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2012/2013  KAN-CBL_LTP  Leadership Theory and Practice

English Title
Leadership Theory and Practice

Course information

Language English
Exam ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Course period Autumn
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study board
Study Board for BSc og MSc in Business, Language and Culture, MSc
Course coordinator
  • Eric Guthey - Department of Intercultural Communication and Management
Secretary Birgitte Hertz, bhe.stu@cbs.dk
Main Category of the Course
  • Management
Last updated on 07-02-2012
Learning objectives
  • Define leadership from multiple perspectives, including leader-centered, follower-centered, cultural and critical perspectives, and explain the differences between those perspectives.
  • Describe the function and usefulness of leadership in group, organizational, and broader social contexts, and account also for critiques of the usefulness of leadership in these contexts.
  • Analyze and explain the similarities and differences between the concepts of leadership and management, and account for how the various perspectives and theories covered in this course define these two concepts.
  • Identify, evaluate, compare and contrast key research and theoretical approaches to leadership, and describe their significance in the context of the historical development of leadership studies as a research field.
  • Describe key approaches to the development of leaders and leadership. Distinguish leader development from leadership development.
  • Apply the various concepts and theories introduced in the course to the analysis of a variety of case studies and situations that exemplify their relative usefulness for understanding the practice of leadership
Prerequisite
Bachelor degree. The course is offered as required component in the first year of the CMI concentration in Leadership and Management Studies, but is also open to students in other graduate programs at the CBS, including international students.
Examination
Perspectives on Leadership Theory and Practice:
Type of test Home Assignment
Marking scale 7-step scale
Second examiner Second internal examiner
Exam period Winter Term, Please notice that the exam is held in December
Aids Open Book, Written and Electronic Aid is permitted
Duration 48 Hours
48-hour, written, take-home examination in which the student produces a reflective essay on the basis of a set of guiding questions in a manner that demonstrates a grasp of the materials covered in the course
Course content

This course prepares students to contribute to the leadership and management of organizations, networks and projects— at various levels and in a variety of international contexts— by exploring the concept of leadership from multiple perspectives, and by providing an introduction to the major theoretical approaches to the subject. From this foundation, the course moves on to concentrate on approaches that highlight the centrality of social interaction, communication, dialogue and discourse to the practice of leadership. The course explores how attention to these dynamics provides an alternative to trait-based and psychological theories of leadership, shifting the focus away from individual leaders towards an understanding of leadership as a dynamic social process that involves all members of an organization. This approach allows course participants to address aspects of organizational leadership that are often marginalized in conventional texts and theories, and paves the way for a discussion of the ethical aspects of leadership via the concept of quiet leadership. The course will encourage students to relate the issues discussed in a reflexive manner to their own experiences and their own understanding of leadership. In this manner, the students will position themselves as participants in the process of leadership and prepare themselves to contribute to such leadership processes within the organizations they will encounter throughout their career.

Teaching methods
Class time will include lectures and discussions, in which participants will explore theoretical perspectives and apply them to specific case studies. This is a reading- and discussion-intensive course, and we expect students to show up for class prepared to discuss and analyze the assigned materials.
Expected literature

To be announced on Learn, but  most likely:

  • Brad Jackson and Ken Parry, A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Studying Leadership. Sage, 2007 (J & P)
  • Joseph Badaracco, LeadingQuietly: An Unorthodox Guide to Doing the Right Thing. Harvard Business School Press, 2002.
  • An small collection of materials available for purchase online via Harvard Business Publishing. Please see Sitescape for details.
Last updated on 07-02-2012