Outline

Overview

This unit is designed to encourage students to consider the role and significance of leadership in various organisational contexts. The unit introduces the major streams of leadership theory and traces the development of our understanding about leadership. The unit explores how these theories allow us to understand leadership in practice and in what ways leadership is linked to different aspects of organisational effectiveness. It then examines the 'good, the bad, and the ugly' sides of leadership, e.g. positive forms (transformational, charismatic) and negative forms (narcissistic and Machiavellian). The unit explores leading for diversity and diversity in leadership (e.g. based on gender, culture and ethnicity) and the role of leaders in constituting ethical and socially responsible organisations. The critical role of leaders in effecting organisational change is explored and the leadership of top management teams and leadership succession is examined. The unit also examines leadership development programs and instruments and students have an opportunity to reflect on factors that might influence their own leadership style.

Details

Academic unit	Work and Organisational Studies
Unit code	WORK6130
Unit name	Leadership in Organisations
Session, year ?	Semester 1, 2020
Attendance mode	Normal evening
Location	Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Credit points	6

Enrolment rules

Prohibitions ?	ECOF5807 or ECOF6090
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff and contact details

Coordinator	Kevin Lowe, kevin.b.lowe@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam	Final exam Written exam	40%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Presentation Oral presentation	30%	Week 04	30 minutes (topic) & 5 minutes (reading)
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment Case study	30%	Week 08	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Presentation: This assignment requires students to work in groups to present to their tutorial class twice during the semester (20 of the 30 marks). The student will also present one of the course readings (5 of the 30 marks) and will receive an audience participation mark for contributions in the tutorials (5 of the 30 marks). Students will be assigned to their groups with corresponding lecture topics for presentation in week 2. Reading assignments for presentation will be assigned a reading in week 2.
Assignment: This assignment requires the student to prepare a case study on leadership in action from their own practical organizational or business experience, or from some personal experience of team leadership e.g. teacher, sporting club, parent, etc. The student will use two different leadership theories to analyse and provide insights into the leadership challenge in the case. The students will be expected to challenge and critique the two theories and review how the chosen (preferred) leadership framework may affect an organization’s results or effectiveness – drawing from course knowledge, assigned readings, as well as their own research within the academic literature.
Final exam: The exam will provide the student with a small subset of theories/topics drawn from the unit outline. The frame for the exam question(s) is that the student should assume they are writing a briefing on their theory/topic for a sophisticated upper-level manager. Students are expected to critically engage with the theoretical (and to a lesser extent the practitioner literature) and may bring their own experience, as appropriate, into the discussion.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

The late penalty for assignments is five percent of the marks for that assignment per day.

Special consideration

If you experience short-term circumstances beyond your control, such as illness, injury or misadventure or if you have essential commitments which impact your preparation or performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic honesty, academic dishonesty, and the resources available to all students.

The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic dishonesty or plagiarism seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of dishonesty, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to leadership: Implicit leadership theory	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Introduction to leadership: Trait approach and behavioral theories	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Leader emergence; Followership	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Leader member exchange; Measuring leadership	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Transformational and charismatic leadership	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Values based leadership: Authentic, ethical, servant	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Power, influence and motives	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Organisational change and leadership	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	To Be Determined	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Cross cultural leadership	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Gender and leadership	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Leadership assessment and development	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Final exam review, exam tips, answer questions	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recordings: All lectures and seminars are recorded and will be available on Canvas for student use. Please note the Business School does not own the system and cannot guarantee that the system will operate or that every class will be recorded.
Attendance: Students should ensure they attend and participate in all classes. Students are expected to attend and actively participate in all tutorials unless an illness or unavoidable circumstance, verified by a medical certificate or other verifiable evidence, prevents prudent attendance.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University’s graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. investigate several major theories of leadership that relate to the leadership perspective and strategies evident in current organisations and among individual leaders
LO2. evaluate the implications of leadership theories for their relationship to individual, team and organisational performance in the workplace
LO3. apply a range of empirical examples to demonstrate the complexity of leadership in various economic, historical and geographical contexts
LO4. create and develop lines of argumentation which demonstrate the importance of applying both theoretical perspectives and empirical examples.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Closing the loop

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Additional information

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Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Details

Enrolment rules

Teaching staff and contact details

Assessment

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Special consideration

Academic integrity

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Closing the loop

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

WORK6130: Leadership in Organisations

Overview

Details

Enrolment rules

Teaching staff and contact details

Assessment

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Special consideration

Academic integrity

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Closing the loop

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect