Syllabus for Leadership, Master Course

Decisions and guidelines

Master's Programme in Business and Management - specialisation Marketing, International Business, Organisation. Master's Programme in Accounting and Financial Management - specialisation Management Control.

Learning outcomes

Leadership is becoming increasingly demanding for several reasons, and there is a constant call from both internal and external actors for strong leaders. Managers need to navigate among different logics, and sometimes contradictory and incompatible demands, rather than play-out their individualised solutions or personalities. Task-oriented activities for internal efficiency is one aspect that might go against the relation-oriented expectations from employees, peers or corporate governance. Specific behaviours need to be included to advocate change as well as encourage innovation and development to ultimately remain competitive in the organisational landscape. To lead start-ups differs from leading and developing established companies or public organisations. Particularly challenging is the activity that encourages change, innovation and development, in other words, successful leadership in a competitive environment.

The main objectives are to:

• Develop the student's analytical ability of understanding the multifaceted role of leaders, and the change and development task in particular.
• Interpret and apply central dimensions and skills related to different leadership tasks and situations.
• Prepare students for finding their own value-based leadership and style, related to employees, external stakeholders, superiors or owners.

After the course the students will be able to:

• Account for different theoretical perspectives and models on leadership and management.
• Distinguish between and compare the applicability in practice of different analytical models.
• Understand and reflect on how the external organisational context influences the potential to lead.
• Analyse practice-based contexts from different relevant theoretical perspectives, and reflect upon in which optional ways leaders could handle leadership challenges.
• Analyse how actors, internally and externally related, limit and open for different leadership activities.
• Formulate principles for an ethically and socially responsible value-based leadership.

Content

Since leadership is not to be understood from a single theoretical perspective the design is composed by four main dimensions:

1. Context and contingencies (situational contexts & diverse legal and organisational contexts)
2. Leadership behaviour and activities (styles, traits, skills, roles, and dependence of the external context)
3. Followership (interaction and expectations from followers, including their own leadership responsibility)
4. Ethical and social responsibilities (corporate social responsibilities, diversity, ethics).

Instruction

The course is designed to develop students' analytical skills to evaluate possible management options in different contexts. A composition of teaching methods is used in theory-related discussions on real-life leadership challenges. Literature, seminars, lectures, individual submissions and different exercises performed in small groups as well as individual reflective submissions are all elements to support active participation in the course, and individual knowledge development. Participation is mandatory and seminar activities are assessed. The course is taught in English.

Assessment

The student will get one single grade, equivalent to 7.5 credits.

The examination of this course includes active participation in seminars, lectures and in groups exercises as well as written and oral assignments. All parts are mandatory. Examination includes both individual and team work elements. The grade for the entire course is based on an assessment of all parts of the examination.

Grading criteria are presented in the study guide that applies to the course section. The following grades will be used: pass with distinction (VG), pass (G), and fail (U). Examinations handed in late will not be assessed except under special circumstances. Any remaining supplemental work must be completed and handed in by the deadline specified in the study guide. Otherwise the entire course (all examinations included) must be retaken during subsequent course sections.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Uppsala University does not accept cheating or plagiarism. Suspected incidents of cheating or plagiarism are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, which may issue a formal warning to the student or suspend the student from studies for a certain period.

NOTE: Only completed courses can count toward a degree.

Other directives

The course substitutes/overlaps among other the course Leadership, Master Course (Contract Education) 8FE819.