events, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change provides a quick (60-90 minute) read about a successful agile transformation at a multinational entertainment and media company, told from the author's perspective as an agile coach.
The award-winning book by Scott M. Graffius is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
References/Sources
The following is a list of material on publishing standards and procedures. Some cover the reporting and handling of plagiarism.
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2024, October 8). Radio Silence from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons on Report of Blatant Plagiarism in Their ‘Journal of Neurosurgery’ Publication. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/aans-jns-publication.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25837.40160
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Update on 11 October 2024
As a recap, Graffius’ 24 September 2024 report provided indisputable proof of plagiarism. Graffius emailed the detailed report to the publisher, the editors, and the authors. However, weeks passed with radio silence. There was not even an acknowledgement of receipt of the report.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights. The publisher’s non-response signaled that they were knowingly endorsing, permitting or otherwise allowing ongoing misinformation and the perpetual violation of Graffius' intellectual property. For those reasons, Graffius expanded communications on this consequential matter. Here's one example (of many).
On 11 October 2024, the publisher sent their first response to Graffius. Here’s an excerpt from the publisher’s email (it appears in italic font, within quotation marks):
“Thank you for your email and your patience as we have looked into this matter. We have concluded our investigation. The author did indeed unintentionally include unattributed references to your work. An erratum and article correction by the author are in process. Once submitted to us, time to publication is usually 2-3 weeks. I would expect this process to be concluded in less than 4 weeks’ time. I will send you a link to the errata and corrected paper for your files once they have been published online.”
Again, the above is an excerpt from—not a full transcript of—the publisher’s email to Graffius.
The publisher used the term “unintentionally.” That term, whether referencing a ridiculous excuse of the plagiarizing authors or otherwise, is counter-indicated by the undeniable facts in this serious matter and should not be used. For that reason, Graffius responded to the publisher’s email the same day. Here’s an excerpt from Graffius’ email (it appears in italic font, within quotation marks):
“Your response warrants a reply. So here it is.
I will not re-state my full 24 September 2024* report of the indisputable facts. But here’s an excerpt:
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “High motivation, trust, and empathy”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “High motivation, trust, and empathy”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Individuals defer to team needs”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Individuals defer to team needs”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Effectively producing deliverables”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Effectively producing deliverables”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Consistent performance”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Consistent performance”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Demonstrations of interdependence”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Demonstrations of interdependence”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Purpose and goals are well-understood”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Purpose and goals are well-understood”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “More confident”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “More confidence”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Members are engaged and supportive”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Members are engaged and supportive”
My copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on my copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property. Specifically, it reads: ‘Copyright © 2008-2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.’ Additionally, my corresponding publication includes this: ‘© Copyright 2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.’
Authors (Whitney E. Muhlestein, MD; Kate W. C. Chang, MA, MS; Denise Justice, OTRL, Sarah Johnson, MS, OTRL; Shawn Brown; and Miriana Popadich, MSN, NP-C) of the JNS paper ('Developing interdisciplinary research teams in neurosurgery: key elements to success in brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery') did not request nor receive permission to use my copyrighted property.
Plagiarism is defined as ‘to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own: use (another's production) without crediting the source’ (source: Merriam-Webster). It infringes on the intellectual property rights of others, results in misinformation, and often violates copyright.
The authors of the JNS paper used my copyrighted property, including plagiarizing it. Most of their plagiarism was word-for-word use of my intellectual property.
The JNS paper did not attribute material to me through citation or otherwise. By doing so, the authors are wrongly leading others to falsely believe that they are the author and owner of my respective copyrighted content.
So, these author(s)—who have been proven to be plagiarizers—claim the violation was done “unintentionally”? They unintentionally took my copyrighted property and used it (mostly word-for-word) unintentionally, and unintentionally failed to credit me on their respective diagram, and also unintentionally failed to cite me in the references section of the paper? The authors are insulting others with their excuse. “Unintentionally” is a ridiculous and desperate attempt to ‘minimize’ or ‘spin’ their blatant violation. I reject it entirely and so should you.
Wouldn’t it be refreshing to see the proven plagiarizers take a nice turn and demonstrate integrity, sincerity, and remorse?! They could have, and should have, simply said that what they did was wrong. However, by asserting “unintentionally,” the authors are demonstrating an ongoing lack of integrity, sincerity, and remorse. I must say, I’m greatly concerned.
Maybe the authors are procedurally allowed to (falsely) claim whatever they want, including “unintentionally,” in their response to the charges. However, if “unintentionally” (or a similar term) appears in the official record—whether in an erratum, retraction, or other action—it must be noted that “unintentionally” (or a similar term) is the claim of the authors of the JNS paper. It is vital that the that it is made clear that “unintentionally” (or a similar operative term) is not the conclusion or position of others. Here, 'others' includes me. Given the facts and without bias, ‘others’ certainty also includes you, the Journal of Neurosurgery, JNS Publishing Group, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and others.
Plagiarism is a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and intellectual property rights. The authors of the JNS paper damaged the marketability and value of my copyrighted property.
I maintain, enforce, and protect my copyright and other intellectual property rights. As mentioned earlier, I am consulting with an IP attorney in Los Angeles. I reserve my rights in this disturbing and consequential matter.
Given the serious nature of this issue, please reply with a short confirmation that you received this communication.”
Again, the above is an excerpt from—not a full transcript of—Graffius’ email to the publisher.
The publisher replied the same day with (it appears in italic font, within quotation marks):
“That word was solely mine, and not a reflection of what will be conveyed. You are correct that it is irrelevant to the discussion. Apologies for the miscommunication. Please be assured we do not take this situation lightly. Acknowledging receipt of your correspondence with this email. I will be back in touch soon.”
Again, the above is an excerpt from—not a full transcript of—the publisher’s email to Graffius.
Any further updates will appear here.
Update on 12 November 2024
On 12 November 2024, Graffius sent a follow up email to the publisher. Here's an excerpt from the message (it appears in italic font, within quotation marks):
"Chief Publications Officer Gillian Shasby,
Until the infringing article is appropriately addressed, it continues to spread misinformation and violate my intellectual property rights.
I provided notification of the infringement on 24 September (which may have appeared a few minutes into the following day). That was 49 days ago.
On 11 October, I was informed that: “... expect this process to be concluded in less than 4 weeks’ time.” That was 32 days (4.6 weeks) ago.
Why hasn’t this been addressed?
Exactly when will it be addressed?
I expressly reserve all rights in this troubling, damaging, and consequential matter.
Sincerely,
Scott M. Graffius"
Any further updates will appear here.
Update on 15 November 2024
Chief Publications Officer Gillian Shasby sent an email to Graffius. The email reported that:
After the changes have been implemented or if there are other updates, the information will be added to this Post-Publication Notes section.
Update on 20 December 2024
This matter was resolved on 20 December 2024.
The publisher published an Erratum.
Graffius published new article.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
The short link for this article is https://bit.ly/aans-jns
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Introduction
Plagiarism, defined as ‘to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own: use (another's production) without crediting the source’ (source: Merriam-Webster), damages trust, credibility, and the value of original content. The theft of intellectual property distorts the scholarly record and results in misinformation. It often violates copyright as well.
Publications must respond decisively to plagiarism reports by swiftly acknowledging complaints, conducting thorough investigations, and taking appropriate actions such as retractions.
Quiz Question
The visual at the top of this article depicts a quiz related to a real situation. Here's the question:
You discovered blatant plagiarism in a Journal of Neurosurgery publication of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. You reported it—with detailed specifics and indisputable evidence—to the authors, the editors, and the publisher. What should happen next (within five business days)?
🔘 A. The publisher or one or more of the authors or editors replies with, “Thank you for alerting us about the violation; we’re looking into it.”
🔘 B. The publisher or one or more of the authors or editors challenges you to a duel to defend their honor.
🔘 C. Neither the publisher nor any of the authors or editors responds. Radio silence.
Quiz Answer
The question is about what should happen. For that reason, the correct answer about what should happen is: 'A. The publisher or one or more of the authors or editors replies with, "Thank you for alerting us about the violation; we're looking into it."
When publications receive a report of plagiarism, they should promptly acknowledge receipt of the report by responding within no longer than five business days. This action demonstrates transparency, professionalism, and a commitment to maintaining the integrity of the academic record. Conversely, not expeditiously acknowledging receipt of the report conveys a lack of transparency, a lack of professionalism, and a lack of commitment to integrity.
Radio Silence by the Publisher, the Editors, and the Authors
It would be nice if the quiz above was just a hypothetical/thought experiment. Unfortunately, it's related to the real situation where Scott M. Graffius discovered blatant plagiarism in a Journal of Neurosurgery publication of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and notified the authors, the editors, and the publisher of the violation on 24 September 2024.
As mentioned earlier, publishers should promptly acknowledge receipt of plagiarism reports by responding within no longer than five business days. As of the date of this article (8 October 2024), 10 business days (14 calendar days) have elapsed since the violation was reported. And the publisher, the editors, and the authors maintain radio silence.
Plagiarism is bad. By not acknowledging receipt of the report, the publisher, the editors, and the authors made the bad situation worst. And the publisher (JNS Publishing Group / American Association of Neurological Surgeons) has not yet taken action such as retraction or removal of the infringing material.
It is imperative that the publisher demonstrate—through their actions—a commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and intellectual property rights. The publisher must take immediate and decisive action such as retracting or removing the infringing content. Otherwise, the publisher is knowingly endorsing, permitting or otherwise allowing ongoing misinformation and the perpetual violation of Graffius' intellectual property.
Details follow. If there's an update on this consequential matter after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Details on the Plagiarism
On 24 September 2024, Scott M. Graffius observed plagiarism in a Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS) publication of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. That same day, Graffius wrote to the publisher, the editors, and the authors of the violating material. His email was titled, 'JNS paper plagiarized and damaged the marketability and value of Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted property.' It contained detailed specifics and indisputable evidence. Saved as a PDF, Graffius' email is 19 pages.
As a high-level overview, thumbnails of the 19-page email are shown below. Then, select 'readable' excerpts are provided.
Excerpts from Graffius' 19-page email follow. They're shown in italic font.
Here's an excerpt from the introduction section of Graffius' email.
Authors of a Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS) paper plagiarized Graffius’ copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property, constituting a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Here are the specifics on the publication.
- Publication: Journal of Neurosurgery
- Publisher: JNS Publishing Group, American Association of Neurological Surgeons
- Paper: Developing interdisciplinary research teams in neurosurgery: key elements to success in brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery
- Authors: Whitney E. Muhlestein, MD; Kate W. C. Chang, MA, MS; Denise Justice, OTRL, Sarah Johnson, MS, OTRL; Shawn Brown; and Miriana Popadich, MSN, NP-C
- Publication Date: 12 May 2023
- Volume/Issue: Volume 139: Issue 6
- Page Range: 1552-1559
- DOI link: https://doi.org/10.3171/2023.4.JNS222254
Here's an excerpt from the section of the email with background information.
Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman, Ph.D. and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Scott M. Graffius’ first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his ‘Phases of Team Development.’ It’s a unique perspective on the five phases of team development — Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning — and it’s inclusive of the characteristics/features/traits and strategies for each phase.
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property is registered with the United States Copyright Office.
The integrated text from Graffius’ copyrighted property applies in this case.
Graffius initially developed his intellectual property in 2008, and he periodically refreshes it. An authorized example of his copyrighted property applicable in this case (2022 edition) is here: https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/teams- 2022.html .
Here's more from the section of the email with background information.
Graffius’ copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on his copyrighted property. Specifically, it reads: “Copyright © 2008-2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.”
Additionally, his respective article includes this: “To request permission to use the 'Phases of Team Development' visual, contact Scott M. Graffius. If approved, high resolution JPG and PNG image files will be provided, subject to terms and conditions.”
And also this: “© Copyright 2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.”
Conference organizers, businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities around the world engage Graffius to deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he’s presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including:
- Armenia,
- Australia,
- Brazil,
- Canada,
- Czech Republic,
- Finland,
- France,
- Germany,
- Greece,
- Hong Kong,
- Hungary,
- India,
- Ireland,
- Lithuania,
- Luxembourg,
- Nepal,
- Netherlands,
- New Zealand,
- Norway,
- Romania,
- Sweden,
- Switzerland,
- United Arab Emirates,
- United Kingdom,
- and the United States.
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property is central and key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are at https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions- Rate-Card-for-2024-2025-v24071607.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.
With an authorization/license from Graffius, many organizations around the world have featured and used his copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ work. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Erste Group Bank AG (Austria),
- FINAT,
- Ford Motor Company,
- FSU College of Medicine,
- Hasso Plattner Institute (Germany),
- IEEE,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- LeadingEng,
- London South Bank University,
- Manufacturers Alliance,
- Microsoft,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Royal Australasian College of Physicians,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Torrens University (Australia),
- Tufts University,
- U.S. National Park Service,
- U.S. Tennis Association,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway (Ireland),
- Victorian Institute of Technology (Australia),
- Virginia Tech,
- Warsaw University,
- Western Sydney University (Australia),
- World Resources Institute,
- Yale University,
- ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
- and many others.
The following excerpts are from the section of the email detailing the violation.
Again, Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are clearly noted.
Authors (Whitney E. Muhlestein, MD; Kate W. C. Chang, MA, MS; Denise Justice, OTRL, Sarah Johnson, MS, OTRL; Shawn Brown; and Miriana Popadich, MSN, NP-C) of the JNS paper ('Developing interdisciplinary research teams in neurosurgery: key elements to success in brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery') did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property.
Nevertheless, the authors used Graffius’ copyrighted property in their JNS article: they plagiarized Graffius’ work, damaging the marketability and value of his intellectual property.
The following excerpts from the email provide some side-by-side examples of Graffius' copyrighted property and the plagiarism in the JNS publication.
- Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “High motivation, trust, and empathy”
- Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “High motivation, trust, and empathy”
- Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Individuals defer to team needs”
- Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Individuals defer to team needs”
- Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Effectively producing deliverables”
- Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Effectively producing deliverables”
- Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Consistent performance”
- Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Consistent performance”
- Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Demonstrations of interdependence”
- Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Demonstrations of interdependence”
- Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Purpose and goals are well-understood”
- Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Purpose and goals are well-understood”
- Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “More confident”
- Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “More confidence”
- Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Members are engaged and supportive”
- Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Members are engaged and supportive”
The exhibit below also shows some examples of the blatant plagiarism.
The following excerpts are from the conclusion section of Graffius' email.
Graffius’ copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on his copyrighted property. Specifically, it reads: “Copyright © 2008-2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.” Additionally, his article includes this: “To request permission to use the 'Phases of Team Development' visual, contact Scott M. Graffius. If approved, high resolution JPG and PNG image files will be provided, subject to terms and conditions.” And also this: “© Copyright 2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.”
Authors (Whitney E. Muhlestein, MD; Kate W. C. Chang, MA, MS; Denise Justice, OTRL, Sarah Johnson, MS, OTRL; Shawn Brown; and Miriana Popadich, MSN, NP-C) of the JNS paper (Developing interdisciplinary research teams in neurosurgery: key elements to success in brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery) did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property.
The authors of the JNS paper used Graffius’ copyrighted property, including plagiarizing it. The JNS paper did not attribute material to Graffius through citation or otherwise. By doing so, the authors are wrongly leading others to falsely believe that they are the author and owner of Graffius’ respective copyrighted content.
The JNS authors’ plagiarism damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ copyrighted property.
The aforementioned actions of the authors of the JNS paper are a disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
The following excerpt is also from the conclusion section of Graffius' email.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights. He is consulting with an IP attorney in Los Angeles. Graffius reserves his rights in this disturbing and consequential matter.
The preceding provided excerpts of key content—not the full transcript—of Graffius' email.
Authors of the Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS) paper blatantly plagiarized Graffius’ copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property, constituting a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
It is shocking that neither the publisher nor any of the editors or authors have responded to Graffius' report on the violation. By not acknowledging receipt of the plagiarism report, the publisher signals a lack of transparency, a lack of professionalism, and a lack of commitment to integrity.
