Program Overview

Rethinking Leadership Module

The Rethinking Leadership module, coded as BU41009, is designed to develop students' understanding and practice in leadership by reviewing and comparing traditional and contemporary practices.

Module Details

• Credits: 15
• Level: 4
• Semester: Semester 2
• School: School of Business
• Discipline: Management and Marketing

Module Description

The world is constantly evolving, and so are the challenges and opportunities that leaders face. By being informed about contemporary leadership, students can better understand and adapt to the changing landscape of business, technology, society, and global trends. This module helps students understand the strategies and practices that foster diversity, empower individuals, and develop teams that can thrive in a multicultural and globalized world. With increased public scrutiny and demands for corporate social responsibility, contemporary leadership places an emphasis on ethics and responsible decision-making.

Topics Covered

• Etymology and the language of leadership
• History of leadership research
• Leadership models
• Philosophies and styles
• Criticisms of the mainstream approach — challenging the Western hegemony/dominance in theoretical thinking; looking ahead using more modern leadership concepts

What You Will Learn

By the end of this module, students will be able to:

• Critically evaluate the impact (good and bad) of leadership in an organisation
• Review and evaluate the recent developments in the academic and practitioner leadership literature
• Contrast and critique the problems with this current leadership thinking in the context of the World Economic Forum's 4th Industrial Revolution
• Understand, evaluate, and critically analyse current sustainable leadership practices in an organisation
• Understand, evaluate, and critically analyse leadership models, philosophies, and styles in the organisational context
• Present information from independent research using a variety of methods both orally, through presentations, and written via accessible reports and reflection

Assignments / Assessment

• Individual blog post (40%)
• Individual reflective essay (60%) This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching Methods / Timetable

Over the semester, students will prepare to engage in lectures by accessing a number of readings and materials relevant to the module content. They will then expand on these through group work in tutorial seminars. Lectures will run weekly throughout the semester, and seminars will also be weekly apart from weeks which will feature a guest speaker.

Courses

This module is available on the following courses:

• Business, Management, and Marketing courses
  • Undergraduate courses:
    • Business Management in Practice BSc (Hons)
    • Business Management BSc (Hons)
• Economics courses
  • Undergraduate courses:
    • International Business with Marketing BSc (Hons)
    • International Business with Spanish BSc (Hons)
    • International Business in Practice BSc (Hons)
    • International Business with French BSc (Hons)