Units

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Sample subject outline - 5 Week Teaching Period - 6 2012

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

There can be no leaders without followers; therefore, leadership can be defined as a process of persuasion by which an individual influences others to pursue identified goals. The skills of leadership can be identified and learned. In this unit we will explore the various ways of defining and understanding leadership. The unit builds upon the knowledge you have already gained in earlier units such as GSZ503 Self-Realisation and Personal Development, GSZ507 Developing and Leading High Performance Teams, and GSZ508 Organisational Behaviour and Culture. The focus of this unit will be to build on your growing self-awareness and improve your capacity to understand, communicate and influence the people you will lead in complex projects.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to develop your leadership ability, utilising a conceptual framework for self-understanding and the development of the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes required to successfully lead complex projects.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Corporate Programs)

The QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning (AOL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools. Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment:

Program Goal 1: Understand Self and Lead Others in an International Environment (ULO)

1.1 Develop the personal attributes of action and outcome orientation, ability to influence and self-knowledge that distinguish the manager of complex projects.
1.2 Develop and demonstrate the leadership and communication skills to manage the staff involved in complex projects
1.3 Work effectively in managing people and a wide range of stakeholders through understanding of culture cognition, personality and human lifecycle.

Program Goal 2: Lead Strategic Planning, Design and Implementation (SPDI)

2.1 Understand the context of complex projects and the design and implementation of appropriate project strategy and systems to match emergent requirements
2.2 Demonstrate the capacity to design, establish and manage the organisational architecture for complex projects
2.3 Develop the understanding and skill to deliver probity and governance requirements for complex projects
2.4 Develop the capacity to design and implement innovative business planning, reporting and performance measurement systems.

Program Goal 3: Think Holistically: Innovate and Creatively Problem Solve (TH)

3.1 Develop the insights to manage people and systems subject to on-going change and constantly adapt to emergent conditions
3.2 Demonstrate the capacity to envision novel, critical and creative responses to complex and emerging problems

Program Goal 4: Develop the understanding of and skill to design, manage and lead strategic procurement practices that respond to the challenges of the complex organisational and project management environment. (SP)

4.1 Develop, plan and implement a comprehensive and effective acquisition strategy to deliver complex strategic capabilities.
4.2 Assess and implement the contractual requirements of a complex acquisition taking into account the implications of international law and conventions, intellectual property rights, and ensuring the appropriate allocation and mitigation of contractual risks.
4.3 Develop, plan and implement strategic sourcing arrangements covering the capability life-cycle.

Unit Objectives
At the completion of the unit, students will be able to:
1. Select and apply theoretical frameworks to understand leadership.
2. Critically analyse the leadership behaviour and the tasks performed by leaders in complex projects
3. Critically analyse and evaluate their personal leadership approach and link to relevant theory.

Content

1. Understanding the philosophies of leadership & leading strategically
2. Shaping the work environment through recruitment, systems & entrepreneurial thinking
3. Determining leadership styles & roles
4. Communicating the vision and effectively influencing people in complex processes
5. Leading complex projects by understanding, communicating, mentoring, motivating, sculpting, delegating, mobilising & inspiring followers
6. Developing a personal leadership philosophy statement

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

A blended learning approach is taken with this unit. Students will engage with the material through a blend of:

• Guided instruction, learning activities, readings and cases presented in a comprehensive study guide. Students are expected to engage with the readings and learning activities in the study guide prior to the face to face session


• A comprehensive set of readings, cases, workplace documents and other authentic materials that will be provided in advance with the study guide. Set texts for units will be provided in advance to students.


• Intensive face-to-face sessions for each of the modules of the unit, where students will actively engage in exploring the concepts, issues and cases provided in the study guide. A focus on facilitated group learning and collaboration is a feature of the face-to-face sessions rather than content input by the lecturer.


• A Blackboard learning site where additional materials, and computer simulations can be shared through the life of the unit. Collaboration tools for students such as blogs, wikis, discussion forums, and group tools will be a feature of the Blackboard site.

There is a commitment to critical inquiry and intellectual debate in regard to the material covered, and students are encouraged to relate the theories and research discussed to situations known to them.

Assessment name: Leadership Evaluation
Description: Consider your approach to leadership as displayed in your last position (prior to commencing course). Think about the range of behaviours you exhibited and the assumptions you had about leadership and the people you led.

In light of the leadership models, leadership styles and attributes that you have explored in the first three modules, analyse and describe your past leadership style. Which models and attributes were most prevalent in your style? Provide critical incidents to demonstrate the consequences.

How appropriate do you now consider your past leadership style and approach to have been? Use academic writings, theories and models to anchor your discussion.
This is a critique only, Assignment 2 asks you to build a model of how you would like to proceed.

Length: 1,000 words
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 2 and AOL goals: ULO 1.1; 1.2; 1.3 TH 3.1
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End of Module 3

Assessment name: Leadership Plan
Description: This assessment task builds upon Assessment Task 1 and asks you to think about the leader you want to become given that you have been introduced to additional ideas and perspectives about leadership in this unit, and in other units throughout the course.

Length: 2,500 words
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 2, 3 and AOL goals: ULO 1.1; 1.2; 1.3 TH 3.1
Weight: 70%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End of Module 6

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

GSZ519 Study Guide and Readings
GSZ519 Blackboard site
Experiential exercises

Prescribed Text
Dubrin, A., Dalglish C., & Miller, P., (2006) Leadership 2nd Asia-pacific Edition. Milton: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to
view the Emergency video.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 27-Jul-2012