APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2015/2016

MBA 2399 Leadership Development

Responsible for the course
Jan Ketil Arnulf

Department
Department of Leadership and Organizational Behaviour

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
4

Language of instruction
English

Introduction
The previous modules have focused on different types of managerial knowledge that is required for optimal performance in international business organizations. The students should thus have become familiar with both basic and advanced perspectives on the several facets of the business leader’s job.

In this final module we will emphasize the importance of leadership as behabiors influencing employees, co-workers and other stakeholders towards commitment and co-operation towards busines objectives. The module focuses on fundamentals in leadership theories (particularly transformational leadership), assessment of leadership performance and potential, and on how leadership capacity in organizations may be developed. A particular emphasis is made on the relationship between leadership, leadership development and strategic business objectives. Additional emphasis is given to cross-cultural aspects of leadership, authority and interpersonal behaviors.

Learning outcome
There are several objectives in this module. First and foremost theories of leader traits, leader styles, and leadership effectiveness will be reviewed and the students are expected to acquire broad knowledge in this area.

Besides this, cultural differences in personality and leadership behaviour will be discussed and the possible limitations in previous leadership research for the non - western cultures will be emphasized.

Participants will also be assessed on tests of personality and leadership styles and feedback will be given. Thus, participants should acquire an expanded perspective on their own dispositions and preferences as regards their leadership behaviour. Basic training in selected leadership skills will eventually be provided based on the results of the assessments.

Finally, a broad range of practical approaches to leadership development will be presented as well as a range of international cases. The aim is that the students should acquire the knowledge that is necessary to evaluate the basic premises for any leadership development program critically. When students have finished this course, they should be able to have a qualified opinion how leadership affects their organizations, how leadership may be assessed, and how to design programs for leadership development that integrates strategic, organizational and personal needs.

Prerequisites
Bachelor degree or equivalent, 4 years work experience, managerial experience and good written and oral knowledge of the English language. Please confirm our Student regulations.

Compulsory reading
Books:
Arnold, John and Ray Randall. 2010. Work psychology : understanding human behavior in the workplace. 5th ed. Pearson. Chapter 5: Individual differences (pp. 100-130)
McShane, Steven L., Mary Ann Von Glinow. 2010. Organizational behavior : emerging knowledge and practice for the real world. 5th ed. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Chapter 3: Perception and personality in organizations (pp. 62-94)
Schultz, Duane P., Sydney Ellen Schultz. 2010. Psychology and work today : an introduction to industrial and organizational psychology. 10th ed. Pearson. Chapter 6: Training and development (pp. 160-187)
Yukl, Gary A. 2012. Leadership in organizations. 8th ed. Pearson Education. Selected chapters

Articles:
Den Hartog, Deanne N. ... [et al.]. 1999. Culturally specific and cross-culturally generizable implicit leadership theories: are attributes fo charismatic/transformational leadership universally endorsed. Leadership quarterly. 10 (2). s. 219-56
Dickson, M. D. Hartog, J. Mitchelson. 2003. Research on leadership in a cross-cultural context : making progress and raising new questions. Leadership quarterly. 14. s. 729-68
Redding, Gordon. 2002. The capitalist business system of China and its rationale. Asia Pacific Journal of Management. No 19. pp. 221-249
Shi, Xinping. 2001. Antecedent factors of international business negotiations in the China context. Management International Review. vol 41. s. 163-187
Wang, H.,K.S. Law, R.D. Hackett, D. Wang, & Z.X. Chen. Leader-member exchange as a mediator of the relationship between transformational leadership and followers’ performance and organizational citizenship behavior. Academy of Management Journal. 48(3),. s. 420 - 432.

Recommended reading
Books:
Quirk, Michael P., Patricia M. Fandt. 2000. The 2nd language of leadership. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Course outline
Theories of leadership wih emphasis of transformational leadership and team theories.
The issue of leadership effectiveness.
Cross cultural differences in personality and leadership.
Theories of human personality with an emphasis on the five - factor model.
Assessment of personality and leadership style.
Theories of communication as well as learning and behaviour change.
Research on leadership training.
Training in selected leadership skills.

Module schedule
Day 1. Leadership and management - what is the impact of leadership on organizational performance?
Day 2. Interpersonal perception, personality and leadership styles.
Day 3. Transformational leadership, team theory and team leadership .
Day 4. Leadership training in theory and practice.

Computer-based tools


Learning process and workload
The course is conducted as a teaching module, where students have classes all day for four subsequent days, a total of 32 hours.


Examination
Processevaluation:
The students are evaluated through an individual written assignment weighing 80%, and a group presentation held throughout the course, weighing 20%. In sum, this course accounts for 4 ECTS credits.
Examination code(s)
MBA 23991 - Processevaluation; accounts for 100% to pass the program MBA 2399; 4 credits.
The course is part of a full MBA and all evaluations must be passed in order to obtain a certificate for the degree.

Examination support materials
All aids permitted.

Re-sit examination
At the next ordinary exam.

Additional information
It should be emphasized that the selection of articles may be changed and that the final selection of articles will be announced only a few weeks before the this teaching module is scheduled.