Business Leadership
Module Syllabus
Learner experience
To be successful companies need to be effectively led and, in today’s challenging and volatile global business environment, this requires character, intelligence, creativity and ‘people skills’ of a high order. Are these attributes that are inborn and beyond the scope of academic enquiry, or can they be teased out, analysed and developed through training? During the coming 8 weeks you will study recent thinking on this important management area and learn how to apply appropriate methodologies to assess leadership potential, identify skill gaps that need to be filled and measure improvements in leadership performance.
Module description and aims
The module is designed to introduce the student to modern theories and models of leadership and explain its importance in motivating improved performance and the achievement of greater business success. Leadership is defined and various methods for assessing potential leaders are considered. You will explore the sources of power within organisations and the tactics leaders use to influence followers. You will also study the personality traits and distinctive behaviours that leaders display. The module focuses on the effective leadership of teams and the role of charismatic and transformational leadership in bringing about successful organisational change.
Aims
The specific aims of this module are to ensure that students can:
• Appreciate the importance of the concept of leadership in the context of effective business management
• Gain a working knowledge and understanding of contemporary theories of business leadership
• Learn how to apply academic ideas of leadership to real business situations
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module the student will be able to:
• Understand the role of leadership in business organisations
• Interpret the main contemporary definitions of leadership
• Identify the situations in which business leadership emerges
• Analyse selected models and theories of leadership
• Apply theories of leadership to practical business situations
• Evaluate examples of leadership in modern companies
Learning strategies
You will be studying this module through a combination of self-study and online interactions. The self-study materials introduce the full range of topics that need to be covered, although some additional detail will arise through discussion and collaboration between students and instructors. One of the strengths of an online learning program such as this is the high level of student interaction, where students are encouraged to share their own experiences online for the benefit of the others.
Each week of the module has detailed learning objectives, indicating the topics and level of competence that you should achieve on completion of that part. Assignments include Discussion questions, hand-in assessment exercises, and a longer project.
Self-study
The self-study part of the course includes:
• Written and recorded lecture notes covering five topics within each of the 8 weekly themes in the module
• Hyperlinks to Web-based materials about the topics within each weekly theme
• Links to slides and other media offering additional insights
• Recommended reading relating to the topics within the weekly theme
Lecture notes
Each week’s theme is made up of several topics. These are introduced and explained in turn in the recorded lecture notes, which are also available as a printed text. You can listen to the lecture notes as many times as you want and download the file to your computer or other devices.
Web-based materials
You have been provided with links to excellent materials available on the Web that will support your study of the topics within each weekly theme covered in the module. These materials include presentations, videos, audio clips, and diagrams, as well as articles and academic papers. They are provided for reference, so that you can follow up on any areas where you need more help or explanation or wish to increase your understanding of the topic.
Recommended reading
We have indicated the pages in your textbook that you should read with each topic in the weekly theme. There are also important journal articles for you to study. These are available in the online library. You will find that it is important to complete the recommended reading because your online interactions and your assessed work depend on it.
Online interactions
You will have regular online interaction with other students and the instructor in order to help consolidate your understanding of theoretical concepts and to develop your skills through discussion and exercises. The content of these online contact sessions will relate to the materials covered for each week and will include Discussion Questions set by the module instructor and Hand-in Assignment questions, both of which will be assessed.
Text and software
The required texts for the Business Leadership module are provided in the weekly Readings folder as module content.
The core texts is:
Textbook
Northouse, P.G. (2013) Leadership: theory and practice. 6th ed. London: Sage. ISBN 978-4522-0340-9
Journal articles
The articles are listed below and numbered by the week when you need to study them. You can access all of them online in the University of Liverpool Library at http://www.liv.ac.uk/library/ohecampus/index.htm.
Week 1: Pasmore, W. (2009) ‘Developing a leadership strategy: A critical ingredient for organizational success.’ Retrieved from http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/LeadershipStrategy.pdf
Week 2: Owens, B. P., &Hekman, D. R. (2012) ‘Modeling how to grow an inductive examination of humble leader behaviors, contingencies and outcomes’, Academy of Management Journal 55 (4), pp. 787-818.