It is imperative that the publisher, JNS Publishing Group / the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, demonstrate—through their actions—a commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and intellectual property rights. The publisher must take immediate and decisive action such as retracting or removing the infringing content. Otherwise, they risk losing their credibility and the trust placed in them by scientific and academic communities.
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Read on to learn:
- About the Journal of Neurosurgery,
- About the American Association of Neurological Surgeons,
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- References/Sources,
- How to Cite This Article,
- Post-Publication Notes,
- and more.
About the Journal of Neurosurgery
The Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS) is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering all aspects of neurosurgery. It is published by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the editor-in-chief is James Rutka. The JNS brands itself as the world’s leading journal on neurosurgery and the official journal of the AANS.
Visit the JNS website to learn more.
Note: Scott M. Graffius included (among others) James Rutka, AANS Editor-in-Chief, on the 24 September 2024 email detailing the plagiarism violation.
About the American Association of Neurological Surgeons
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is dedicated to advancing neurological surgery. The AANS says that through rigorous education, groundbreaking research, robust advocacy, and the advancement of outcomes science, it strives to ensure the highest standards of patient care are met and exceeded. Katie O. Orrico is Chief Executive Officer of the AANS.
Visit the AANS website to learn more.
Note: Scott M. Graffius included (among others) Katie O. Orrico, AANS CEO, on the 24 September 2024 email detailing the plagiarism violation.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is a global leader in agile project management, an expert on teamwork tradecraft, an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms, a creator, a consultant, a trainer, an award-winning author, and an international public speaker.
He's generated over $1.9 billion of business value in aggregate for Global Fortune 500 businesses and other organizations he's served — as a consultant through Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions and Exceptional Agility, and as a member of staff at organizations. Businesses and industries range from consumer products to advanced technology (including AI, R&D), e-commerce, music, streaming/OTT video, television, film, video games, financial services, government, and more.
Graffius and content from his books (Agile Scrum and Agile Transformation), talks, workshops, and more have been featured and used by businesses, professional associations, governments, and universities around the world. Examples include Adobe, American Management Association, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Bayer, Boston University, Broadcom, Cisco, Deimos Aerospace, DevOps Institute, EU's European Commission, Ford Motor Company, Hasso Plattner Institute Germany, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, London South Bank University, Microsoft, National Academy of Sciences, New Zealand Government, Oracle, Project Management Institute, Torrens University Australia, UC San Diego, TBS Switzerland, UK Sports Institute, University of Galway Ireland, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Tennis Association, Virginia Tech, Warsaw University of Technology, Yale University, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, and many others.
He delights audiences around the world with dynamic and engaging talks and workshops. He's presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries. Visit here to learn more and here to ask Scott to speak at your event.
About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.
There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:
- Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum;
- Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement; and
- Support innovation and drive competitive advantage.
Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”
Winner of 17 first place awards.
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
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About Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
Thriving in today's marketplace frequently depends on making a transformation to become more agile. Those successful in the transition enjoy faster delivery speed and ROI, higher satisfaction, continuous improvement, and additional benefits.
Based on actual events, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change provides a quick (60-90 minute) read about a successful agile transformation at a multinational entertainment and media company, told from the author's perspective as an agile coach.
The award-winning book by Scott M. Graffius is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- 🇦🇹 Austria
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
- 🇩🇰 Denmark
- 🇫🇮 Finland
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- 🇬🇷 Greece
- 🇮🇳 India
- 🇮🇪 Ireland
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
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- 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
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- 🇺🇸 United States
References/Sources
The following is a list of material on publishing standards and procedures. Some cover the reporting and handling of plagiarism.
- Alter, Alexandra (2019, September 22). It’s a Fact: Mistakes are Embarrassing the Publishing Industry. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/22/business/publishing-books-errors.html.
- American Psychological Association (2019, November). Correction Notices. Available at: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/research-publication/correction-notices.
- Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) (2018, November 15). ACM Publications Policy on the Withdrawal, Correction, Retraction, and Removal of Works from ACM Publications and ACM DL. Available at: https://www.acm.org/publications/policies/retraction-policy.
- Cambridge University Press (n.d.). Publishing Ethics. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/flow/information/journal-policies/publishing-ethics.
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (n.d.). Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections. Available at: https://publicationethics.org/postpublication.
- Elsevier (n.d.). Policy and Best practice: Errata & Corrigenda. Available at: https://www.elsevier.com/editor/perk/policy-and-best-practice-errata-and-corrigenda.
- Emerald Publishing (n.d.). Article Withdrawal & Correction. Available at: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/publish-with-us/author-policies/article-withdrawal-correction.
- Faust, Jessica (2007, October 3). Typos and Errors After Publication. Available at: https://bookendsliterary.com/typos-and-errors-after-publication.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2024, March 22). The Protocol for Reporting an Error to an Author or Publisher. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/error-reporting.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18830.98883.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2021, November 10). An Error Was Introduced Into the Seventh Edition of 'A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)'. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/pmbok7.html.
- Idunn (n.d.). Publishing and Research Ethics Policy. Available at: https://www.idunn.no/info/publiseringsetikk.
- IEEE (n.d.). Publishing Ethics: Guidelines and Policies: Post-Publication Policies. Available at: https://books.ieeeauthorcenter.ieee.org/book-publishing-at-ieee/publishing-ethics/guidelines-and-policies/post-publication-policies.
- Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) (n.d.). Guidelines for Ethical Behavior in Publishing. Available at: https://pubsonline.informs.org/page/opre/guidelines-for-ethical-behavior-in-publishing.
- IntechOpen (n.d.). Retraction and Correction Policy. Available at: https://www.intechopen.com/page/retraction-and-correction-policy.
- Marasović, Tea; Utrobiĉić, Ana; and Maruŝić, Ana (2018, March 31). Transparency of Retracting and Replacing Articles. The Lancet, 391 (10127): 1244-1245.
- Nature (n.d.). Editorial and Publishing Policies. Available at: https://www.nature.com/srep/journal-policies/editorial-policies.
- O’Reilly Media (n.d.). Errata for Java in a Nutshell. Available at: https://www.oreilly.com/catalog/errata.csp?isbn=0636920030775.
- Palgrave Macmillan (n.d.). Corrections and Retractions. Available at: https://www.palgrave.com/gp/editorial-policies/corrections-and-retractions.
- Pearson Education / InformIT (n.d.). Contact Us: Submit Errata. Available at: https://www.informit.com/about/contact_us/index.aspx?ContactUs_Topics_Partners_id=9d39709c-c911-4c96-ac2c-2c5a22d68ba9.
- Project Management Institute (PMI) (n.d.). PMI Standards Program Comment Form. Available at: https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/pmbok-standards/pmi-standards-program-comment-form.pdf.
- Project Management Institute (PMI) (n.d.). Standards Errata Sheets. Available at: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/errata-sheets.
- Public Library of Science (PLOS) (n.d.). Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions. Available at: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/corrections-and-retractions.
- SAE International (n.d.). ARINC Standard – Errata Report Template. Available at: https://wcm14.sae.org/site/binaries/content/assets/itc/content/arinc/errata-form.docx [note: selecting the link will download the file].
- Sage Publications (n.d.). Sage Corrections and Retractions Policy. Available at: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/sage-corrections-and-retractions-policy.
- Science Publishing Group (n.d.). Ethical Guidelines. Available at: https://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/information/ethical-guidelines.
- Springer (n.d.). Editorial Policies: Corrections and Retractions. Available at: https://www.springer.com/gp/editorial-policies/corrections-and-retractions.
- Taylor & Francis (n.d.). Publishing Ethics for Journal Editors: FAQs. Available at: https://editorresources.taylorandfrancis.com/publishing-ethics-for-editors/publishing-ethics-faqs.
- Ubiquity Press (n.d.). Correction and Retraction Policy. Available at: https://ubiquitypress.com/site/corrections.
- Warner, Brooke (2019, April 26). How to Publish a Perfect Book. Available at: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/79902-how-to-publish-a-perfect-book.html.
- Wiley (n.d.). Best Practice Guidelines on Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics. Available at: https://authorservices.wiley.com/ethics-guidelines/index.html.
- Wiley Author Services (n.d.). Wiley's Policy for Handling Retractions, Withdrawals, and Expressions of Concern. Available at: https://authorservices.wiley.com/ethics-guidelines/retractions-and-expressions-of-concern.html.
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (n.d.). Managing Intellectual Property in the Book Publishing Industry. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/copyright/868/wipo_pub_868.pdf.
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2024, October 8). Radio Silence from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons on Report of Blatant Plagiarism in Their ‘Journal of Neurosurgery’ Publication. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/aans-jns-publication.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25837.40160
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Update on 11 October 2024
As a recap, Graffius’ 24 September 2024 report provided indisputable proof of plagiarism. Graffius emailed the detailed report to the publisher, the editors, and the authors. However, weeks passed with radio silence. There was not even an acknowledgement of receipt of the report.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights. The publisher’s non-response signaled that they were knowingly endorsing, permitting or otherwise allowing ongoing misinformation and the perpetual violation of Graffius' intellectual property. For those reasons, Graffius expanded communications on this consequential matter. Here's one example (of many).
On 11 October 2024, the publisher sent their first response to Graffius. Here’s an excerpt from the publisher’s email (it appears in italic font, within quotation marks):
“Thank you for your email and your patience as we have looked into this matter. We have concluded our investigation. The author did indeed unintentionally include unattributed references to your work. An erratum and article correction by the author are in process. Once submitted to us, time to publication is usually 2-3 weeks. I would expect this process to be concluded in less than 4 weeks’ time. I will send you a link to the errata and corrected paper for your files once they have been published online.”
Again, the above is an excerpt from—not a full transcript of—the publisher’s email to Graffius.
The publisher used the term “unintentionally.” That term, whether referencing a ridiculous excuse of the plagiarizing authors or otherwise, is counter-indicated by the undeniable facts in this serious matter and should not be used. For that reason, Graffius responded to the publisher’s email the same day. Here’s an excerpt from Graffius’ email (it appears in italic font, within quotation marks):
“Your response warrants a reply. So here it is.
I will not re-state my full 24 September 2024* report of the indisputable facts. But here’s an excerpt:
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “High motivation, trust, and empathy”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “High motivation, trust, and empathy”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Individuals defer to team needs”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Individuals defer to team needs”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Effectively producing deliverables”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Effectively producing deliverables”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Consistent performance”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Consistent performance”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Demonstrations of interdependence”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Demonstrations of interdependence”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Purpose and goals are well-understood”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Purpose and goals are well-understood”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “More confident”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “More confidence”
🟢 Content from Scott M. Graffius 2022 copyrighted property: “Members are engaged and supportive”
🔴 Content from 2023 JNS article, plagiarizing Graffius’ work: “Members are engaged and supportive”
My copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on my copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property. Specifically, it reads: ‘Copyright © 2008-2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.’ Additionally, my corresponding publication includes this: ‘© Copyright 2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.’
Authors (Whitney E. Muhlestein, MD; Kate W. C. Chang, MA, MS; Denise Justice, OTRL, Sarah Johnson, MS, OTRL; Shawn Brown; and Miriana Popadich, MSN, NP-C) of the JNS paper ('Developing interdisciplinary research teams in neurosurgery: key elements to success in brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery') did not request nor receive permission to use my copyrighted property.
Plagiarism is defined as ‘to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own: use (another's production) without crediting the source’ (source: Merriam-Webster). It infringes on the intellectual property rights of others, results in misinformation, and often violates copyright.
The authors of the JNS paper used my copyrighted property, including plagiarizing it. Most of their plagiarism was word-for-word use of my intellectual property.
The JNS paper did not attribute material to me through citation or otherwise. By doing so, the authors are wrongly leading others to falsely believe that they are the author and owner of my respective copyrighted content.
So, these author(s)—who have been proven to be plagiarizers—claim the violation was done “unintentionally”? They unintentionally took my copyrighted property and used it (mostly word-for-word) unintentionally, and unintentionally failed to credit me on their respective diagram, and also unintentionally failed to cite me in the references section of the paper? The authors are insulting others with their excuse. “Unintentionally” is a ridiculous and desperate attempt to ‘minimize’ or ‘spin’ their blatant violation. I reject it entirely and so should you.
Wouldn’t it be refreshing to see the proven plagiarizers take a nice turn and demonstrate integrity, sincerity, and remorse?! They could have, and should have, simply said that what they did was wrong. However, by asserting “unintentionally,” the authors are demonstrating an ongoing lack of integrity, sincerity, and remorse. I must say, I’m greatly concerned.
Maybe the authors are procedurally allowed to (falsely) claim whatever they want, including “unintentionally,” in their response to the charges. However, if “unintentionally” (or a similar term) appears in the official record—whether in an erratum, retraction, or other action—it must be noted that “unintentionally” (or a similar term) is the claim of the authors of the JNS paper. It is vital that the that it is made clear that “unintentionally” (or a similar operative term) is not the conclusion or position of others. Here, 'others' includes me. Given the facts and without bias, ‘others’ certainty also includes you, the Journal of Neurosurgery, JNS Publishing Group, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and others.
Plagiarism is a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and intellectual property rights. The authors of the JNS paper damaged the marketability and value of my copyrighted property.
I maintain, enforce, and protect my copyright and other intellectual property rights. As mentioned earlier, I am consulting with an IP attorney in Los Angeles. I reserve my rights in this disturbing and consequential matter.
Given the serious nature of this issue, please reply with a short confirmation that you received this communication.”
Again, the above is an excerpt from—not a full transcript of—Graffius’ email to the publisher.
The publisher replied the same day with (it appears in italic font, within quotation marks):
“That word was solely mine, and not a reflection of what will be conveyed. You are correct that it is irrelevant to the discussion. Apologies for the miscommunication. Please be assured we do not take this situation lightly. Acknowledging receipt of your correspondence with this email. I will be back in touch soon.”
Again, the above is an excerpt from—not a full transcript of—the publisher’s email to Graffius.
Any further updates will appear here.
Update on 12 November 2024
On 12 November 2024, Graffius sent a follow up email to the publisher. Here's an excerpt from the message (it appears in italic font, within quotation marks):
"Chief Publications Officer Gillian Shasby,
Until the infringing article is appropriately addressed, it continues to spread misinformation and violate my intellectual property rights.
I provided notification of the infringement on 24 September (which may have appeared a few minutes into the following day). That was 49 days ago.
On 11 October, I was informed that: “... expect this process to be concluded in less than 4 weeks’ time.” That was 32 days (4.6 weeks) ago.
Why hasn’t this been addressed?
Exactly when will it be addressed?
I expressly reserve all rights in this troubling, damaging, and consequential matter.
Sincerely,
Scott M. Graffius"
Any further updates will appear here.
Update on 15 November 2024
Chief Publications Officer Gillian Shasby sent an email to Graffius. The email reported that:
- The publisher will rectify the current lack of attribution and correct the scientific record by updating the legend to Figure 3 and add Graffius’ work to the References.
- The publisher will publish an Erratum, stating that permission was not received and proper attribution was not given for the use of copyrighted material in Figure 3 of the paper and that permission has now been received and correctly attributed, and will include a link to the corrected paper. The Erratum will be deposited to PubMed and Crossref.
- The publisher will correct the paper and upload it to replace the current version. A note will appear within the corrected paper, informing the reader of the change that has been made and linking to the Erratum. All deposited versions (PubMed, CrossRef) will be replaced with the corrected paper. This process is in accordance with best practices for scientific publication.
After the changes have been implemented or if there are other updates, the information will be added to this Post-Publication Notes section.
Update on 20 December 2024
This matter was resolved on 20 December 2024.
The publisher published an Erratum.
Graffius published new article.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
The short link for this article is https://bit.ly/aans-jns
TurningWest's 'Trial'
08 October 2024
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Introduction
Plagiarism—defined as ‘to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own: use (another's production) without crediting the source’ (source: Merriam-Webster)—infringes on the intellectual property rights of others, results in misinformation, and often violates copyright.
Background
Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Scott M. Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his ‘Phases of Team Development’ as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development—Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning—inclusive of a graph showing how performance varies by phase, as well as the characteristics and strategies for each phase.
