Unit information: Leadership in 2015/16

Unit name	Leadership
Unit code	MGRCM0002
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Ms. Ballard
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Management - Business School
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

This unit is designed to encourage practising managers to better understand and analyse their experiences of leadership within organisations. A psychometric tool will be used to identify areas of strength, and to give students another perspective from which to understand their current practice. The unit will then explore the latest substantial thinking on the subject of leadership in a variety of contexts, and will question received wisdom about what it means to be a leader. Specific leadership challenges will be identified and used as a practical basis for reflective learning and small group work.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the unit, students will be able to:

• Understand their specific strengths and how to review their own impact as a leader
• Demonstrate an informed understanding of leadership and of the qualities of individual leaders
• Critically analyse the key concepts and theories of leadership
• Demonstrate an understanding of the skills of the reflective practitioner and how these can be of benefit to the management and leadership role.

Teaching Information

The Leadership unit will be taught through a mixture of short lectures, discussion, case study work, readings, and group and individual exercises. There will be some pre-course work which will include core readings, personal reflection and a leadership strengths developmental tool. The active use of the Blackboard online learning environment will be used to develop students’ understanding.

Assessment Information

Summative assessment for this unit will comprise a written assignment of 4,000 words. The assignment will assess students’ knowledge and understanding of leadership theories and their ability to analyse these theories in the context of their own leadership styles and organisational challenges.

Reading and References

Yukl, G.A. (2010) Leadership in organisations,, Prentice Hall

Harvard Business Review (ed) (1998) Leadership: The definitive resource for Professionals. Harvard Business School Press

Ford, J, Harding, N, Learmonth, M.(2008) Leadership as identity :constructions and deconstructions. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Northouse, P.G. (2012) Introduction to Leadership. Sage