Contemporary Issues in Global Leadership Theory and Practice

Module description

This module will provide you with the underpinning knowledge and understanding of organisational structures and design, leadership theories, culture and diversity. By taking an historical and global perspective, you will explore models of corporate governance and accountability in the context of complexity and systems leadership theory. You will also discover more about historical and contemporary relational models of leadership. Teaching will be delivered through innovative web-based, distance-learning approaches and residential learning sets.

Full module specification

Module aims

The aim of this module is to help you develop a personal framework to construct your own approach to ethics and values-based leadership. By understanding more about the relevant regulatory environments, legal and compliance requirements of your business sector, you will develop your knowledge of risk management, including reputational risk and environmental impact. You will also enhance your understanding of how to develop collaborative relationships and build engagement through influence and authenticity using organisational and team dynamics promoting high performance, agile and collaborative cultures. Topics including talent management, workforce design, succession planning, diversity and inclusion and will develop your understanding of what constitutes an effective ‘learning organisation’.

The module introduces you to current research undertaken by module leads, and module content is updated every year to explore topical research areas, including the latest leadership theories. You will learn about the tools required to study such issues, and explore how research can inform leadership theory and practice. The module supports you in developing your skills as a critical research-informed thinker by requiring you to identify a real-world issue or problem which you investigate in your leadership article.

ILO: Module-specific skills

• 1. Critically analyse a wide range of historical and contemporary leadership theories
• 2. Apply an enhanced understanding of ethics and values-based leadership to develop high performance, agile and collaborative teams
• 3. Demonstrate a sophisticated awareness of strategies to lead people and develop collaborative relationships through influence and authenticity
• 4. Use advanced skills in influence, negotiation, political awareness and diplomacy with diverse groups of internal and external stakeholders and networks

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

• 5. Operate at a senior level to innovate in complex and uncertain environments
• 6. Develop individuals through communication and feedback

ILO: Personal and key skills

• 7. Demonstrate advanced skills as an imaginative and critical thinker and problem solver
• 8. Exemplify a range of approaches to leading and effecting change, being empowered to make a responsible and sustainable difference as a future leader

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

One assessment is required for this module. In all cases re-assessment will be the same as the original assessment. Where you have been referred/deferred for any form of assessment detailed above you will have the opportunity to resubmit within eight weeks from the date that feedback was provided.

If you pass re-assessments taken as a result of deferral, your re-assessment will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment and the overall module mark will not be capped.

If you pass re-assessments taken as a result of referral (i.e. following initial failure in the assessment), the overall module mark will be capped at 50%.

Syllabus plan

Lectures and student-led seminars will explore the following topics:

• Historical and global perspectives on leadership theory.
• Complexity theory, organisational and team dynamics.
• Ethical and values-based leadership.
• Risk, reputation and regulation.
• Developing an effective learning organisation.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Brown, M. E., & Mitchell, M. S. (2010). Ethical and unethical leadership: Exploring new avenues for future research. Business Ethics Quarterly, 20(4), 583-616.
• Cialdini, R. B. (2001). Harnessing the science of persuasion. Harvard Business Review, 79(9): 72-81.
• De Rue, D.S. and Ashford, S.J. (2010). Who will lead and who will follow? A social process of leadership identity construction in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 35(4): 627-647
• Goleman, D. (2004). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, 82(1): 82-91.
• Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S. D. & Platow, M. J. (2011). The new psychology of leadership: Identity, influence and power. London: Psychology Press.
• Jackson, B. and Parry, K. (2011). A very short, fairly interesting and reasonably cheap book about studying leadership. 2nd edition. SAGE Publications Inc., Thousand Oaks, California.
• Lewis, S. (2011). Positive Psychology at Work. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester.
• Loehr, J. and Schwartz, T. (2001). The making of a corporate athlete. Harvard Business Review, 79(1): 120-129.

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – All resources will be made available on ELE. This includes additional material covered in the tutorials, the required readings, information about assessment and additional material (e.g., videos).

Origin date

09/12/2016

Last revision date

17/08/2017