Units

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Sample subject outline - 6 Week Teaching Period - 2 2013

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

Rationale

In a complex society in which changes are occurring with increasing speed and frequency, leadership has never had greater significance, nor has it been more challenging. The range of local, national and international issues confronting society is both complex and diverse. Leaders arise in many different contexts and they lead others through change processes to do different things, in different ways. Given the great need around the world to find new ways of doing business there has never been a time when the development of leadership skills was more important.

In this unit we will explore the various ways of defining and understanding leadership. 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 business environments.

This unit is positioned mid-way through the program to build upon and extend your knowledge of leadership that you have already gained in the earlier leadership units GSN497 Personal Leadership Development and Change and GSN409 Understanding and Leading Others.

Aims

The mission of the MBA and associated programs is to provide world class, graduate business education and stimulating real world learning opportunities to develop current and future business leaders and managers to confidently lead in complex environments.

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 in complex environments.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Postgraduate)

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:

Have knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular discipline (KS)

1.1 Well-researched knowledge and critical understanding applied to issues at the forefront of a specialised discipline area
1.2 Ability to select and use effectively a range of tools and technologies to locate and/or generate information appropriate to the disciplinary context

Be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers (CTA)

2.1 Apply logical, critical and creative thinking and judgement to generate appropriate solutions to problems in the disciplinary context

Be professional communicators in an intercultural context (PC)

3.1 Ability to create and present professional documents and/or reports using high levels of analysis/synthesis/evaluation for a range of contexts and audiences
3.2 Ability to orally communicate and justify ideas and information, at a professional level, for a variety of contexts and audiences, including peers and discipline specialists

Be able to work effectively in a Team Environment (TW)

4.1 Operate effectively and with flexibility to achieve common goals in collaborative settings, using a range of skills, including leadership, negotiation, reflection, proactivity and support for team members

Have a Social and Ethical Understanding (SEU)

5.1 Apply knowledge of the ethical, social and cultural dimensions relevant to business situations, including appropriate standards or codes of practice, to provide courses of action

The specific course learning goals and unit objectives that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Unit Objectives

On completing this unit, you will be able to:

1. Synthesise leadership theories and frameworks to create a leadership model that illustrates the response of leadership to complex environments. KS 1.1 (MBA 1), CTA 2.1 (MBA 4)
2. Critically analyse the leadership behaviour and the tasks performed by leaders in complex environments. CTA 2.1 (MBA 4), PC 3.1 and 3.2 (MBA 3)
3. Critically analyse and evaluate your personal leadership approach and link to relevant theory. CTA 2.1 (MBA 4), SEU 5.1 (MBA 2)
4. Create an individual personal leadership philosophy statement that demonstrates the development of your leadership capability. KS1.1 (MBA 1), CTA2.1 (MBA 4), PC 3.1 (MBA 3), SEU 5.1 (MBA 2)

Content

• Leadership models


• Leadership attributes


• Leadership as a relationship


• Global leadership in complex environments


• Strategic leadership in complex systems


• Leading emergent change

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit adopts a blended learning approach and as such, includes a variety of teaching and learning approaches.

Three hour face-to-face class sessions are supplemented by a textbook and a range of online materials that are designed to support and extend learning prior to, during and after class sessions. Online materials are available in the unit Blackboard site. Given the importance of the unit Blackboard site to the teaching and learning strategy used in this unit, a computer or tablet device with internet access is strongly recommended for all students.

The principal purpose of the lectures and readings is to build upon the key concepts that were introduced through the Preparation for Class activities and readings. The purpose of the case study work, experiential learning tasks and all assessment tasks is to help the student develop their understanding of the concepts and enable them to be applied within a range of business contexts.
There is an expectation that the student will participate in class sessions, to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss important issues with their instructor and their peers in an informal environment. These sessions also provide students with an opportunity to hone important generic skills that are in high demand in the business.

It is expected that students have completed all Preparation for Class activities and readings identified in the unit Blackboard site prior to coming to class to be able to maximise the learning opportunities of the class sessions.