Week 3: Houghton, J.D., & Yoho, S.K. (2005) ‘Toward a Contingency Model of Leadership and Psychological Empowerment: When Should Self-Leadership Be Encouraged?’,Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 11 (4), pp. 65–83.
Week 4: Samnani, A. & Singh, P. (2013) ‘When leaders victimize: The role of charismaticleaders in facilitating group pressures’, Leadership Quarterly 24 (1), pp. 189-202. http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S1048984312000951
Week 5: Mittal, R. &Dorfman, P. W. (2012) ‘Servant leadership across cultures’, Journal of World Business 47 (4), pp. 555–570. http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S1090951612000107
Week 6: Knights, D., & O’Leary, M. (2006) ‘Leadership, ethics and responsibility to the other’, Journal of Business Ethics, 67 (2), pp. 125–137.
Week 7: The Hofstede Center (n.d.) ‘Cultural dimensions’. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/dimensions.html
The Hofstede Center (n.d.) ‘Countries’. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html
Week 8: Allio, R.J. (2005) ‘Leadership development: teaching versus learning’, Management Decision, 43 (7/8), pp. 1071–1077.
Software
No special software is needed for this module.
Audio files
You will need an audio player, such as Windows Media Player, if you want to listen to the downloadable version of the recorded lecture notes. (The text version is also provided and you do not have to listen to the audio files if you prefer the written text).
Overview of module work
Students are required to submit in Weeks 1–8
• Individual Discussion Question answers (DQI)
• 3–5 meaningful Discussion Question Follow-on postings (DQF) in response to fellow student submissions plus general participation on the topics in a “round-table”-style informal format
• Hand-in Assignments (HA) in Weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4
• A project proposal (IP) in Week 5, a project outline (IP) in Week 7, and a completed Individual Project (FP) in Week 8
Discussion Questions
You must submit your initial response to the Discussion Question by the end of day 3 (Saturday). A typical answer should have about 500 words, but it is the quality of the answer that matters, not the number of words.
Responding to discussion questions:
You are reminded that a good (C grade) mastery of this presumes the following:
• Prescribed reading has been well analysed and material relevant to discussion presented.
• Some evidence of outside reading/research (via the University of Liverpool Online Library).
• No more than minor referencing or citation errors
• Develops alternative or original concepts or theories in one or two areas of knowledge.
• Shows ability to apply concepts to practical examples, or to other areas of knowledge than those learned in the current week.
• Understands different, opposing views on the topic. Clearly presents some original thinking.
Simply summarizing text chapters or weekly readings does not earn above D grade. Explaining information in your own words in a manner that critiques, thinks through and challenges the views presented is the core of graduate level studies. The depth to which this is accomplished differentiates C from B from A grades.
When submitting to Turnitin as well as the Discussion Board, include all of your references, as per the Harvard Referencing System, but do not include the question itself.
Following the 3 out of 7 days rule, you are required to participate with follow-on postings to your peers’ answers, making 3–5 significant discussion question follow-up postings in addition to your initial response for each Discussion Question by the end of day 7 (Wednesday).
Hand-in Assignments
You must submit your answer to the Hand-in Assignment (HA) for four of the eight weeks by the end of day 7 (Wednesday). A typical answer should have between 500 and 1,000 words, but it is once again the quality of the answer that matters, not the number of words. Answers will be submitted to the Assignments Turnitin link, but are not to be posted in the module Discussion Board.
For both the DQ and the HA, satisfactory answers will demonstrate clear understanding of the topics and issues related to the assignment. Good answers will be able to explain the reasons in more depth. Excellent answers will be able to raise appropriate critical questions. Weak answers will demonstrate only a partial grasp of what is important in the context of the assignment. Instructors will provide feedback about these assignments in their weekly feedback to students.
Final Project
Individual Project
End of module assessment:
1,500–2,000 word assignment (35 percent total module grade)
The purpose of the Final Project is to apply the concepts and techniques of the module to the analysis of real-world situations or problems. Students will develop a project that examines outstanding examples of leadership, providing an analysis of the leaders’ styles and effectiveness. Students need to choose two leaders (contemporary leaders relevant to your profession) to research with regards to their leadership traits, styles, ability to inspire change, etc. The analysis and evaluation of these leadership examples must be based on the concepts acquired throughout the module, through text readings, articles, and Personal Journal entries. It is important to connect the theories and concepts to the reality of the business world today.