Graffius' intellectual property (IP) is registered with the United States Copyright Office.
Graffius initially developed his ‘Phases of Team Development’ unique material in 2008, and he periodically refreshes it.
For reference, the visual applicable to this case (2021 edition) is shown below [Exhibit 1] and is available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22040.42246.
As shown above, Graffius’ copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on his copyrighted property. Specifically, it reads: “Copyright © 2008-2021 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.”
Again, this 2021 edition is referenced because it is the one applicable to this case.
Organizations around the world engage Graffius to deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries:
Graffius ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP is central and key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are at https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2024-2025-v24071607.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.
With an authorization/license from Graffius, his copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property is featured and used by businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities around the globe. Examples include:
Details on the Plagiarism
Note: All evidence has been preserved.
A whistleblower tip informed Scott M. Graffius that a video is using Graffius’ intellectual property. The video was identified as:
Exhibit 2 is shown below. It provides an overview, including thumbnail images from the the video.
Graffius reviewed TurningWest’s 2024 video and saw numerous examples of material—content on the characteristics and strategies for the phases of team development—plagiarized from Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property.
TurningWest did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property. Yet, TurningWest used it (some with slight rewording such as changing "recognizing" to "recognize" and similar, which remains plagiarism) commercially and without attribution.
Again, plagiarism is defined as ‘to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own: use (another's production) without crediting the source’ (source: Merriam-Webster). TurningWest’s presentation plagiarized Graffius’ copyrighted ’Phases of Team Development,’ violating his intellectual property.
Instances of TurningWest changing a word from a section from Graffius’ copyrighted property that’s in the present participle form (such as "recognizing") to the present simple form (such as "recognize") or otherwise similar slight rewording is still stealing Graffius' words and ideas; it is still plagiarism. The combination of such rewording and lack of attribution may be seen as a signal of intent to deceive. Regardless of whether the infringement was intentional or "inadvertent," the actions misrepresent the originator of the words and ideas, which is at the heart of plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights.
Graffius informed TurningWest and TurningWest’s Steve Goodwin about the infringement. An excerpt: "An authorized example of my copyrighted property is at https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22040.42246 and other locations. Steven Goodwin and Megan Sands of TurningWest's presentation used some of my intellectual property ... with no attribution to me whatsoever. By doing so, they are falsely leading others to wrongly believe that they are the authors and owners of my intellectual property. Uncool."
Here’s a reaction from TurningWest's Goodwin: "I have never heard of you before and have never seen any of your materials. This is very basic information and foundational to all team formation efforts." As shown by the indisputable proof to come, Goodwin's reaction is problematic for him. TurningWest plagiarized Graffius' work.
Here’s another reaction from TurningWest's Goodwin: "Who are you and what kind of scam are you trying to pull? I have NEVER heard your name before nor have I EVER seen one word of your materials." Again, as shown by the indisputable proof to come, Goodwin's reaction is problematic for him. TurningWest plagiarized Graffius' work.
Additionally, by TurningWest not taking responsibility for and addressing their damaging plagiarism, TurningWest continues to spread misinformation and is directly responsible for their ongoing violation of Graffius' intellectual property.
When Graffius reviewed the TurningWest's infringing 2024 video, he saw that content on the characteristics and strategies for the phases of team development was teeming with plagiarized material from Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property. The indisputable proof follows.
Here's Exhibit 3. It's a delineated, side-by-side comparison of content on the characteristics and strategies for the Forming phase of team development. Respective content from Graffius' 2021 copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' appears with a green background. Material from TurningWest's infringing 2024 video is exposed with a red background. It shows examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words or ideas as their own.
Exhibit 4 is below. It provides diligent, side-by-side comparison of content on the characteristics and strategies for the Storming phase of team development. Respective content from Graffius' 2021 copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' appears with a green background. Material from TurningWest's infringing 2024 video is exposed with a red background. It shows more examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words or ideas as their own.
Here's Exhibit 5. It's a delineated, side-by-side comparison of content on the characteristics and strategies for the Norming phase of team development. Respective content from Graffius' 2021 copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' appears with a green background. Material from TurningWest's infringing 2024 video is exposed with a red background. It shows additional examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words or ideas as their own.
Here's Exhibit 6. It's a delineated, side-by-side comparison of content on the characteristics and strategies for the Performing phase of team development. Respective content from Graffius' 2021 copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' appears with a green background. Material from TurningWest's infringing 2024 video is exposed with a red background. It shows examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words or ideas as their own.
Here's Exhibit 7. It's a delineated, side-by-side comparison of content on the characteristics and strategies for the Adjourning phase of team development. Respective content from Graffius' 2021 copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' appears with a green background. Material from TurningWest's infringing 2024 video is exposed with a red background. It shows additional examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words or ideas as their own.
Each of the five immediately preceding exhibits (Exhibit 3, Exhibit 4, Exhibit 5, Exhibit 6, and Exhibit 7) showed examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words and ideas as their own. Individually, the exhibits are compelling. Collectively, they form an irrefutable, damning picture of TurningWest's plagiarism.
Given the indisputable facts, TurningWest’s Goodwin must now reflect on his earlier reactions with regret, as they have cast him in an entirely unfavorable light.
Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' is registered with the US Copyright Office. TurningWest did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius' property. Yet, TurningWest used Graffius' property commercially and without attribution. TurningWest's actions are a disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
TurningWest's plagiarism damaged the marketability and value of Graffius' copyrighted property. Further, by not taking responsibility for and addressing their damaging plagiarism, TurningWest continues to spread misinformation and is directly responsible for their ongoing violation of Graffius' intellectual property.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights. Plagiarism often involves the violation of copyright, and copyright infringement is so serious that it is a Federal crime. For many reasons including facts covered in this article, if Graffius opts to take legal action against TurningWest for their violation of his copyright, the Federal case will include the greater of statutory damages or actual damages, special charges for willful infringement (which has been clarified by the courts to be either "intentional behavior" or merely "reckless behavior"), and additional costs.
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is a global leader in agile project management, an expert on teamwork tradecraft, an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms, a creator, a consultant, a trainer, an award-winning author, and an international public speaker.
See his bio to learn more.
About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.
There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:
Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”
Winner of 17 first place awards.
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
About Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
Thriving in today's marketplace frequently depends on making a transformation to become more agile. Those successful in the transition enjoy faster delivery speed and ROI, higher satisfaction, continuous improvement, and additional benefits.
Based on actual events, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change provides a quick (60-90 minute) read about a successful agile transformation at a multinational entertainment and media company, told from the author's perspective as an agile coach.
The award-winning book by Scott M. Graffius is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2024, October 8). TurningWest's Trial. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/turningwest.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.19899.84008.
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Update on 6 November 2024
To date, the TurningWest has failed to remove their infringing material. Accordingly, TurningWest knowingly and willfully continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
Any further updates on this consequential matter will appear here.
Content Acknowledgements
This article uses limited excerpts from TurningWest, attributed to TurningWest and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis. TurningWest name, mark, and content (except for what was plagiarized) are the property of TurningWest.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
A PDF of this article is here
The short link for this article is https://bit.ly/turningwest
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Introduction
Plagiarism—defined as ‘to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own: use (another's production) without crediting the source’ (source: Merriam-Webster)—infringes on the intellectual property rights of others, results in misinformation, and often violates copyright.
Background
Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Scott M. Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his ‘Phases of Team Development’ as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development—Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning—inclusive of a graph showing how performance varies by phase, as well as the characteristics and strategies for each phase.
Graffius' intellectual property (IP) is registered with the United States Copyright Office.
Graffius initially developed his ‘Phases of Team Development’ unique material in 2008, and he periodically refreshes it.
For reference, the visual applicable to this case (2021 edition) is shown below [Exhibit 1] and is available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22040.42246.
As shown above, Graffius’ copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on his copyrighted property. Specifically, it reads: “Copyright © 2008-2021 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.”
Again, this 2021 edition is referenced because it is the one applicable to this case.
Organizations around the world engage Graffius to deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries:
- Armenia,
- Australia,
- Brazil,
- Canada,
- Czech Republic,
- Finland,
- France,
- Germany,
- Greece,
- Hong Kong,
- Hungary,
- India,
- Ireland,
- Lithuania,
- Luxembourg,
- Nepal,
- Netherlands,
- New Zealand,
- Norway,
- Romania,
- Sweden,
- Switzerland,
- United Arab Emirates,
- United Kingdom,
- and the United States.
Graffius ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP is central and key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are at https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2024-2025-v24071607.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.
With an authorization/license from Graffius, his copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property is featured and used by businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities around the globe. Examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Erste Group Bank AG (Austria),
- FINAT,
- Ford Motor Company,
- FSU College of Medicine,
- Hasso Plattner Institute,
- IEEE,
- James Madison University,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- LeadingEng,
- London South Bank University,
- Manufacturers Alliance,
- Microsoft,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Royal Australasian College of Physicians,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Torrens University Australia,
- Tufts University,
- U.S. National Park Service,
- U.S. Tennis Association,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway Ireland,
- Victorian Institute of Technology (Australia),
- Virginia Tech,
- Warsaw University,
- Western Sydney University,
- World Resources Institute,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Details on the Plagiarism
Note: All evidence has been preserved.
A whistleblower tip informed Scott M. Graffius that a video is using Graffius’ intellectual property. The video was identified as:
- Publisher of video: TurningWest
- Date of publication: 16 September 2024
- Title of video: ‘9 13 24 Mastering Team Dev webinar’ (note: the preceding is what is listed on YouTube as the title; however, for reference, the video itself notes that the title is: 'Mastering Team Development: Key Modules and Performance Examples')
- Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7qldELhp7s
Exhibit 2 is shown below. It provides an overview, including thumbnail images from the the video.
Graffius reviewed TurningWest’s 2024 video and saw numerous examples of material—content on the characteristics and strategies for the phases of team development—plagiarized from Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property.
TurningWest did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property. Yet, TurningWest used it (some with slight rewording such as changing "recognizing" to "recognize" and similar, which remains plagiarism) commercially and without attribution.
Again, plagiarism is defined as ‘to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own: use (another's production) without crediting the source’ (source: Merriam-Webster). TurningWest’s presentation plagiarized Graffius’ copyrighted ’Phases of Team Development,’ violating his intellectual property.
Instances of TurningWest changing a word from a section from Graffius’ copyrighted property that’s in the present participle form (such as "recognizing") to the present simple form (such as "recognize") or otherwise similar slight rewording is still stealing Graffius' words and ideas; it is still plagiarism. The combination of such rewording and lack of attribution may be seen as a signal of intent to deceive. Regardless of whether the infringement was intentional or "inadvertent," the actions misrepresent the originator of the words and ideas, which is at the heart of plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights.
Graffius informed TurningWest and TurningWest’s Steve Goodwin about the infringement. An excerpt: "An authorized example of my copyrighted property is at https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22040.42246 and other locations. Steven Goodwin and Megan Sands of TurningWest's presentation used some of my intellectual property ... with no attribution to me whatsoever. By doing so, they are falsely leading others to wrongly believe that they are the authors and owners of my intellectual property. Uncool."
Here’s a reaction from TurningWest's Goodwin: "I have never heard of you before and have never seen any of your materials. This is very basic information and foundational to all team formation efforts." As shown by the indisputable proof to come, Goodwin's reaction is problematic for him. TurningWest plagiarized Graffius' work.
Here’s another reaction from TurningWest's Goodwin: "Who are you and what kind of scam are you trying to pull? I have NEVER heard your name before nor have I EVER seen one word of your materials." Again, as shown by the indisputable proof to come, Goodwin's reaction is problematic for him. TurningWest plagiarized Graffius' work.
Additionally, by TurningWest not taking responsibility for and addressing their damaging plagiarism, TurningWest continues to spread misinformation and is directly responsible for their ongoing violation of Graffius' intellectual property.
When Graffius reviewed the TurningWest's infringing 2024 video, he saw that content on the characteristics and strategies for the phases of team development was teeming with plagiarized material from Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property. The indisputable proof follows.
Here's Exhibit 3. It's a delineated, side-by-side comparison of content on the characteristics and strategies for the Forming phase of team development. Respective content from Graffius' 2021 copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' appears with a green background. Material from TurningWest's infringing 2024 video is exposed with a red background. It shows examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words or ideas as their own.
Exhibit 4 is below. It provides diligent, side-by-side comparison of content on the characteristics and strategies for the Storming phase of team development. Respective content from Graffius' 2021 copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' appears with a green background. Material from TurningWest's infringing 2024 video is exposed with a red background. It shows more examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words or ideas as their own.
Here's Exhibit 5. It's a delineated, side-by-side comparison of content on the characteristics and strategies for the Norming phase of team development. Respective content from Graffius' 2021 copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' appears with a green background. Material from TurningWest's infringing 2024 video is exposed with a red background. It shows additional examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words or ideas as their own.
Here's Exhibit 6. It's a delineated, side-by-side comparison of content on the characteristics and strategies for the Performing phase of team development. Respective content from Graffius' 2021 copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' appears with a green background. Material from TurningWest's infringing 2024 video is exposed with a red background. It shows examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words or ideas as their own.
Here's Exhibit 7. It's a delineated, side-by-side comparison of content on the characteristics and strategies for the Adjourning phase of team development. Respective content from Graffius' 2021 copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' appears with a green background. Material from TurningWest's infringing 2024 video is exposed with a red background. It shows additional examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words or ideas as their own.
Each of the five immediately preceding exhibits (Exhibit 3, Exhibit 4, Exhibit 5, Exhibit 6, and Exhibit 7) showed examples of TurningWest's plagiarism—TurningWest stealing and passing off Graffius' words and ideas as their own. Individually, the exhibits are compelling. Collectively, they form an irrefutable, damning picture of TurningWest's plagiarism.
Given the indisputable facts, TurningWest’s Goodwin must now reflect on his earlier reactions with regret, as they have cast him in an entirely unfavorable light.
Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' is registered with the US Copyright Office. TurningWest did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius' property. Yet, TurningWest used Graffius' property commercially and without attribution. TurningWest's actions are a disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
TurningWest's plagiarism damaged the marketability and value of Graffius' copyrighted property. Further, by not taking responsibility for and addressing their damaging plagiarism, TurningWest continues to spread misinformation and is directly responsible for their ongoing violation of Graffius' intellectual property.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights. Plagiarism often involves the violation of copyright, and copyright infringement is so serious that it is a Federal crime. For many reasons including facts covered in this article, if Graffius opts to take legal action against TurningWest for their violation of his copyright, the Federal case will include the greater of statutory damages or actual damages, special charges for willful infringement (which has been clarified by the courts to be either "intentional behavior" or merely "reckless behavior"), and additional costs.
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is a global leader in agile project management, an expert on teamwork tradecraft, an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms, a creator, a consultant, a trainer, an award-winning author, and an international public speaker.
See his bio to learn more.
About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.
There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:
- Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum;
- Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement; and
- Support innovation and drive competitive advantage.
Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”
Winner of 17 first place awards.
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
- 🇩🇰 Denmark
- 🇫🇮 Finland
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- 🇬🇷 Greece
- 🇭🇺 Hungary
- 🇮🇳 India
- 🇮🇪 Ireland
- 🇮🇱 Israel
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- 🇳🇴 Norway
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- 🇦🇪 UAE
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- 🇺🇸 United States
About Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
Thriving in today's marketplace frequently depends on making a transformation to become more agile. Those successful in the transition enjoy faster delivery speed and ROI, higher satisfaction, continuous improvement, and additional benefits.
Based on actual events, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change provides a quick (60-90 minute) read about a successful agile transformation at a multinational entertainment and media company, told from the author's perspective as an agile coach.
The award-winning book by Scott M. Graffius is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- 🇦🇹 Austria
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
- 🇩🇰 Denmark
- 🇫🇮 Finland
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- 🇬🇷 Greece
- 🇮🇳 India
- 🇮🇪 Ireland
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- 🇺🇸 United States
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2024, October 8). TurningWest's Trial. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/turningwest.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.19899.84008.