A variety of learning activities designed to engage students in their learning will be incorporated into the lectures/workshops. Such learning activities may include short lectures, class discussions, debates, role plays, group work, guest speakers, student presentations, simulations, case study analysis, videos, readings, wikis, media/current events reports, web searches, etc.

There is a commitment to critical inquiry and intellectual debate in regard to the material covered. Students are encouraged to relate the theories and research discussed to situations known to them and will be encouraged to share their experiences relating to the topics explored in this unit with the class to enrich the overall learning experience of all students.

Expanding the awareness of Australian management policies and practices into intercultural and international perspectives is fostered within this unit. Typically, students enrolling in this unit have extremely varied backgrounds. There is diversity of professional background and socio-cultural background. Students are reminded that this is to their advantage and they have much to learn from one another. To this end, students are strongly encouraged to be sensitive to cultural, gender-related and international issues.

Assessment

A further Guide to the Assessment Items is available from the unit Blackboard Site: http://blackboard.qut.edu.au

At the end of the teaching period the Faculty Academic Board determines students' grades. The Unit Coordinators provide the detailed assessment results to the Board, working through the relevant School. These results are advisory in nature and do not necessarily constitute the final grades awarded by the Board. In its decision the Board compares results both within units and programs, using as a guide a set of standard distribution criteria. These criteria enable the Board to systematically compare student performance, but are not applied in a prescriptive fashion.Students will receive a variety of formative feedback throughout this unit.

Informally, feedback will be given verbally in class through class discussions and during the debriefing of learning activities.

Direct feedback will be available to those students who request a private or group consultation session with the lecturer.

Formal feedback will be received on both formative and summative assessment tasks through a Criterion Reference Assessment sheet which will also include written feedback on the assessment task. The Criterion Reference Assessment Sheet will be available in the unit Blackboard site at the commencement of the unit. Students will receive feedback on their formative assessment task prior to their summative assessment task being submitted.

Assessment name: Leadership Model
Description: Leadership Model
The task has two dimensions:

1. As a group you are required to make a presentation of a leadership model your group derived from the materials presented throughout the unit. Part of the presentation should discuss the process and decision-making your group went through in deriving the model. You need to provide a 500 word brief explaining your model and why it is appropriate for complex work environments.

2. The model can be as elaborate or simple as you like, but should be meaningful to yourselves and your classmates. Models should reflect both the theoretical and practical issues discussed in class, and should be useful in understanding the complexities of leadership and how to be a more effective leader.

Creativity in accomplishing this assignment is encouraged. Copies of your model should be distributed to all class members.

Length/Duration:15 mins oral presentation plus 500 words written brief
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1 and 2
AOL goals: KS 1.1, CTA 2.1, PC 3.1, PC 3.2
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Week 5

Assessment name: Personal Leadership Philosophy
Description: This assessment task builds upon the 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.

The task has two parts:

1. Develop and present in visual form a statement of your personal leadership philosophy that clearly represents the leader you want to become. (20%)

2. Explain and critically evaluate your personal leadership philosophy statement. This explanation and critical evaluation must draw upon and reference the model you developed in your group, the literature and be explicitly link to what you have learnt about leadership in this unit and the MBA program to date. This essay should also outline the strategies and actions you will take to be able to lead according to your philosophy in your current business context. (40%)
Length/Duration: 2500 words
Formative/Summative: Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 3 and 4
AOL goals: KS 1.1, CTA 2.1, PC 3.1, SEU 5.1
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 7

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

Prescribed Text

Dubrin, AJ (2013) Leadership Research Findings, Practice, and Skills. 7th Ed. USA: Cengage Learning.

This publisher also has an eBook version of this textbook available through their Cengage Brain or Vital Source platform. This platform is currently available for IOS and Android devices, Mac and PCs. Before purchasing this book as an eBook, please be aware that this publisher only allows a 2 year license for this textbook in eBook format. Individual chapters of the book can also be purchased.

Other Resources

GSN415 Blackboard site

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: 25-Feb-2013