Students will also be required to maintain a weekly journal, documenting important aspects of leadership they encounter over the duration of the module. Entries into the journal may include examples of leadership personally witnessed or insights gained through readings or class discussions. Students are expected to make at least 18–20 entries into their journal. Entries into the journal should begin in Week 1 and will be included in the appendix of the Final Project.
Students will then analyse and evaluate the information and insights from their journal entries against the research conducted on the two exemplary leaders. The goal is to connect what students have learned through research to their everyday and professional life.
Module readings
Students are provided with weekly reading assignments, which can be found in the weekly Readings folder.
Students are encouraged to make use of related academic and professional journals to supplement the course materials and to assist in the preparation of assignments. Many of these journals can be accessed through the University of Liverpool online library resources at http://www.liv.ac.uk/library/ohecampus/index.htm.
Assessment
The table below outlines the mandatory contribution in each category and the weight that applies to each component.
Week Weight
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 %
Discussion Question
Initial Response X X X X X X X X 15
Discussion Question
Follow-on(DQF) and Participation X X X X X X X X 15
Hand-in Assignment X X X X – – – – 35
Individual Project – – – – X – X – 5
Final Project – – – – – – – X 30
Individual Projects (IP) refers to the individual projects. Your individual project submissions will form the basis of your work for the Final Project. Please note, activity is required for the IP in Week 6, although there is no submission or grading allocated to the work, as it contributes to the IP submission in Week 7.
DQ Initial Response (DQIR) refers to the initial Discussion Question posting.
DQ Follow-on and Participation (DQFP) refers to student replies to fellow classmates’ Discussion Question postings.
Hand-in Assignments (HA) refers to homework hand-in assignments.
Individual Projects(IP) refers to individual student projects. Your individual project submissions will form the basis of your work for the Final Project.
The module grade will be calculated from the component parts using the following weightings:
15% Discussion Question Initial Response
15% Discussion Question Follow-on (DQF) and Participation
35% Hand-in Assignment
5% Individual Project
30% Individual Project–Final Project
You are required to participate on at least 3 of the 7 days of the week, unless you are excused by your instructor for legitimate reasons.
The module grade will be determined with 30 percent based upon contributions to the class Discussion (15 percent for the initial answer and 15 percent for the follow-on Discussion), 35 percent based upon weekly assignments, and a cumulative 35 percent based upon individual project work. There is no graded group project for this module.
For general information on assessment and grading, please consult the Student Handbook section pertaining to Grading at http://success.ohecampus.com/index.php?mod=dcp&act=navigationindex&navigationid=3691
Syllabus by Week
—————-
Week 1
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What is leadership?
Topics
• Concepts of leadership
• Different views of leadership
• The idea of leadership emergence
• Leadership and power
• Management and leadership
Workload
Self-study for Week 1:
o Read and/or listen to the lecture notes for each topic
o Read the textbook pages indicated under each topic
o Browse the links to Web-based materials under each topic
o Review the additional media materials for the week
o Study the online journal article
Discussion Questions:
o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board
o Review responses by other students and make 3–5 meaningful comments plus informal participation.
Hand-in Assignments:
o Submit responses to Hand-in Assignments to the weekly Assignments Turnitin link
Personal Journal:
o Make entries into your Personal Journal
—————-
Week 2
—————-
Theories of leadership 1
Topics
• Leadership theory
• The trait approach
• The skills approach
• The style approach
• The situational approach
Workload
Self-study for Week 2:
o Read and/or listen to the lecture notes for each topic
o Read the textbook pages indicated under each topic
o Browse the links to Web-based materials under each topic
o Review the additional media materials for the week
o Study the online journal article
Discussion Questions:
o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board
o Review responses by other students and make 3–5 meaningful comments plus informal participation.