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Update on 6 November 2024
To date, the TurningWest has failed to remove their infringing material. Accordingly, TurningWest knowingly and willfully continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
Any further updates on this consequential matter will appear here.
Content Acknowledgements
This article uses limited excerpts from TurningWest, attributed to TurningWest and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis. TurningWest name, mark, and content (except for what was plagiarized) are the property of TurningWest.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
A PDF of this article is here
The short link for this article is https://bit.ly/turningwest
Bournemouth University Used Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property
09 October 2024
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Introduction
A whistleblower/tip informed Scott M. Graffius that Bournemouth University was using his copyrighted property without credit. After Graffius received the details including proof, he confirmed that the report was valid.
The unauthorized and unattributed use of Graffius' copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor ‘fair dealing’ nor otherwise allowed.
Based on the indisputable facts, the bad acts involve the ethical issue of plagiarism and the legal issue of copyright infringement.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights. This article serves as a clarion call for Bournemouth University to face the repercussions of, and take responsibility for, their blatant and damaging violation.
Background
Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Scott M. Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his ‘Phases of Team Development’ as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development — Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning — inclusive of a graph showing how performance varies by phase, as well as the characteristics and strategies for each phase.
Graffius' intellectual property (IP) is registered with the United States Copyright Office.
Graffius initially developed his ‘Phases of Team Development’ unique material in 2008, and he periodically refreshes it.
For reference, the visual from the edition applicable to this case (v2019) [Exhibit 1] is shown below. It is also available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/Using-Bruce- Tuckmans-Phases-of-Team-Development.html and other locations. The integrated text applies.
As shown above, Graffius’ copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on his copyrighted property. Specifically, it reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
Organizations around the world engage Graffius to deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including:
Graffius ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP is central and key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are at https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2024-2025-v24071607.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.
With an authorization/license from Graffius, his ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP is featured and used by businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities around the world. Examples include:
Copyrights protect the intellectual property rights of creators, ensuring they receive recognition and compensation for their work, thus incentivizing creativity and innovation. Graffius is vigilant in upholding, protecting and enforcing his copyrights and other IP rights.
Bournemouth University Used Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property Without Authorization or Attribution
Indisputable proof follows.
Exhibit 2 is below. It provides views of Bournemouth University 'Key Programme Information.' Pages 1 of 2 from the programme are shown. A zoomed-in view of page 2—where 'Strategic Sport Management' is circled in red—is also shown.
Exhibit 3 is below. It shows pages 1 and 7 of the infringing document.
As shown above, the infringing document is marked with:
Again, Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his intellectual property.
Permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property was not requested nor approved.
Nevertheless, Graffius’ copyrighted property was used in the infringing publication.
Comparing Graffius' copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' intellectual property with the infringing document is revealing.
The infringing publication used Graffius’ copyrighted property on the characteristics and strategies for the phases of team development word-for-word. Here are some examples:
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Forming: "Questioning"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Forming: "Questioning"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Forming: "Socializing"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Forming: "Socializing"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Forming: "Displaying eagerness"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Forming: "Displaying eagerness"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Storming: "Resistance"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Storming: "Resistance"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Storming: "Lack of participation"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Storming: "Lack of participation"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Storming: "Conflict"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Storming: "Conflict"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Storming: "Competition"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Storming: "Competition"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Storming: "High emotions"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Storming: "High emotions"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Norming: "Reconciliation"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Norming: "Reconciliation"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Norming: "Relief"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Norming: "Relief"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Adjourning: "Sadness"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Adjourning: "Sadness"
Additionally, the infringing publication used Graffius’ copyrighted property on the characteristics and strategies for the phases of team development with slight re-wording (which, in context, is still infringement). Here are some examples:
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Norming: "Members are engaged and supportive"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Norming: "Engaged" and "Supportive"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Performing: "Demonstrations of interdependence"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Performing: "Interdependence"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Adjourning: "Recognition of team and individual efforts"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Adjourning: "Recognition of individual and collective efforts"
The preceding examples are not an exhaustive list.
The comparison in Exhibit 4 (below) also shows the extensive infringement in the educational material from Bournemouth University.
Conclusion
Again, Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his intellectual property.
Permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property was not requested nor approved.
Nevertheless, the infringing publication used Graffius’ copyrighted property.
A significant volume of Graffius’ copyrighted property was used.
The infringing publication used Graffius' copyrighted property word-for-word and also with slight re-wording (which, in context, is still a violation).
The infringing publication did not attribute Graffius’ copyrighted property to Graffius. Regardless of intent, the infringement wrongly leads others to falsely believe that the author of the infringing publication is the author and owner of Graffius’ respective copyrighted property.
So long as the infringing publication exists anywhere, it continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property.
The infringement damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ copyrighted property.
For the aforementioned reasons, the use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor ‘fair dealing’ nor otherwise allowed.
Bournemouth University must immediately implement the following three (3) actions:
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights.
He reserves his rights in this disturbing and consequential matter.
This case remains open.
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
About Bournemouth University
Founded in 1992, Bournemouth University is a public university in Bournemouth, England. Its main campus is in neighboring Poole. The university has over 16,000 students.
In 2023, Bournemouth University received a silver rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework, a government assessment of the quality of undergraduate teaching in universities and other higher education providers in England.
In 2024, it was proven that Bournemouth University educational materials infringed on the copyright of Scott M. Graffius.
To learn more about the university, visit https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is a global leader in agile project management, an expert on teamwork tradecraft, an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms, a creator, a consultant, a trainer, an award-winning author, and an international public speaker.
See his bio to learn more.
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Update on 6 November 2024
To date, the university has failed to acknowledge receipt of the report of their infringement or otherwise respond.
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2024, October 9). Bournemouth University Used Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/bournemouth-university-2024.html.
Content Acknowledgements
This article uses limited excerpts from Bournemouth University content, attributed to Bournemouth University and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Bournemouth University name, mark, and content (except for what was stolen from others) are the property of Bournemouth University.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Introduction
A whistleblower/tip informed Scott M. Graffius that Bournemouth University was using his copyrighted property without credit. After Graffius received the details including proof, he confirmed that the report was valid.
The unauthorized and unattributed use of Graffius' copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor ‘fair dealing’ nor otherwise allowed.
Based on the indisputable facts, the bad acts involve the ethical issue of plagiarism and the legal issue of copyright infringement.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights. This article serves as a clarion call for Bournemouth University to face the repercussions of, and take responsibility for, their blatant and damaging violation.
Background
Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Scott M. Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his ‘Phases of Team Development’ as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development — Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning — inclusive of a graph showing how performance varies by phase, as well as the characteristics and strategies for each phase.
Graffius' intellectual property (IP) is registered with the United States Copyright Office.
Graffius initially developed his ‘Phases of Team Development’ unique material in 2008, and he periodically refreshes it.
For reference, the visual from the edition applicable to this case (v2019) [Exhibit 1] is shown below. It is also available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/Using-Bruce- Tuckmans-Phases-of-Team-Development.html and other locations. The integrated text applies.
As shown above, Graffius’ copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on his copyrighted property. Specifically, it reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
Organizations around the world engage Graffius to deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including:
- Armenia,
- Australia,
- Brazil,
- Canada,
- Czech Republic,
- Finland,
- France,
- Germany,
- Greece,
- Hong Kong,
- Hungary,
- India,
- Ireland,
- Lithuania,
- Luxembourg,
- Nepal,
- Netherlands,
- New Zealand,
- Norway,
- Romania,
- Sweden,
- Switzerland,
- United Arab Emirates,
- United Kingdom,
- and the United States.
Graffius ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP is central and key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are at https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2024-2025-v24071607.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.
With an authorization/license from Graffius, his ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP is featured and used by businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities around the world. Examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Hasso Plattner Institute,
- IEEE,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- LeadingEng,
- London South Bank University,
- Manufacturers Alliance,
- Microsoft,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Torrens University Australia,
- U.S. National Park Service,
- U.S. Tennis Association,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway Ireland,
- Virginia Tech,
- Warsaw University,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Copyrights protect the intellectual property rights of creators, ensuring they receive recognition and compensation for their work, thus incentivizing creativity and innovation. Graffius is vigilant in upholding, protecting and enforcing his copyrights and other IP rights.
Bournemouth University Used Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property Without Authorization or Attribution
Indisputable proof follows.
Exhibit 2 is below. It provides views of Bournemouth University 'Key Programme Information.' Pages 1 of 2 from the programme are shown. A zoomed-in view of page 2—where 'Strategic Sport Management' is circled in red—is also shown.
Exhibit 3 is below. It shows pages 1 and 7 of the infringing document.
As shown above, the infringing document is marked with:
- “Bournemouth University”
- “MSc Sport Management”
- “Strategic Sport Management 23&24”
- “Theories of Leadership IV: Managing Conflicts”
Again, Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his intellectual property.
Permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property was not requested nor approved.
Nevertheless, Graffius’ copyrighted property was used in the infringing publication.
Comparing Graffius' copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' intellectual property with the infringing document is revealing.
The infringing publication used Graffius’ copyrighted property on the characteristics and strategies for the phases of team development word-for-word. Here are some examples:
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Forming: "Questioning"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Forming: "Questioning"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Forming: "Socializing"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Forming: "Socializing"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Forming: "Displaying eagerness"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Forming: "Displaying eagerness"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Storming: "Resistance"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Storming: "Resistance"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Storming: "Lack of participation"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Storming: "Lack of participation"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Storming: "Conflict"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Storming: "Conflict"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Storming: "Competition"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Storming: "Competition"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Storming: "High emotions"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Storming: "High emotions"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Norming: "Reconciliation"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Norming: "Reconciliation"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Norming: "Relief"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Norming: "Relief"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Adjourning: "Sadness"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Adjourning: "Sadness"
Additionally, the infringing publication used Graffius’ copyrighted property on the characteristics and strategies for the phases of team development with slight re-wording (which, in context, is still infringement). Here are some examples:
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Norming: "Members are engaged and supportive"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Norming: "Engaged" and "Supportive"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Performing: "Demonstrations of interdependence"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Performing: "Interdependence"
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted Phases of Team Development property includes this for Adjourning: "Recognition of team and individual efforts"
🔴 The Bournemouth University infringing leadership publication includes this for Adjourning: "Recognition of individual and collective efforts"
The preceding examples are not an exhaustive list.
The comparison in Exhibit 4 (below) also shows the extensive infringement in the educational material from Bournemouth University.
Conclusion
Again, Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his intellectual property.
Permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property was not requested nor approved.
Nevertheless, the infringing publication used Graffius’ copyrighted property.
A significant volume of Graffius’ copyrighted property was used.
The infringing publication used Graffius' copyrighted property word-for-word and also with slight re-wording (which, in context, is still a violation).
The infringing publication did not attribute Graffius’ copyrighted property to Graffius. Regardless of intent, the infringement wrongly leads others to falsely believe that the author of the infringing publication is the author and owner of Graffius’ respective copyrighted property.
So long as the infringing publication exists anywhere, it continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property.
The infringement damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ copyrighted property.
For the aforementioned reasons, the use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor ‘fair dealing’ nor otherwise allowed.
Bournemouth University must immediately implement the following three (3) actions:
- Remove the Infringing Material. Electronic Versions: Immediately remove the infringing material from digital platforms where it is advertised, promoted, sold, or distributed; this includes removing or disabling any online access to it. Physical Copies: If physical copies of the material are in inventory or circulation, stop further distribution; recall any copies already distributed; destroy physical copies.
- Issue a Retraction. Publish a formal retraction notice acknowledging the infringement and the steps taken to rectify the situation. The notice will present the facts as they are—the notice will not "spin" or "downplay" the infringement.
- Notify Relevant Parties. Recipients: Inform the respective subscribers, purchasers, or recipients of the material about the retraction, ensuring transparency about the issue; again, the notice will present the facts as they are—the notice will not "spin" or "downplay" the infringement. Indexes and Databases: Notify any databases or indexing services that list the material so they can update their records accordingly.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights.
He reserves his rights in this disturbing and consequential matter.
This case remains open.
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
About Bournemouth University
Founded in 1992, Bournemouth University is a public university in Bournemouth, England. Its main campus is in neighboring Poole. The university has over 16,000 students.
In 2023, Bournemouth University received a silver rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework, a government assessment of the quality of undergraduate teaching in universities and other higher education providers in England.
In 2024, it was proven that Bournemouth University educational materials infringed on the copyright of Scott M. Graffius.
To learn more about the university, visit https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is a global leader in agile project management, an expert on teamwork tradecraft, an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms, a creator, a consultant, a trainer, an award-winning author, and an international public speaker.
See his bio to learn more.
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Update on 6 November 2024
To date, the university has failed to acknowledge receipt of the report of their infringement or otherwise respond.
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2024, October 9). Bournemouth University Used Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/bournemouth-university-2024.html.
Content Acknowledgements
This article uses limited excerpts from Bournemouth University content, attributed to Bournemouth University and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Bournemouth University name, mark, and content (except for what was stolen from others) are the property of Bournemouth University.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
UC Davis Used Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" Intellectual Property
17 June 2026
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Source information and links for materials referenced in this article are provided in the bibliography section.
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is a research institution with enrollment of more than 41,000 students, professional schools, and a global reputation for academic excellence. It has long prided itself on a culture of honesty and integrity. That culture is embodied in the UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct, which places shared responsibility for upholding academic integrity on students, faculty/staff, and administration alike. It is a culture the university holds up as a cornerstone of everything it does.
So what happens when individuals at UC Davis are found to have repeatedly plagiarized the work of another person and violated that person's intellectual property rights?
The answer depends entirely on who you are.
If you are a student, the answer is swift and serious. The UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct is enforced by a dedicated body — the Office of Student Conduct and Integrity — with centralized authority, consistent procedures, and documented consequences. Students found responsible for plagiarism face sanctions ranging from censure and probation to suspension or permanent dismissal from the entire University of California system. Repeat offenses escalate consequences.
If you are a faculty/staff member, the answer is something else entirely. Faculty/staff misconduct is governed by a separate, faculty-controlled process rooted in UC Davis Academic Personnel Manual Section 016 (APM-016) and administered through the Committee on Privilege and Tenure — a body composed of faculty/staff peers. The process is slow, opaque, and self-regulating. There is no dedicated enforcement office with equivalent authority or urgency. Reaching any formal disciplinary outcome requires navigating a multi-stage internal process — a charges review, a probable cause determination, and a formal hearing — all operating largely out of public view and largely governed by the same professional class being investigated.
This is a deliberate double standard. The UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct states plainly that plagiarism devalues others' original work, that it is wrong to take or use an author's work without giving the owner the credit due, and that copyright violations can result in damages, fines, or worse. These standards should be for every member of the academic community, students and faculty/staff alike. When an institution demands integrity from its students while shielding its faculty/staff behind a slow, insular, and largely invisible accountability process, it betrays its own values.
This article is about UC Davis faculty/staff repeatedly plagiarizing Scott M. Graffius' copyrighted work and violating his intellectual property rights — conduct that is unprofessional, disgraceful, immoral, unethical, and unlawful. Graffius presents the details including undeniable evidence here to uphold his intellectual property rights, hold UC Davis accountable, and deter future violations.
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with and analysis of team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, and others around the world feature and use Graffius' "Phases of Team Development." Select examples include:
Its adoption highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."
Organizations engage Graffius to develop and deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including:
Graffius’ "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is central and key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are at https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2026-v26010107.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.
As noted above, Scott M. Graffius first introduced his respective intellectual property in 2008 and he periodically updates it. The 2019 edition was the version UC Davis faculty/staff repeatedly plagiarized and exploited in violation of Graffius' intellectual property rights.
Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
UC Davis faculty/staff did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property.
Nevertheless, UC Davis' infringing 2023 "MGT 440 Student Handbook Integrated Management Project" publication used Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property.
The following exhibit shows Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property (also shown at https://x.com/ScottGraffius/status/1126788452295401474?s=20 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kubFUC79k&t=2789s and other locations) and excerpts from UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication (the known location is https://schedule.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/5516631/Syllabus).
