Module BUSI44U15: The Science of Leadership

Department: Business School (Business)

BUSI44U15: The Science of Leadership

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To enable a science-based understanding of the role of leadership, its multiple facets, and its relationship to the role of management.
• To provide a systematic process-related framework for understanding, evaluating, and applying leadership theory.
• To critically review research evidence relating to our theoretical understanding of leadership, distinguishing leadership myths from leadership science.
• To build science-based understanding of students' own leadership skills and capacities.

Content

• What processes lead to the perception of leadership and facilitate social influence and human performance?
• Major theories which underpin our understanding of leadership which may include:
• Implicit theories of leadership ï‚·
• Understanding alternative views of knowledge and their relation to effectiveness ï‚·
• Social exchange and social justice theories ï‚·
• Social identity theory and leadership ï‚·
• Leadership and change ï‚·
• Effects of ethical versus destructive versus sustainable leadership

Learning Outcomes

• Critical understanding of the linkages between theory and practice of leadership through application to contemporary situations
• Critical understanding of current challenges for leadership, such as diversity, the role of the follower and (coping with) destructive leadership

• Ability to understand, criticize, and apply leadership from a systematic information processing, affective, social exchange and dynamic systems perspectives
• Ability to understand how to project an image as a confident, powerful individual

• Written communication
• Understanding social perception and social communication processes involving explicit and implicit processes
• Understanding how social processes are embedded in context and the role of leadership/followership in managing contextual linkages

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lecture sessions: theory will be presented together with the relevant research evidence to enable a critical and evidenced-based approach to understanding.
• Seminars will address:
• issues to do with culture and context, thus allowing students to appreciate the role of the external environment in shaping leadership behaviour;
• the complexity for leaders to meet differing (individual/group and organisational) demands;
• the effect of positive and also bad/destructive leadership;
• embodied aspects of self-presentation.
• These themes will be explored through a variety of media including videos, written cases and practical exercises. In this way each student will be challenged to apply the theoretical and evidence-based material from lectures and also gain an appreciation of the tools and techniques commonly used by leaders and followers.
• The summative written assignments (which will be topic or case based) will test students’ theoretical understanding, their knowledge of relevant evidence, and their ability to apply these to contemporary settings.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Feedback will be provided on contributions to seminars and seminar exercises, and a group presentation.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University