This study examines the cultural climate of successful groups in online undergraduate sociology courses that developed social contracts aimed at fostering positive group work experiences and academic achievement. An analysis of participants' group assessment papers investigated the most important attributes of group cultures with congenial work environments. Qualitative findings revealed that the hallmarks of effective groups included strong leadership, a commitment to ongoing contact, a sharing of the workload, a strong work ethic, respect among members, and increased knowledge of course content.