The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing 2023 publication include:
As shown, UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication used Graffius’ 2019 copyright content mostly word-for-word. In further evidence of knowing and willful violation, UC Davis faculty/staff appeared to attempt to conceal the deceit by slightly altering certain words. For example, UC Davis faculty/staff changed "providing clear expectations" to "provide clear expectations"; in full context, their use is still plagiarism and infringement. A visual follows.
In addition to the visual above, here’s a comparison of content from Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted work and the infringing 2023 publication by UC Davis.
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Questioning”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Questioning”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Displaying eagerness”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Displaying eagerness”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Providing clear expectations”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Provide clear expectations”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Resistance”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Resistance”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Conflict”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Conflict”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Competition”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Competition”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging leadership”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Encourage leaders”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Reconciliation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Reconciliation”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Members are engaged & supportive”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Members supportive”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Recognizing individual and group efforts”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Recognize one another”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Balance of task and process orientation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Balance task and process”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging group decision-making”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Group decision-making”
The UC Davis infringing 2023 publication used a material amount and the heart of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property.
UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his respective content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, UC Davis faculty/staff misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the Internet — into falsely believing that UC Davis faculty/staff are the authors and owners of Graffius' intellectual property.
UC Davis' infringement has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
UC Davis' use of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor otherwise allowed.
UC Davis blatantly plagiarized Graffius' work and infringed on his intellectual property rights.
UC Davis faculty/staff conduct is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.
So long as UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication exists anywhere, in any form, UC Davis continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.
Evidence has been preserved.
Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
UC Davis faculty/staff did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property.
Nevertheless, UC Davis' infringing 2024 "Integrated Management Project (IMP) and MGT 440 Course Objective" publication used Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property.
The following exhibit shows Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property (also shown at https://x.com/ScottGraffius/status/1126788452295401474?s=20 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kubFUC79k&t=2789s and other locations) and excerpts from UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication (the known location is https://webapps.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/6929287/Syllabus).
The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing 2024 publication include:
As shown, UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication used Graffius’ 2019 copyright content mostly word-for-word. In further evidence of knowing and willful violation, UC Davis faculty/staff appeared to attempt to conceal the deceit by slightly altering certain words. For example, UC Davis faculty/staff changed "providing clear expectations" to "provide clear expectations"; in full context, their use is still plagiarism and infringement. A visual follows.
In addition to the visual above, here’s a comparison of content from Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted work and the infringing 2024 publication by UC Davis.
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Questioning”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Questioning”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Displaying eagerness”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Displaying eagerness”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Providing clear expectations”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Provide clear expectations”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Resistance”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Resistance”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Conflict”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Conflict”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Competition”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Competition”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging leadership”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Encourage leaders”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Reconciliation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Reconciliation”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Members are engaged & supportive”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Members supportive”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Recognizing individual and group efforts”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Recognize one another”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Balance of task and process orientation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Balance task and process”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging group decision-making”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Group decision-making”
The UC Davis infringing 2024 publication used a material amount and the heart of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property.
UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his respective content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, UC Davis faculty/staff misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the Internet — into falsely believing that UC Davis faculty/staff are the authors and owners of Graffius' intellectual property.
UC Davis' infringement has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
UC Davis' use of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor otherwise allowed.
UC Davis blatantly plagiarized Graffius' work and infringed on his intellectual property rights.
UC Davis faculty/staff conduct is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.
So long as UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication exists anywhere, in any form, UC Davis continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.
Evidence has been preserved.
The evidence presented in this article shows a recurring pattern in which UC Davis faculty/staff plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' copyrighted property and infringed on his intellectual property rights. The conduct spanned multiple years, involved multiple publications, and implicated multiple faculty/staff participants.
Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
UC Davis faculty/staff neither requested nor received permission to use Graffius' copyrighted property, yet multiple UC Davis publications incorporated material portions of it.
UC Davis' infringing publications failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his respective content. They did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, UC Davis faculty/staff misled others into falsely believing that UC Davis faculty/staff are the authors and owners of Graffius' intellectual property.
UC Davis' infringement has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
UC Davis' use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not 'fair use' nor otherwise allowed.
The conduct of UC Davis faculty/staff is inexcusable, indefensible, and unlawful.
So long as UC Davis' infringing publications exist anywhere, in any form, UC Davis continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.
1. Remove the Infringing Material.
1 (a). Electronic Versions: Immediately remove the infringing material (any and all publications/products with infringement) from digital platforms where it is published, posted, or distributed; this includes removing or disabling any online access to it. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 17 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
1 (b). Physical Copies: If physical copies of the infringing material are in inventory or circulation, stop further distribution, recall any copies already distributed, and destroy (shred and recycle) copies. If there are physical copies, this must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 17 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
2. Issue a Confirmation and Apology. Email Scott M. Graffius with confirmation that the infringing material has been removed — as delineated 1 (a) and 1 (b) — and apologize for plagiarizing his work and violating his intellectual property rights. The apology will not "spin" or "downplay" the plagiarism and infringement. Any "spin" or "downplay" will demonstrate bad faith by UC Davis. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 17 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
Copyrights protect the intellectual property rights of creators, ensuring they receive recognition and compensation for their work, thus incentivizing creativity and innovation. Mr. Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights.
Graffius expressly reserves his rights in this matter.
Beyond this article, Graffius sent notice of this serious matter to the UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publications, as well as UC Davis administration. He notified the following (some details below are redacted) via email.
UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publications:
UC Davis administration:
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.
Graffius has generated over $2.51 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations around the world. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.
Graffius, S. M. (n.d.). Public Speaker. https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html
Graffius, S. M. (2019, May 10). Phases of Team Development [Twitter post featuring the 2019 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development"; also see scanFOAM]. https://x.com/ScottGraffius/status/1126788452295401474?s=20
Graffius, S. M. (2026). Rate Card for 2026. https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2026-v26010107.pdf
Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 3). Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development - Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams: 2026 Update. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18184.89601
scanFOAM (2024, April 17). Experience learning | 25 years of ATACC | TBS24 [YouTube video featuring the 2019 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development."] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kubFUC79k&t=2789s
University of California, Davis. (n.d.). How to make a whistleblower report. https://compliance.ucdavis.edu/how-make-whistleblower-report
University of California, Davis. (2023, April). MGT 440 Student Handbook Integrated Management Project. [The names listed on the publication include Kelly Wilson, Marybeth Kavanagh, Keith Weissglass, Mary Kay Vona, Chris Ziemba, and Selina Laqui.] https://schedule.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/5516631/Syllabus
University of California, Davis. (2024, May). Integrated Management Project (IMP) and MGT 440 Course Objective. [The names listed on the publication include Barry Curtis, Selina Laqui, and Kelly Wilson.] https://webapps.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/6929287/Syllabus
University of California, Davis, Office of Student Conduct and Integrity. (2026). Interim UC Davis policy on student conduct and discipline: 102.01.1 UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct. University of California, Davis. https://studentconduct.ucdavis.edu/code-academic-conduct
University of California Office of the President. (2026). APM-016: University policy on faculty conduct and the administration of discipline (Rev. Jan. 29, 2026). University of California. https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/apm/apm-016.pdf
University of California Office of the President. (2026). APM-015: The Faculty Code of Conduct (Rev. Jan. 29, 2026). University of California. https://aadocs.ucdavis.edu/policies/apm/apm-015.pdf
Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.51 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 98 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."
The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Discover Scott’s Books
Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.
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Graffius, S. M. (2026, June 17). UC Davis Used Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" Intellectual Property. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/uc-davis-used-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property.html
Coming soon
Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
University of California, Davis (UC Davis) name, mark, and content — except for material plagiarized from Graffius and used in violation of his intellectual property rights — are the property of The Regents of the University of California.
"MGT 440 Student Handbook Integrated Management Project," dated April 2023, except for material plagiarized from Graffius and used in violation of his intellectual property rights, is the property of UC Davis and contributors. The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publication include Kelly Wilson, Marybeth Kavanagh, Keith Weissglass, Mary Kay Vona, Chris Ziemba, and Selina Laqui. Graffius' article includes limited excerpts, attributed and used under the fair use doctrine for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and analysis.
"Integrated Management Project (IMP) and MGT 440 Course Objective," dated May 2024, except for material plagiarized from Graffius and used in violation of his intellectual property rights, is the property of UC Davis and contributors. The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publication include Barry Curtis, Selina Laqui, and Kelly Wilson. Graffius' article includes limited excerpts, attributed and used under the fair use doctrine for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and analysis.
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Supplement on June 22, 2026
As a recap, this serious case requires awareness, transparency, and action. Accordingly, Scott M. Graffius presented evidence via this article to document the plagiarism and infringement, uphold his intellectual property rights, hold the involved parties accountable, and deter future violations. As detailed in the article, Graffius also notified the involved, interested, and potentially interested parties about the case by email.
Additionally, to elevate visibility, he subsequently wrote about the case on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook, and other platforms.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Update on June 24, 2026
As a recap, on June 17, 2026, Scott M. Graffius notified UC Davis that its 2023 and 2024 publications contained material copied from his copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. The notice identified the specific publications, provided side-by-side comparisons as evidence, cited copyright ownership information embedded in the original work, and demanded UC Davis' confirmation of their removal of their infringing materials and an apology.
The compliance deadline expired on June 22, 2026. As of the time of this update on June 24, 2026, UC Davis had neither confirmed the removal of their infringing materials nor provided an apology. Until UC Davis removes its infringing publications, UC Davis continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
Graffius presents the follow-up article, UC Davis' Integrity Is Circling the Drain, to elevate visibility of the case, uphold his intellectual property rights, hold UC Davis accountable, and deter future violations.
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Source information and links for materials referenced in this article are provided in the bibliography section.
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.
A Tale of Two Standards: The Integrity Gap
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is a research institution with enrollment of more than 41,000 students, professional schools, and a global reputation for academic excellence. It has long prided itself on a culture of honesty and integrity. That culture is embodied in the UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct, which places shared responsibility for upholding academic integrity on students, faculty/staff, and administration alike. It is a culture the university holds up as a cornerstone of everything it does.
So what happens when individuals at UC Davis are found to have repeatedly plagiarized the work of another person and violated that person's intellectual property rights?
The answer depends entirely on who you are.
If you are a student, the answer is swift and serious. The UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct is enforced by a dedicated body — the Office of Student Conduct and Integrity — with centralized authority, consistent procedures, and documented consequences. Students found responsible for plagiarism face sanctions ranging from censure and probation to suspension or permanent dismissal from the entire University of California system. Repeat offenses escalate consequences.
If you are a faculty/staff member, the answer is something else entirely. Faculty/staff misconduct is governed by a separate, faculty-controlled process rooted in UC Davis Academic Personnel Manual Section 016 (APM-016) and administered through the Committee on Privilege and Tenure — a body composed of faculty/staff peers. The process is slow, opaque, and self-regulating. There is no dedicated enforcement office with equivalent authority or urgency. Reaching any formal disciplinary outcome requires navigating a multi-stage internal process — a charges review, a probable cause determination, and a formal hearing — all operating largely out of public view and largely governed by the same professional class being investigated.
This is a deliberate double standard. The UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct states plainly that plagiarism devalues others' original work, that it is wrong to take or use an author's work without giving the owner the credit due, and that copyright violations can result in damages, fines, or worse. These standards should be for every member of the academic community, students and faculty/staff alike. When an institution demands integrity from its students while shielding its faculty/staff behind a slow, insular, and largely invisible accountability process, it betrays its own values.
This article is about UC Davis faculty/staff repeatedly plagiarizing Scott M. Graffius' copyrighted work and violating his intellectual property rights — conduct that is unprofessional, disgraceful, immoral, unethical, and unlawful. Graffius presents the details including undeniable evidence here to uphold his intellectual property rights, hold UC Davis accountable, and deter future violations.
Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" Intellectual Property
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with and analysis of team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, and others around the world feature and use Graffius' "Phases of Team Development." Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- DevOps Institute,
- Erste Group Bank AG,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Government of Finland,
- Hasso-Plattner-Institut für Digital Engineering GmbH,
- IEEE,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Microsoft,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Technical University of Munich,
- Torrens University,
- Tufts University,
- U.S. National Park Service,
- U.S. Tennis Association,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway,
- University of Waterloo,
- Warsaw University of Technology,
- Yale University, and
- many others.
Its adoption highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."
Organizations engage Graffius to develop and deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including:
- Armenia,
- Australia,
- Brazil,
- Canada,
- Czech Republic,
- Finland,
- France,
- Germany,
- Greece,
- Hong Kong,
- Hungary,
- India,
- Ireland,
- Lithuania,
- Luxembourg,
- Nepal,
- Netherlands,
- New Zealand,
- Norway,
- Romania,
- Sweden,
- Switzerland,
- United Arab Emirates,
- United Kingdom,
- and the United States.
Graffius’ "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is central and key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are at https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2026-v26010107.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.
UC Davis Faculty/Staff Repeatedly Plagiarized Graffius' Work and Violated His Intellectual Property Rights
As noted above, Scott M. Graffius first introduced his respective intellectual property in 2008 and he periodically updates it. The 2019 edition was the version UC Davis faculty/staff repeatedly plagiarized and exploited in violation of Graffius' intellectual property rights.
UC Davis' Infringing 2023 Publication
Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
UC Davis faculty/staff did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property.
Nevertheless, UC Davis' infringing 2023 "MGT 440 Student Handbook Integrated Management Project" publication used Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property.
The following exhibit shows Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property (also shown at https://x.com/ScottGraffius/status/1126788452295401474?s=20 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kubFUC79k&t=2789s and other locations) and excerpts from UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication (the known location is https://schedule.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/5516631/Syllabus).
The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing 2023 publication include:
- Kelly Wilson,
- Marybeth Kavanagh,
- Keith Weissglass,
- Mary Kay Vona,
- Chris Ziemba, and
- Selina Laqui.
As shown, UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication used Graffius’ 2019 copyright content mostly word-for-word. In further evidence of knowing and willful violation, UC Davis faculty/staff appeared to attempt to conceal the deceit by slightly altering certain words. For example, UC Davis faculty/staff changed "providing clear expectations" to "provide clear expectations"; in full context, their use is still plagiarism and infringement. A visual follows.
In addition to the visual above, here’s a comparison of content from Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted work and the infringing 2023 publication by UC Davis.
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Questioning”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Questioning”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Displaying eagerness”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Displaying eagerness”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Providing clear expectations”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Provide clear expectations”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Resistance”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Resistance”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Conflict”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Conflict”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Competition”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Competition”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging leadership”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Encourage leaders”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Reconciliation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Reconciliation”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Members are engaged & supportive”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Members supportive”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Recognizing individual and group efforts”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Recognize one another”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Balance of task and process orientation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Balance task and process”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging group decision-making”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication has this: “Group decision-making”
The UC Davis infringing 2023 publication used a material amount and the heart of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property.
UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his respective content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, UC Davis faculty/staff misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the Internet — into falsely believing that UC Davis faculty/staff are the authors and owners of Graffius' intellectual property.
UC Davis' infringement has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
UC Davis' use of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor otherwise allowed.
UC Davis blatantly plagiarized Graffius' work and infringed on his intellectual property rights.
UC Davis faculty/staff conduct is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.
So long as UC Davis' infringing 2023 publication exists anywhere, in any form, UC Davis continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.
Evidence has been preserved.
UC Davis' Infringing 2024 Publication
Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
UC Davis faculty/staff did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ copyrighted property.
Nevertheless, UC Davis' infringing 2024 "Integrated Management Project (IMP) and MGT 440 Course Objective" publication used Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property.
The following exhibit shows Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property (also shown at https://x.com/ScottGraffius/status/1126788452295401474?s=20 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kubFUC79k&t=2789s and other locations) and excerpts from UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication (the known location is https://webapps.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/6929287/Syllabus).
The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing 2024 publication include:
- Barry Curtis,
- Selina Laqui, and
- Kelly Wilson.
