Leading Wellbeing in Organizations
| Module title | Leading Wellbeing in Organizations |
|---|---|
| Module code | MBAM846 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 5 |
| Module staff |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 2 days |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
The behaviour of leaders can have a considerable impact on the well-being of their followers/teams, and ultimately performance and retention. This module will help prepare you for leading well-being in organisations. By that we don’t mean leading well-being initiatives that – if not well-implemented – can even backfire and result in cynicism. Leading well-being involves understanding how even your daily actions and interactions with your team and senior leaders can promote well-being in your organisation. It involves understanding the latest evidence on what to do and what not to do in order to support the well-being of your team and foster a culture in your team and organisation that values thriving at work, rather than burning out your team.
This module builds on MBAM963 - Leading with Purpose in which students will have been introduced to core concepts of well-being and the relevance for leadership. Students who are enrolled in MBAM947B – Leadership Skills Expedition will benefit from links to this module.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to equip you with the knowledge, skills and self-awareness to lead well-being in organisations. We will draw on the latest evidence and gain practical insights from leaders in organisations on their experience of the challenges they have faced (e.g. leading hybrid teams) and the strategies to help increase well-being in their teams and organisation.
Specific objectives:
- Evaluate the latest evidence on how your behaviour as a leader can affect the well-being of others in your organisation;
- Develop self-reflection to shape your own approach to leading teams that thrive rather than burn out;
- Develop a strategic understanding of how to lead well-being in organisations.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Analyse and evaluate theories and evidence that explain the relationship between leadership and well-being;
- 2. Integrate reflections from your own experience to inform how you can lead well-being in teams and organisations;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Critically reflect on the process of leadership and well-being;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Present and defend strategic analyses in multiple forms (written, verbal) based on case material and empirical research
- 5. Develop awareness through discussion and self-reflection on leading well-being in organisations
Syllabus plan
Leadership behaviour and employee well-being – what are the mechanisms? There are several ways through which the actions of a leader, their decisions and interactions with their followers can increase the well-being or stress of their teams. Learn from the latest evidence on the mechanisms and reflect on your own experience to shape how you want to lead well-being in teams and organisations.
Leading well-being in a hybrid world- what have we learned coming out of a crisis? Hybrid working (a mix of employees working from home and in the office) allows for more flexibility but is also associated with downsides such as work-related loneliness and isolation and fewer spontaneous networking opportunities. We will discuss the challenges of leading well-being in a hybrid world and what you can do to address these, drawing on the latest evidence and by gaining practical insights from leaders in organisations.
A strategic view on leading well-being in organisations: As a leader you don’t work in isolation. Leading well-being in organisations requires a strategic perspective of how well-being is impacted by senior leadership, and the norms and culture of an organisation.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 38 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 12 | Lectures/seminars & facilitated group discussions |
| Guided Independent Study | 38 | Reading, research, group work, writing |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentation (in-class) | 30 minutes | 1,2,3,4,5 | Verbal feedback and group discussion |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written report | 100 | 1500 words | 1,2,3,4,5 | Written feedback from academic tutor |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written report. | Written report. | 1,2,3,4,5 | Next reassessment window |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
- Arnold, K. A. (2017). Transformational leadership and employee psycho- logical well-being: A review and directions for future research. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 381–393
- Bredehorst, J., Krautter, K., Meuris, J., & Jachimowicz, J. M. (2023). Don’t let passion lead to burnout in your team. Harvard Business Review, May 17.
- Fransen, K., Haslam, S. A., Steffens, N. K., Mallett, C. J., Peters, K., & Boen, F. (2020). Making ‘us’ better: High-quality athlete leadership relates to health and burnout in professional Australian football teams. European journal of sport science, 20(7), 953-963.
- Inceoglu, I., Arnold, K. A., Leroy, H., Lang, J. W., & Stephan, U. (2021). From microscopic to macroscopic perspectives and back: The study of leadership and health/well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 26(6), 459-468
- Inceoglu, I., Thomas, G., Chu, C., Plans, D., & Gerbasi, A. (2018). Leadership behavior and employee well-being: An integrated review and a future research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly, 29(1), 179–202.
- Moss, J. (2020). Preventing burnout is about empathetic leadership. Harvard Business Review, September 28
Web-based and electronic resources:
- ELE – Faculty to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
Other resources:
- Alumni Business - the podcast from the University of Exeter Business School Ilke Inceoglu & Hannes Leroy discuss Leaders and Wellbeing: the Importance of "Walking the Talk”: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/prof-ilke-inceoglu-prof-hannes-leroy-leaders-and/id1504917701?i=1000476415780
| Credit value | 5 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 17/07/2023 |