Hand-in Assignments:
o Submit responses to Hand-in Assignments to the weekly Assignments Turnitin link
Personal Journal:
o Make entries into your Personal Journal
—————-
Week 3
—————-
Theories of leadership 2
Topics
• Leadership styles
• Evaluation of contingency theory
• Leader behaviours
• Evaluation of path-goal theory
• Leader–member exchange theory
Workload
Self-study for Week 3:
o Read and/or listen to the lecture notes for each topic
o Read the textbook pages indicated under each topic
o Browse the links to Web-based materials under each topic
o Review the additional media materials for the week
o Study the online journal article
Discussion Questions:
o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board
o Review responses by other students and make 3–5 meaningful comments plus informal participation.
Hand-in Assignments:
o Submit responses to Hand-in Assignments to the weekly Assignments Turnitin link
Personal Journal:
o Make entries into your Personal Journal
—————-
Week 4
—————-
Theories of leadership 3
Topics
• Charismatic leaders
• Transformational leadership
• Evaluation of the transformational approach
• The team leadership model
• Leadership action and team effectiveness
Workload
Self-study for Week 4:
o Read and/or listen to the lecture notes for each topic
o Read the textbook pages indicated under each topic
o Browse the links to Web-based materials under each topic
o Review the additional media materials for the week
o Study the online journal article
Discussion Questions:
o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board
o Review responses by other students and make 3–5 meaningful comments plus informal participation.
Hand-in Assignments:
o Submit responses to Hand-in Assignments to the weekly Assignments Turnitin link
Personal Journal:
o Make entries into your Personal Journal
—————-
Week 5
—————-
Distributed and co-produced leadership
Topics
• Shared leadership theory
• The distributed leadership model
• What is authentic leadership?
• The concept of servant leadership
• Leadership as co-production
Workload
Self-study for Week 8:
o Read and/or listen to the lecture notes for each topic
o Read the textbook pages indicated under each topic
o Browse the links to Web-based materials under each topic
o Review the additional media materials for the week
o Study the online journal article
Discussion Questions:
o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board
o Review responses by other students and make 3–5 meaningful comments plus informal participation.
Individual Project:
o Submit your Proposal to the weekly Assignments Turnitin link
Personal Journal:
o Make entries into your Personal Journal
—————-
Week 6
—————-
Power, values and ethics in leadership
Topics
• Power and values
• Ethical theories
• The importance of ethics in leadership
• Perspectives on ethical leadership
• Principles of ethical leadership
Workload
Self-study for Week 5:
o Read and/or listen to the lecture notes for each topic
o Read the textbook pages indicated under each topic
o Browse the links to Web-based materials under each topic
o Review the additional media materials for the week
o Study the online journal article
Discussion Questions:
o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board plus informal participation.
o Review responses by other students and make 3–5 meaningful comments
Personal Journal:
o Make entries into your Personal Journal
—————-
Week 7
—————-
Leadership and culture
Topics
• Concepts of culture
• Dimensions of culture
• Characteristics of cultural clusters
• Comparative leadership profiles
• Evaluation of the GLOBE study
Workload
Self-study for Week 6:
o Read and/or listen to the lecture notes for each topic
o Read the textbook pages indicated under each topic
o Browse the links to Web-based materials under each topic
o Review the additional media materials for the week
o Study the online journal article
Discussion Questions:
o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board
o Review responses by other students and make 3–5 meaningful comments plus informal participation.
Individual Project:
o Submit your Outline to the weekly Assignments Turnitin link
Personal Journal:
o Make entries into your Personal Journal
—————-
Week 8
—————-
Developing and assessing leadership
Topics
• The action-observation reflection model
• Leadership development through experience
• Leadership development through education and training
• Assessing leadership potential
• Measuring the effects of leadership
Workload
Self-study for Week 7:
o Read and/or listen to the lecture notes for each topic
o Read the textbook pages indicated under each topic
o Browse the links to Web-based materials under each topic
o Review the additional media materials for the week
o Study the online journal article
Discussion Questions:
o Submit your response to the Turnitin link and also post it on the Discussion Board
o Review responses by other students and make 3–5 meaningful comments plus informal participation.
Final Project:
o Submit your completed Final Project to the Turnitin link.