As shown, UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication used Graffius’ 2019 copyright content mostly word-for-word. In further evidence of knowing and willful violation, UC Davis faculty/staff appeared to attempt to conceal the deceit by slightly altering certain words. For example, UC Davis faculty/staff changed "providing clear expectations" to "provide clear expectations"; in full context, their use is still plagiarism and infringement. A visual follows.
In addition to the visual above, here’s a comparison of content from Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted work and the infringing 2024 publication by UC Davis.
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Questioning”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Questioning”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Displaying eagerness”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Displaying eagerness”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Providing clear expectations”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Provide clear expectations”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Resistance”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Resistance”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Conflict”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Conflict”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Competition”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Competition”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging leadership”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Encourage leaders”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Reconciliation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Reconciliation”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Members are engaged & supportive”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Members supportive”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Recognizing individual and group efforts”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Recognize one another”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Balance of task and process orientation”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Balance task and process”
🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 property includes: “Encouraging group decision-making”
🔴 UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication has this: “Group decision-making”
The UC Davis infringing 2024 publication used a material amount and the heart of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property.
UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his respective content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, UC Davis faculty/staff misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the Internet — into falsely believing that UC Davis faculty/staff are the authors and owners of Graffius' intellectual property.
UC Davis' infringement has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
UC Davis' use of Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor otherwise allowed.
UC Davis blatantly plagiarized Graffius' work and infringed on his intellectual property rights.
UC Davis faculty/staff conduct is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.
So long as UC Davis' infringing 2024 publication exists anywhere, in any form, UC Davis continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.
Evidence has been preserved.
Conclusion, Including Demand for Accountability
The evidence presented in this article shows a recurring pattern in which UC Davis faculty/staff plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' copyrighted property and infringed on his intellectual property rights. The conduct spanned multiple years, involved multiple publications, and implicated multiple faculty/staff participants.
Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
UC Davis faculty/staff neither requested nor received permission to use Graffius' copyrighted property, yet multiple UC Davis publications incorporated material portions of it.
UC Davis' infringing publications failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his respective content. They did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, UC Davis faculty/staff misled others into falsely believing that UC Davis faculty/staff are the authors and owners of Graffius' intellectual property.
UC Davis' infringement has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
UC Davis' use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not 'fair use' nor otherwise allowed.
The conduct of UC Davis faculty/staff is inexcusable, indefensible, and unlawful.
So long as UC Davis' infringing publications exist anywhere, in any form, UC Davis continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.
UC Davis must immediately implement the following two (2) actions:
1. Remove the Infringing Material.
1 (a). Electronic Versions: Immediately remove the infringing material (any and all publications/products with infringement) from digital platforms where it is published, posted, or distributed; this includes removing or disabling any online access to it. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 17 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
1 (b). Physical Copies: If physical copies of the infringing material are in inventory or circulation, stop further distribution, recall any copies already distributed, and destroy (shred and recycle) copies. If there are physical copies, this must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 17 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
2. Issue a Confirmation and Apology. Email Scott M. Graffius with confirmation that the infringing material has been removed — as delineated 1 (a) and 1 (b) — and apologize for plagiarizing his work and violating his intellectual property rights. The apology will not "spin" or "downplay" the plagiarism and infringement. Any "spin" or "downplay" will demonstrate bad faith by UC Davis. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 17 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
Copyrights protect the intellectual property rights of creators, ensuring they receive recognition and compensation for their work, thus incentivizing creativity and innovation. Mr. Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights.
Graffius expressly reserves his rights in this matter.
Notice
Beyond this article, Graffius sent notice of this serious matter to the UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publications, as well as UC Davis administration. He notified the following (some details below are redacted) via email.
UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publications:
- Barry Curtis at b█████████@ucdavis.edu
- Chris Ziemba (UC Davis email not listed, UC Davis email not found)
- Keith Weissglass at k███████████@ucdavis.edu
- Kelly Wilson at k███████████@ucdavis.edu
- Mary Kay Vona at m███@ucdavis.edu
- Marybeth Kavanagh at m████████@ucdavis.edu
- Selina Laqui at s███████@ucdavis.edu
UC Davis administration:
- Academic Affairs at p█████████@ucdavis.edu
- Conflicts at b███████@ucdavis.edu
- Conflicts at h███████@ucdavis.edu
- Conflicts at k████████@ucdavis.edu
- Dean at g████████@ucdavis.edu
- Ethics at d██████████@ucdavis.edu.
- Intellectual Property at k█████████@ucdavis.edu
- Intellectual Property at r███████@ucdavis.edu
- Research Compliance at d███████@ucdavis.edu
- State Auditor at S█████████@doj.ca.gov
- █████████████ at █████████@ucdavis.edu
Updates
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.
Graffius has generated over $2.51 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations around the world. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.
Bibliography
Graffius, S. M. (n.d.). Public Speaker. https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html
Graffius, S. M. (2019, May 10). Phases of Team Development [Twitter post featuring the 2019 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development"; also see scanFOAM]. https://x.com/ScottGraffius/status/1126788452295401474?s=20
Graffius, S. M. (2026). Rate Card for 2026. https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2026-v26010107.pdf
Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 3). Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development - Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams: 2026 Update. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18184.89601
scanFOAM (2024, April 17). Experience learning | 25 years of ATACC | TBS24 [YouTube video featuring the 2019 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development."] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kubFUC79k&t=2789s
University of California, Davis. (n.d.). How to make a whistleblower report. https://compliance.ucdavis.edu/how-make-whistleblower-report
University of California, Davis. (2023, April). MGT 440 Student Handbook Integrated Management Project. [The names listed on the publication include Kelly Wilson, Marybeth Kavanagh, Keith Weissglass, Mary Kay Vona, Chris Ziemba, and Selina Laqui.] https://schedule.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/5516631/Syllabus
University of California, Davis. (2024, May). Integrated Management Project (IMP) and MGT 440 Course Objective. [The names listed on the publication include Barry Curtis, Selina Laqui, and Kelly Wilson.] https://webapps.aws.ucdavis.edu/public/documents/6929287/Syllabus
University of California, Davis, Office of Student Conduct and Integrity. (2026). Interim UC Davis policy on student conduct and discipline: 102.01.1 UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct. University of California, Davis. https://studentconduct.ucdavis.edu/code-academic-conduct
University of California Office of the President. (2026). APM-016: University policy on faculty conduct and the administration of discipline (Rev. Jan. 29, 2026). University of California. https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/apm/apm-016.pdf
University of California Office of the President. (2026). APM-015: The Faculty Code of Conduct (Rev. Jan. 29, 2026). University of California. https://aadocs.ucdavis.edu/policies/apm/apm-015.pdf
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.51 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 98 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- The Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management
- Agile Practice Guide – Second Edition
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Eighth Edition
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Sixth Edition
- The Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Second Edition
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating – Second Edition
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."
The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Discover Scott’s Books
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, S. M. (2026, June 17). UC Davis Used Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" Intellectual Property. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/uc-davis-used-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property.html
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Coming soon
Content Acknowledgements
Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
University of California, Davis (UC Davis) name, mark, and content — except for material plagiarized from Graffius and used in violation of his intellectual property rights — are the property of The Regents of the University of California.
"MGT 440 Student Handbook Integrated Management Project," dated April 2023, except for material plagiarized from Graffius and used in violation of his intellectual property rights, is the property of UC Davis and contributors. The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publication include Kelly Wilson, Marybeth Kavanagh, Keith Weissglass, Mary Kay Vona, Chris Ziemba, and Selina Laqui. Graffius' article includes limited excerpts, attributed and used under the fair use doctrine for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and analysis.
"Integrated Management Project (IMP) and MGT 440 Course Objective," dated May 2024, except for material plagiarized from Graffius and used in violation of his intellectual property rights, is the property of UC Davis and contributors. The names of UC Davis faculty/staff listed on the infringing publication include Barry Curtis, Selina Laqui, and Kelly Wilson. Graffius' article includes limited excerpts, attributed and used under the fair use doctrine for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and analysis.
Tags and Hashtags
- Academic integrity
- Plagiarism
- Intellectual property
- Copyright infringement
- University of California, Davis (UC Davis)
- Higher education governance
- Faculty misconduct
- Phases of Team Development
- Academic ethics and accountability
- #AcademicIntegrity
- #Plagiarism
- #IntellectualProperty
- #Copyright
- #UCDavis
- #HigherEducation
- #FacultyConduct
- #StudentConduct
- #TeamDevelopment
- #PhasesOfTeamDevelopment
- #UniversityOfCalifornia
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Supplement on June 22, 2026
As a recap, this serious case requires awareness, transparency, and action. Accordingly, Scott M. Graffius presented evidence via this article to document the plagiarism and infringement, uphold his intellectual property rights, hold the involved parties accountable, and deter future violations. As detailed in the article, Graffius also notified the involved, interested, and potentially interested parties about the case by email.
Additionally, to elevate visibility, he subsequently wrote about the case on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook, and other platforms.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Update on June 24, 2026
As a recap, on June 17, 2026, Scott M. Graffius notified UC Davis that its 2023 and 2024 publications contained material copied from his copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. The notice identified the specific publications, provided side-by-side comparisons as evidence, cited copyright ownership information embedded in the original work, and demanded UC Davis' confirmation of their removal of their infringing materials and an apology.
The compliance deadline expired on June 22, 2026. As of the time of this update on June 24, 2026, UC Davis had neither confirmed the removal of their infringing materials nor provided an apology. Until UC Davis removes its infringing publications, UC Davis continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
Graffius presents the follow-up article, UC Davis' Integrity Is Circling the Drain, to elevate visibility of the case, uphold his intellectual property rights, hold UC Davis accountable, and deter future violations.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
NCCI / UNC Chapel Hill Publication Features Scott M. Graffius' Work
20 June 2026
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Graffius, S. M. (2026, June 20). NCCI / UNC Chapel Hill Publication Features Scott M. Graffius' Work. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.14919.87205
Source information and links for materials referenced in this article are provided in the bibliography section.
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill) is one of the oldest and most storied public universities in the United States. Founded in 1789, it is a flagship research institution with a global reputation and is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. UNC Chapel Hill's academic community operates under institutional policies and an honor code premised on the conviction that honesty, trust, and respect for others' works are essential. The institution's stated values are clear. The problem is that UNC Chapel Hill has not lived up to them.
In 2022, UNC Chapel Hill's Vice Chancellor for Research, Terry Magnuson — the institution's own senior official charged with overseeing research integrity — admitted to plagiarizing text in a federal NIH grant application. The U.S. Office of Research Integrity (ORI), a federal watchdog agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, found that Magnuson had "intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly plagiarized" text from multiple sources and submitted it as part of his grant application. The finding was reported by Retraction Watch, Inside Higher Ed, Plagiarism Today, Times Higher Education, and others. Magnuson subsequently resigned from his vice chancellor position. The episode was widely described as a serious breach of research integrity — and an institutional embarrassment — at a university that brands itself on academic excellence and ethical conduct.
Another chapter unfolded in the troubling story: a UNC Chapel Hill / NCCI 2025 publication by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken, Senior Transformation Managers at UNC Chapel Hill, plagiarized and violated another's intellectual property rights. The infringement is unprofessional, disgraceful, immoral, unethical, and unlawful.
The Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI) is a higher education consortium that exists, by its own description, to foster innovation, drive organizational transformation, and build professional capacity across member institutions. It draws together leaders from universities across the country, united by the shared purpose of advancing the higher education community. Participation in such a network carries an expectation of professional and ethical conduct.
This article is about the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing 2025 publication, "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken. It plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' 2023 copyrighted "Phases of Team Development" work and violated his intellectual property rights. This situation requires awareness, transparency, and action. Accordingly, Graffius presents evidence to document the plagiarism and infringement, uphold his intellectual property rights, hold the involved parties accountable, and deter future violations.
Graffius is a global leader in teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with and analysis of team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his novel work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to advance the effectiveness of teams.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, and others around the world have featured and used Graffius' "Phases of Team Development." Select examples include:
Its adoption highlights its utility and value as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."
Organizations engage Graffius to develop and deliver compelling, unforgettable talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including:
Graffius’ "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are here and here, respectively.
As noted above, Scott M. Graffius first introduced his intellectual property in 2008, and he periodically updates it. The 2023 edition was the version plagiarized and exploited in violation of his intellectual property rights. Details follow.
Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2023 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2023 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
There was no request to use Graffius' copyrighted property in the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill publication, nor did Graffius provide permission.
Nevertheless, the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing 2025 "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" publication by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken used Graffius' copyrighted 2023 property.
The following exhibit shows Graffius' copyrighted 2023 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property (also shown at https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/teams-2023.html and https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10720.35846 and other locations) and excerpts from NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's 2025 infringing publication by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken (the known locations are https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01.15.25-NCCI-Team-Collaboration.pdf and https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NCCI-Profile-2025.pdf - which lists the infringing "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" as part of the "Power60s" online education program). The locations of the infringing online training are unknown to Graffius but known to NCCI.
The names listed on the infringing 2025 "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" publication include:
Additionally, the publication is marked with or references several organizations:
The NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing 2025 publication used much of Graffius’ 2023 copyright content word-for-word. In further evidence of apparent knowing and willful violation, the authors seemed to attempt to conceal the deceit by slightly altering certain words. For example, “Encouraging collective decision-making and problem-solving” was changed to “Encourage collective decision-making & problem-solving”; in full context, their use is still plagiarism and infringement. A visual follows.
In addition to the visual above, here’s a comparison of content from Graffius’ 2023 copyrighted work and the infringing 2025 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill publication authored by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken.
🟢 Scott M. Graffius' copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Displaying eagerness”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Eager”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Socializing”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Socializing”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Generally polite tone”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Generally polite tone”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Sticking to safe topics”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Sticking to safe topics”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Some anxiety”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Anxious”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Some resistance”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Some resistance”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Lack of participation”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Lack of participation”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Conflict”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Conflict”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Competition”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Competition”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Requesting and encouraging feedback”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Request and encourage feedback”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Building trust by honoring commitments”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Build trust by honoring commitments”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Developing cohesion”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Developing cohesion”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Engaged”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Engaged”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Supportive”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Supportive”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Relief”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Relief”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Lowered anxiety”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Lowered anxiety”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “High motivation”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “High motivation”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Trust”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Trust”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Empathy”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Empathy”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Effectively producing deliverables”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Effectively producing deliverables”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Encouraging collective decision-making and problem-solving”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Encourage collective decision-making & problem-solving”
The NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication used a material amount, including the heart of, Graffius’ 2023 copyrighted property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, its authors misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the internet — into falsely believing that the authors of the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication are the owners of Graffius' intellectual property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication's use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not "fair use" nor otherwise allowed.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication violated Graffius' intellectual property rights.
The infringement is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.
So long as the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing publication exists anywhere, in any form, the authors, publisher(s), and other involved parties continue to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.
Evidence has been preserved.
Scott M. Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2023 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2023 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
There was no request to use Graffius' copyrighted property in the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill publication, nor did Graffius provide permission.
Nevertheless, Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken, Senior Transformation Managers at UNC Chapel Hill and authors of the 2025 infringing publication "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success," used protected material from Graffius' copyrighted 2023 intellectual property without authorization or attribution, thereby committing plagiarism and infringing his intellectual property rights.
The NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication used a material amount, including the heart of, Graffius’ 2023 copyrighted property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his 2023 content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, its authors misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the internet — into falsely believing that the authors of the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication are the owners of Graffius' 2023 intellectual property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication's use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not "fair use" nor otherwise allowed.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication violated Graffius' intellectual property rights.
The infringement is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.
So long as the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing material by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken exists anywhere, in any form, the authors, publisher(s), and other involved parties continue to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.
The involved parties must immediately implement the following two (2) actions:
1. Cease All Use. Remove the Infringing Material.
1 (a). Electronic Versions: Cease all use. Immediately remove the infringing material (any and all publications/products with infringement) from digital platforms where it is published, posted, or distributed; this includes removing or disabling any online access to it. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 20 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
1 (b). Physical Copies: Cease all use. If physical copies of the infringing material are in inventory or circulation, stop further distribution, recall any copies already distributed, and destroy (shred and recycle) copies. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 20 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
2. Issue a Confirmation and Apology. Email Scott M. Graffius with confirmation of compliance with 1 (a) and 1 (b), and apologize for plagiarizing his work and violating his intellectual property rights. The apology will not minimize, mischaracterize, or otherwise downplay the plagiarism and infringement; any such conduct will demonstrate bad faith. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 20 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
Copyrights protect the intellectual property rights of creators, ensuring they receive recognition and compensation for their work, thus incentivizing creativity and innovation. Mr. Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights. He expressly reserves his rights in this matter.
Notice
Beyond this article, Graffius sent notice of this serious matter to the names and organizations listed on the infringing publication. He notified the following via email (some details below are redacted).
Authors of the Infringing Publication
The Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI)
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill)
(UNC) Operational Excellence
Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers
Prosci
IDEO
Updates
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.
Graffius has generated over $2.51 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations around the world. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.
Bailey, J. (2022, March 14). UNC-Chapel Hill vice chancellor resigns after admitting plagiarism. Plagiarism Today. https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2022/03/14/unc-chapel-hill-vice-chancellor-resigns-after-admitting-plagiarism/
Basken, P. (2022, March 11). UNC research chief steps down over plagiarism charge. Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/unc-research-chief-steps-down-over-plagiarism-charge
Graffius, S. M. (n.d.). Public Speaker. https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html
Graffius, S. M. (2023, January 9). Use the Phases of Team Development (Based on Bruce W. Tuckman's Model of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning) to Help Teams Grow and Advance: 2023 Update. ScottGraffius.com. https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/teams-2023.html and https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10720.35846
Graffius, S. M. (2026). Rate Card for 2026. https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2026-v26010107.pdf
Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 3). Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development - Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams: 2026 Update. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18184.89601
Greenberg, S. H. (2022, March 9). UNC vice chancellor for research cited for plagiarism. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2022/03/10/unc-vice-chancellor-research-cited-plagiarism
Michaels, W., DeWitt, D., & Jurney, J. (2022, March 9). UNC vice chancellor resigns following report that said he plagiarized part of a grant application. WUNC News. https://www.wunc.org/2022-03-09/federal-investigation-finds-unc-ch-vice-chancellor-for-research-plagiarized-part-of-a-grant-application
Oransky, I. (2022, March 8). UNC-Chapel Hill vice chancellor admits to plagiarism. Retraction Watch. https://retractionwatch.com/2022/03/08/unc-chapel-hill-vice-chancellor-admits-to-plagiarism/
McRae, G., & Sengstaken, N. (2025, January 15). Setting Your Project Team Up for Success [PDF]. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill). Published at the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI). https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01.15.25-NCCI-Team-Collaboration.pdf
Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI). (2025). Network for Change and Continuous Innovation in Higher Education: Profile 2025 [PDF]. This lists "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" as part of the "Power60s" Online Education Program. https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NCCI-Profile-2025.pdf and the locations of the infringing online training are unknown to Graffius but known to NCCI.
Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.51 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 98 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."
The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Discover Scott’s Books
Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.
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Human-AI Teamwork: Master the Exotic Team Dynamics That Emerge When Collaborating with Advanced AI -- Or Be Outplayed
"Agile Scrum" by Scott M. Graffius Now Featured on Grokipedia
UNSW Aerospace Engineering Course Features Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development"
Thinkers360 Honors Scott M. Graffius as a 2026 Top Agile Thought Leader
Agile's Journey Through the Decades: Update for 2026
BMC Software Features Content from Scott M. Graffius' Book
Peer-Reviewed Journal Cited Work of Scott M. Graffius
University of Waterloo Features Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" in Course Materials
Perplexity Standalone Article on AI Hallucinations Cites Research by Scott M. Graffius
Handling the Saboteur Within: Lessons from a 3-Letter Agency on Spotting and Stopping Intentional and Unintentional Sabotage
A Deep Dive Into the Typical Engagement Pattern for Social Media Posts
Most Valuable IT Certifications: Update for 2026
"Marketing in the Metaverse" Spotlights Scott M. Graffius’ Research on the Half-Life of Social Media
University of Greenwich Features Graffius' Phases of Team Development
10 Essential Agile Books: Curated Recommendations for Agile Professionals
Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts: Update for 2026
Scott M. Graffius' Research on the Half-Life of Social Media was Cited in a Peer-Reviewed Study Published in Telecommunications Policy, a Leading Academic Journal
Are AI Hallucinations Getting Better or Worse? We Analyzed the Data
Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development - Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams: 2026 Update
Lessons from Yesterday’s Tomorrowland
Scott M. Graffius’ Update to His "Phases of Team Development” Coming Early 2026
A Data-Driven Analysis of the Evolution of Project Management: Tasks, Trends, and AI
Actionable Insights. Global Impact. Scott M. Graffius.
Beep Beep! Why Wile E. Coyote Is the Patron Saint of AI Failure
Social Media Half-Life Research Cited in Prestigious Peer-Reviewed Medical Journal
Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic
Lessons from Unhinged AI in Fiction: What Rogue AIs in Sci-Fi Storytelling, Films, and TV Shows Reveal About Us
Scott M. Graffius Contributed to and Reviewed the PMBOK Guide, 8th Edition — the Global Standard for Project Management
UK Sports Institute Features Teamwork and Leadership Work of Scott M. Graffius
Definitions of Advanced AIs: Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic
HAN University of Applied Sciences Features the Work of Scott M. Graffius
Gifts That Inspire Joy
Evergreen Echoes: How Pinterest Inc. and Pinterest Japan Spotlighted Scott M. Graffius’ Research on the Half-Life of Social Media Content
Scott M. Graffius’ Team Development Work Lights Up the University of Tasmania’s Curriculum
Taiwan’s Leading Outlet for Technology and Innovation Spotlights Graffius’ Research on Social Media Temporal Dynamics
Scott M. Graffius’ Insights on AI, Agile, Gaming, XR, and Defense Transformation Cited by MSN in Their Coverage of Innovation and Leadership in the Sector
Top Predictions of 2024, Tested in 2025
Government of Finland Agency Features Graffius' Phases of Team Development IP
Scott M. Graffius Premieres His New "Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration" Talk at Corporate Event in Las Vegas
Environmental Science Journal References Scott M. Graffius’ Project Management Work
AI Institute of Switzerland Features Scott M. Graffius’ Work on Algorithms
Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human–AI Collaboration
Scott M. Graffius’ Work Featured at ACM DIS ’25
Climbing the Ladder: The Head of Agile/PMO’s Organizational Proximity to the CEO is Closer Than Ever
Harness Sci-Fi and Speculative Design While Embracing Imperfection to Drive Innovation and Proactively Predict and Prepare for the Future
Scott M. Graffius’ “Agile Scrum” Book Featured in a Publication of the Associação Nacional de Educação Católica do Brasil (ANEC)
Setting Direction with OKRs and Tracking Progress with KPIs: A Guide for Agile, Project Management, and Tech Teams
AI Showcase Showdown: Ranking AI Accuracy on Project Management Basics
BookAuthority Features “Agile Scrum” by Scott M. Graffius in “10 Agile Software Development Books That Define the Field”
Exploring Team Dynamics, Adaptability, and Creative Problem-Solving Through Felix the Cat’s Metaphorical Toolkit
Mind Games and Master Plans: How PsyOps Exploit Psychological Phenomena
The “Pants-on-Fire Index for AI”
16 Causes of Technical Debt and How to Avoid It
PMI’s Infinity AI Gets the Basics of Team Development Alarmingly and Repeatedly Wrong
Agile for Unicorns: 7 Keys to Thrive; Scott M. Graffius’ Workshop
Scott M. Graffius’ “Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions” Featured in Prestigious National Academies of Sciences Publication
Meta and Anduril’s EagleEye and the Future of XR: How Gaming, AI, and Agile Are Transforming Defense
"Agile Protocol" and the Power of Satire, Parody, and Humor
AI in Agile: Benefits, Risks, Outlook
Hostinger Highlights Scott M. Graffius’ “Agile Protocol” Book in Feature on Software Projects
French Ministry of Culture Links to Scott M. Graffius Research in Their Guide for Responsible Digital Communication
National Science Foundation’s LTER Network Features Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development IP
Waterfall vs. Agile: What’s Fixed, What’s Flexible, and Why It Matters
Scott M. Graffius Delivering $2.3 Billion in Value Through AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Leadership
The Problem with Heroes in Agile
The 3 Vital Rules of Science: What They Are and Why They Matter
“Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum” Lands on the Amazon Best Sellers List!
Scott M. Graffius Recognized as a Top Thought Leader in Digital Disruption by Thinkers360
“Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum” by Scott M. Graffius Crashes the Book Scene with Satirical Firepower
NCKU in Taiwan Integrates Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' into Its Curriculum
The Art and Science of Aligning Initiatives with Strategic Objectives
RGPV University Adds Scott M. Graffius’ "Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions" to Its Syllabus
Introducing ‘Engage or Fade: Decoding the Half-Life of Digital Resonance’ – A New Talk by Scott M. Graffius
Dropbox Company (Nira) Taps into Scott M. Graffius’ Expertise in Strategic Planning
Reporting Errors in a Publication: A Case Study on ‘Frontiers in Public Health’
NESEA Conference Session on Innovation Highlights Scott M. Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development'
U.S. Soccer Scores with Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property on Teamwork
U.S. Department of Commerce Partner (IEDC) Features Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property
How Long Do Your Posts Live? AI Critiques Scott M. Graffius’ Research on the Half-Life of Social Media
Agile's Journey Through the Decades
Scott M. Graffius' Role in Advancing Project Management Institute (PMI) Standards Excellence
Most Valuable IT Certifications: Update for 2025
The PMI + Agile Alliance Merger: A Recipe for Success?
When Agile, AI, and Strategic Thinking Converge
Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development: 2025 Update
Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts: Update for 2025
Verizon Features Scott M. Graffius
Do Not Read This Article! An Exploration of the Streisand Effect and Other Phenomena
Scott M. Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' was Spotlighted in Journal of Neurosurgery
Pinterest Japan Uses Graffius’ Research on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Hochschule Coburg (Coburg University) Germany Uses Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development IP in Coursework on Agile Development
Wild World of Team Dynamics [Updated Two-Minute Video]
EU Europass Teacher Academy Features Scott M. Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ in Leadership Training
Side-by-Side Comparison of Retrospectives and Hot Washes
Constructor University 2024 Advanced Software Technology Handbook References Scott M. Graffius' Work on Team Dynamics
Strategies for Medical Team Success Featured Scott M. Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ Intellectual Property
SBG Neumark — Europe’s Largest Distribution Transformer Plant — Powers Up with Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property
Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property was Employed by the NHS — the Largest Single-Payer Healthcare System in Europe
Luxury Unwrapped: The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Every Budget
Singapore Institute of Technology Features Work of Scott M. Graffius
Tufts University Features Scott M. Graffius 'Phases of Team Development' Intellectual Property
'Cat Herders': Retelling the Massive Success Story
Pennsylvania State Agency Used Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property
Copyright Infringement in a Book Published by AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies: Publisher Fails to Respond or Take Required Action
Pinterest Inc. References Scott M. Graffius’ Research
Bournemouth University Used Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property
‘Comparative Methodological Guidelines: Handbook for Educators’ Violates Scott M. Graffius’ Copyright
Japan Backlog User Group Event Featured Scott M. Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’
TurningWest's 'Trial'
Radio Silence from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons on Report of Blatant Plagiarism in Their ‘Journal of Neurosurgery’ Publication
Supplement to Graffius' 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' Research: Typical Engagement Distribution Pattern for Social Media Posts
How Algorithms Shape the User Experience on Social Media Platforms
Thinkers360 Named Scott M. Graffius a Top Thought Leader on Agile
More articles are listed here.
Graffius, S. M. (2026, June 20). NCCI / UNC Chapel Hill Publication Features Scott M. Graffius' Work. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.14919.87205
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.14919.87205
The “Setting Your Project Team Up for Success” publication, dated January 15, 2025, is marked with several names and organizations — including authors Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken, the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill), the Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers, Prosci, and IDEO. It features Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted January 9, 2023 “Phases of Team Development” work. Names and marks are the property of their respective owners. “Setting Your Project Team Up for Success,” except for material plagiarized from Graffius’ copyrighted work and used in violation of his intellectual property rights, is the property of its authors/owners. Graffius' article on this case includes limited excerpts from “Setting Your Project Team Up for Success,” attributed and used under the fair use doctrine for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and analysis. Graffius’ “Phases of Team Development” is copyrighted © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Supplement on June 22, 2026
As a recap, this serious case requires awareness, transparency, and action. Accordingly, Scott M. Graffius presented evidence via this article to document the plagiarism and infringement, uphold his intellectual property rights, hold the involved parties accountable, and deter future violations. As detailed in the article, Graffius also notified the involved, interested, and potentially interested parties about the case by email.
Additionally, to elevate visibility, he subsequently wrote about the case on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook, and other platforms.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Update on June 24, 2026
On June 24, 2026, Scott M. Graffius received an email from Justin Rudisille, Executive Director, The Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI). Here's an excerpt from his email:
"... on behalf of NCCI, I am writing to confirm that the resource library entries and associated documents from the “Setting Your Project Team Up for Success” presentation have been fully deleted from the NCCI website and media storage."
A screen shot of the email, inclusive of redactions, is below.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Update 1 on June 25, 2026
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill) has not yet apologized for the plagiarism and copyright infringement. The absence of an apology or acknowledgment of responsibility raises questions about the university's commitment to accountability and academic integrity.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Update 2 on June 25, 2026
Scott M. Graffius forwarded the details on this case to Lee H. Roberts, Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill). Here's an excerpt from the email:
"I am notifying you of this scandal at your institution and the need for accountability."
A screen shot of the email is shown below.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Update on June 28, 2026
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill) has not yet apologized for the plagiarism and copyright infringement. The absence of an apology or acknowledgment of responsibility raises serious concerns about accountability and integrity.
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has oversight authority over the institutions within the University of North Carolina System, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The University of North Carolina System website at https://www.northcarolina.edu/apps/bog/members.htm specifies, "To contact any member of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, please email public@bog.northcarolina.edu."
A screen shot is below.
Scott M. Graffius notified the Board of Governors accordingly about the case via email. Here's an excerpt from the email:
"I am notifying you of this disgraceful scandal at UNC Chapel Hill and the need for accountability. You—individually and collectively—are now on notice."
A screen shot of the email is shown below.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Graffius, S. M. (2026, June 20). NCCI / UNC Chapel Hill Publication Features Scott M. Graffius' Work. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.14919.87205
Source information and links for materials referenced in this article are provided in the bibliography section.
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.
Introduction
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill) is one of the oldest and most storied public universities in the United States. Founded in 1789, it is a flagship research institution with a global reputation and is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. UNC Chapel Hill's academic community operates under institutional policies and an honor code premised on the conviction that honesty, trust, and respect for others' works are essential. The institution's stated values are clear. The problem is that UNC Chapel Hill has not lived up to them.
In 2022, UNC Chapel Hill's Vice Chancellor for Research, Terry Magnuson — the institution's own senior official charged with overseeing research integrity — admitted to plagiarizing text in a federal NIH grant application. The U.S. Office of Research Integrity (ORI), a federal watchdog agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, found that Magnuson had "intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly plagiarized" text from multiple sources and submitted it as part of his grant application. The finding was reported by Retraction Watch, Inside Higher Ed, Plagiarism Today, Times Higher Education, and others. Magnuson subsequently resigned from his vice chancellor position. The episode was widely described as a serious breach of research integrity — and an institutional embarrassment — at a university that brands itself on academic excellence and ethical conduct.
Another chapter unfolded in the troubling story: a UNC Chapel Hill / NCCI 2025 publication by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken, Senior Transformation Managers at UNC Chapel Hill, plagiarized and violated another's intellectual property rights. The infringement is unprofessional, disgraceful, immoral, unethical, and unlawful.
The Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI) is a higher education consortium that exists, by its own description, to foster innovation, drive organizational transformation, and build professional capacity across member institutions. It draws together leaders from universities across the country, united by the shared purpose of advancing the higher education community. Participation in such a network carries an expectation of professional and ethical conduct.
This article is about the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing 2025 publication, "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken. It plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' 2023 copyrighted "Phases of Team Development" work and violated his intellectual property rights. This situation requires awareness, transparency, and action. Accordingly, Graffius presents evidence to document the plagiarism and infringement, uphold his intellectual property rights, hold the involved parties accountable, and deter future violations.
Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" Intellectual Property
Graffius is a global leader in teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with and analysis of team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his novel work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to advance the effectiveness of teams.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, and others around the world have featured and used Graffius' "Phases of Team Development." Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- DevOps Institute,
- Government of Finland,
- Hasso-Plattner-Institut für Digital Engineering GmbH,
- IEEE,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Microsoft,
- Oracle,
- Technical University of Munich,
- Torrens University,
- Tufts University,
- UK Sports Institute,
- United States National Park Service,
- United States Tennis Association,
- University of California at San Diego (UCSD),
- University of Waterloo,
- Warsaw University of Technology,
- Yale University, and
- many others.
Its adoption highlights its utility and value as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."
Organizations engage Graffius to develop and deliver compelling, unforgettable talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including:
- Armenia,
- Australia,
- Brazil,
- Canada,
- Czech Republic,
- Finland,
- France,
- Germany,
- Greece,
- Hong Kong,
- Hungary,
- India,
- Ireland,
- Lithuania,
- Luxembourg,
- Nepal,
- Netherlands,
- New Zealand,
- Norway,
- Romania,
- Sweden,
- Switzerland,
- United Arab Emirates,
- United Kingdom,
- and the United States.
Graffius’ "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are here and here, respectively.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill 2025 Publication by McRae and Sengstaken Plagiarized Graffius' 2023 Work and Violated His Intellectual Property Rights
As noted above, Scott M. Graffius first introduced his intellectual property in 2008, and he periodically updates it. The 2023 edition was the version plagiarized and exploited in violation of his intellectual property rights. Details follow.
Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2023 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2023 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
There was no request to use Graffius' copyrighted property in the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill publication, nor did Graffius provide permission.
Nevertheless, the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing 2025 "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" publication by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken used Graffius' copyrighted 2023 property.
The following exhibit shows Graffius' copyrighted 2023 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property (also shown at https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/teams-2023.html and https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10720.35846 and other locations) and excerpts from NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's 2025 infringing publication by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken (the known locations are https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01.15.25-NCCI-Team-Collaboration.pdf and https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NCCI-Profile-2025.pdf - which lists the infringing "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" as part of the "Power60s" online education program). The locations of the infringing online training are unknown to Graffius but known to NCCI.
The names listed on the infringing 2025 "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" publication include:
- Georgia McRae, Senior Transformation Manager, UNC Chapel Hill
- Nick Sengstaken, Senior Transformation Manager, UNC Chapel Hill
Additionally, the publication is marked with or references several organizations:
- Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill)
- (UNC) Operational Excellence
- Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers
- Prosci
- IDEO
The NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing 2025 publication used much of Graffius’ 2023 copyright content word-for-word. In further evidence of apparent knowing and willful violation, the authors seemed to attempt to conceal the deceit by slightly altering certain words. For example, “Encouraging collective decision-making and problem-solving” was changed to “Encourage collective decision-making & problem-solving”; in full context, their use is still plagiarism and infringement. A visual follows.
In addition to the visual above, here’s a comparison of content from Graffius’ 2023 copyrighted work and the infringing 2025 NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill publication authored by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken.
🟢 Scott M. Graffius' copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Displaying eagerness”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Eager”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Socializing”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Socializing”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Generally polite tone”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Generally polite tone”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Sticking to safe topics”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Sticking to safe topics”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Some anxiety”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Anxious”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Some resistance”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Some resistance”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Lack of participation”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Lack of participation”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Conflict”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Conflict”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Competition”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Competition”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Requesting and encouraging feedback”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Request and encourage feedback”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Building trust by honoring commitments”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Build trust by honoring commitments”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Developing cohesion”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Developing cohesion”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Engaged”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Engaged”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Supportive”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Supportive”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Relief”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Relief”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Lowered anxiety”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Lowered anxiety”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “High motivation”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “High motivation”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Trust”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Trust”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Empathy”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Empathy”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Effectively producing deliverables”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Effectively producing deliverables”
🟢 Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2023 property includes: “Encouraging collective decision-making and problem-solving”
🔴 Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken 2025 publication: “Encourage collective decision-making & problem-solving”
The NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication used a material amount, including the heart of, Graffius’ 2023 copyrighted property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, its authors misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the internet — into falsely believing that the authors of the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication are the owners of Graffius' intellectual property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication's use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not "fair use" nor otherwise allowed.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication violated Graffius' intellectual property rights.
The infringement is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.
So long as the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing publication exists anywhere, in any form, the authors, publisher(s), and other involved parties continue to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.
Evidence has been preserved.
Conclusion, Including Demand for Accountability
Scott M. Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2023 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2023 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."
There was no request to use Graffius' copyrighted property in the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill publication, nor did Graffius provide permission.
Nevertheless, Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken, Senior Transformation Managers at UNC Chapel Hill and authors of the 2025 infringing publication "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success," used protected material from Graffius' copyrighted 2023 intellectual property without authorization or attribution, thereby committing plagiarism and infringing his intellectual property rights.
The NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication used a material amount, including the heart of, Graffius’ 2023 copyrighted property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his 2023 content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, its authors misled others — including the public, as the publication was available without restriction on the internet — into falsely believing that the authors of the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing 2025 publication are the owners of Graffius' 2023 intellectual property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication's use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not "fair use" nor otherwise allowed.
NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill's infringing publication violated Graffius' intellectual property rights.
The infringement is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.
So long as the NCCI/UNC Chapel Hill infringing material by Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken exists anywhere, in any form, the authors, publisher(s), and other involved parties continue to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Accordingly, time is of the essence.
The involved parties must immediately implement the following two (2) actions:
1. Cease All Use. Remove the Infringing Material.
1 (a). Electronic Versions: Cease all use. Immediately remove the infringing material (any and all publications/products with infringement) from digital platforms where it is published, posted, or distributed; this includes removing or disabling any online access to it. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 20 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
1 (b). Physical Copies: Cease all use. If physical copies of the infringing material are in inventory or circulation, stop further distribution, recall any copies already distributed, and destroy (shred and recycle) copies. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 20 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
2. Issue a Confirmation and Apology. Email Scott M. Graffius with confirmation of compliance with 1 (a) and 1 (b), and apologize for plagiarizing his work and violating his intellectual property rights. The apology will not minimize, mischaracterize, or otherwise downplay the plagiarism and infringement; any such conduct will demonstrate bad faith. This must be done within five (5) calendar days of this 20 June 2026 notice, or the matter will be escalated.
Copyrights protect the intellectual property rights of creators, ensuring they receive recognition and compensation for their work, thus incentivizing creativity and innovation. Mr. Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights. He expressly reserves his rights in this matter.
Notice
Beyond this article, Graffius sent notice of this serious matter to the names and organizations listed on the infringing publication. He notified the following via email (some details below are redacted).
Authors of the Infringing Publication
- Georgia McRae - g████████@unc.edu
- Nick Sengstaken - n█████████████@unc.edu
The Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI)
- Amy Morgan - a███████@ncci-cu.org
- Andrea Androuais - a█████████s@wustl.edu
- Angela Song - a██████@ucsd.edu
- Antonio Nava - a██████@ucsd.edu
- Brandon Gaines - b███████@princeton.edu
- Brian Fodrey - b████████@andrew.cmu.edu
- Christian Van Horn - c████████@ncci-cu.org
- Christina Blackman - c█████████n@ucdavis.edu
- Cindy Moscrip - c████████@purdue.edu
- Info - i███@ncci-cu.org
- Jeremy Bean - j█████████████@psu.edu
- Joseph Drasin - j████████@umd.edu
- Josh Barnes - j███████@clemson.edu
- Justin Rudisille - j████████@ncci-cu.org
- Karen Keith - k████████@ncci-cu.org
- Kim-Marie Jenkins - k████████@maine.edu
- Maureen Knight-Burrell - m████████@northwestern.edu
- Ralph Gigliotti - r██████████@rutgers.edu
- Sarah Fidelibus - s█████████████@ucsf.edu
- Scott Siler - s███@nd.edu
- Scott Staelgraeve - s███████@umich.edu
- Stacey Bradley - s████████@sc.edu
- William Nelson - n████████@vcu.edu
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill)
- Amy Grau - a███████@unc.edu
- Conduct - s███████████@unc.edu
- Dedric Carter - d█████████@unc.edu
- Internal Audit - i███████████@northcarolina.edu
- Jim Dean - p███████@unc.edu
- Kevin Best - k███████████@unc.edu
- Loretta Hester - l███████.hester@unc.edu
- Michael Barker - m███████████@unc.edu
- Mike Andreasen - m███████████@unc.edu
- Peter Hans - p████████@northcarolina.edu
- Policy - p███████@unc.edu
- Timothy Kundro - t████████@kenan-flagler.unc.edu
(UNC) Operational Excellence
- Rick Wernoski - w████████@email.unc.edu
Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers
- Info - i███@apppostgradtraining.com
- Kerry Bamrick - k█████████@apppostgradtraining.com
- Shay Etheridge - s███████████@apppostgradtraining.com
Prosci
- Contact - g████████████████@prosci.com
- Contact - s███████████@prosci.com
IDEO
- IDEO Contact - w████████@ideo.com
- IDEO Info - i█████████@ideo.org
- IDEOU Info - i████████@ideou.com
Updates
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.
Graffius has generated over $2.51 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations around the world. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.
Bibliography
Bailey, J. (2022, March 14). UNC-Chapel Hill vice chancellor resigns after admitting plagiarism. Plagiarism Today. https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2022/03/14/unc-chapel-hill-vice-chancellor-resigns-after-admitting-plagiarism/
Basken, P. (2022, March 11). UNC research chief steps down over plagiarism charge. Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/unc-research-chief-steps-down-over-plagiarism-charge
Graffius, S. M. (n.d.). Public Speaker. https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html
Graffius, S. M. (2023, January 9). Use the Phases of Team Development (Based on Bruce W. Tuckman's Model of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning) to Help Teams Grow and Advance: 2023 Update. ScottGraffius.com. https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/teams-2023.html and https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10720.35846
Graffius, S. M. (2026). Rate Card for 2026. https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2026-v26010107.pdf
Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 3). Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development - Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams: 2026 Update. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18184.89601
Greenberg, S. H. (2022, March 9). UNC vice chancellor for research cited for plagiarism. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2022/03/10/unc-vice-chancellor-research-cited-plagiarism
Michaels, W., DeWitt, D., & Jurney, J. (2022, March 9). UNC vice chancellor resigns following report that said he plagiarized part of a grant application. WUNC News. https://www.wunc.org/2022-03-09/federal-investigation-finds-unc-ch-vice-chancellor-for-research-plagiarized-part-of-a-grant-application
Oransky, I. (2022, March 8). UNC-Chapel Hill vice chancellor admits to plagiarism. Retraction Watch. https://retractionwatch.com/2022/03/08/unc-chapel-hill-vice-chancellor-admits-to-plagiarism/
McRae, G., & Sengstaken, N. (2025, January 15). Setting Your Project Team Up for Success [PDF]. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill). Published at the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI). https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01.15.25-NCCI-Team-Collaboration.pdf
Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI). (2025). Network for Change and Continuous Innovation in Higher Education: Profile 2025 [PDF]. This lists "Setting Your Project Team Up for Success" as part of the "Power60s" Online Education Program. https://ncci-cu.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NCCI-Profile-2025.pdf and the locations of the infringing online training are unknown to Graffius but known to NCCI.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.51 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 98 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- The Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management
- Agile Practice Guide – Second Edition
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Eighth Edition
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Sixth Edition
- The Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Second Edition
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating – Second Edition
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."
The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Discover Scott’s Books
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.
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List of Additional Articles
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, S. M. (2026, June 20). NCCI / UNC Chapel Hill Publication Features Scott M. Graffius' Work. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.14919.87205
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.14919.87205
Content Acknowledgements
The “Setting Your Project Team Up for Success” publication, dated January 15, 2025, is marked with several names and organizations — including authors Georgia McRae and Nick Sengstaken, the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill), the Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers, Prosci, and IDEO. It features Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted January 9, 2023 “Phases of Team Development” work. Names and marks are the property of their respective owners. “Setting Your Project Team Up for Success,” except for material plagiarized from Graffius’ copyrighted work and used in violation of his intellectual property rights, is the property of its authors/owners. Graffius' article on this case includes limited excerpts from “Setting Your Project Team Up for Success,” attributed and used under the fair use doctrine for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and analysis. Graffius’ “Phases of Team Development” is copyrighted © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Tags and Hashtags
- Ethics scandal at UNC Chapel Hill under watch of Chancellor Lee H. Roberts
- Academic ethics and accountability
- Academic integrity
- Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers
- Copyright infringement
- UNC Chapel Hill Senior Transformation Manager Georgia McRae caught plagiarizing and violating another's intellectual property rights
- UNC Chapel Hill Senior Transformation Manager Nick Sengstaken caught plagiarizing and violating another's intellectual property rights
- Higher education governance
- IDEO
- Intellectual property
- Phases of Team Development
- Plagiarism
- Prosci
- The Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI)
- UNC Chapel Hill
- UNC Operational Excellence
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Scandal at UNC Chapel Hill
- #AcademicIntegrity
- #Copyright
- #HigherEducation
- #IDEO
- #IntellectualProperty
- #NCCI
- #PhasesOfTeamDevelopment
- #Plagiarism
- #Prosci
- #TeamDevelopment
- #UNCChapelHill
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Supplement on June 22, 2026
As a recap, this serious case requires awareness, transparency, and action. Accordingly, Scott M. Graffius presented evidence via this article to document the plagiarism and infringement, uphold his intellectual property rights, hold the involved parties accountable, and deter future violations. As detailed in the article, Graffius also notified the involved, interested, and potentially interested parties about the case by email.
Additionally, to elevate visibility, he subsequently wrote about the case on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook, and other platforms.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Update on June 24, 2026
On June 24, 2026, Scott M. Graffius received an email from Justin Rudisille, Executive Director, The Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI). Here's an excerpt from his email:
"... on behalf of NCCI, I am writing to confirm that the resource library entries and associated documents from the “Setting Your Project Team Up for Success” presentation have been fully deleted from the NCCI website and media storage."
A screen shot of the email, inclusive of redactions, is below.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Update 1 on June 25, 2026
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill) has not yet apologized for the plagiarism and copyright infringement. The absence of an apology or acknowledgment of responsibility raises questions about the university's commitment to accountability and academic integrity.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Update 2 on June 25, 2026
Scott M. Graffius forwarded the details on this case to Lee H. Roberts, Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill). Here's an excerpt from the email:
"I am notifying you of this scandal at your institution and the need for accountability."
A screen shot of the email is shown below.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Update on June 28, 2026
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill) has not yet apologized for the plagiarism and copyright infringement. The absence of an apology or acknowledgment of responsibility raises serious concerns about accountability and integrity.
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has oversight authority over the institutions within the University of North Carolina System, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The University of North Carolina System website at https://www.northcarolina.edu/apps/bog/members.htm specifies, "To contact any member of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, please email public@bog.northcarolina.edu."
A screen shot is below.
Scott M. Graffius notified the Board of Governors accordingly about the case via email. Here's an excerpt from the email:
"I am notifying you of this disgraceful scandal at UNC Chapel Hill and the need for accountability. You—individually and collectively—are now on notice."
A screen shot of the email is shown below.
If there are any further supplements or updates, they will appear in this section.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.