AØKK08387U Seminar: Leadership and Change Management CANCELED

Volume 2019/2020
Education

MSc programme in Economics

The seminar is primarily for students at the MSc of Economics

Content

The aim of the course is to critically explore contemporary theoretical and applied frameworks within Leadership and Change Management in business and public sector organizations. A further aim is to apply these frameworks in enhancing organizational effectiveness and examining the relationship between leadership / change management and the financial performance of the organization.

 

Each student will write a paper on one or more theoretical/applied frameworks within the field of Leadership / Change Management. The paper may be based on the relevant chapter(s) in the book(s) mentioned below as well as on other theory and research in the area. The paper can also include an analysis of a concrete case (e.g. of a leader or an organization).

 

Examples of themes for seminar papers are:

  • Leadership and Management
  • Gender and Leadership
  • Effective Leadership Behavior
  • Cross Cultural Leadership
  • Identity, Power and Influence
  • Charismatic and Transformational Leadership
  • Ethical issues in Leadership
  • Leadership and Organizational Performance
  • Leading Change in Organizations
  • Aligning Change to Business Strategy
  • Dealing with Complexity and Paradox in Organizational Change
  • Organizational Restructuring and Integration
  • Managing Teams and Interpersonal Relations in Organizations
  • New Public Management and New Public Governance

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The seminar paper should include a clear research question, a coherent and systematic analysis based on relevant theory/data/literature and a well-founded conclusion, cf. the academic aims for seminars.

Learning Outcome

In addition to the learning outcome specified in the Curriculum the student is after completing the seminar expected to be able to:

 

Knowledge:

  • Describe basic principles of selected theoretical and applied frameworks related to leadership and change mangement in organizations and

 

Skills:

  • Select, justify and evaluate the applicability of these frameworks in real life organizational contexts and evaluate these frameworks from an academic standpoint; that is the extent to which they satisfy standard scientific criteria.

 

Competencies:

  • Analyze and compare these frameworks, their strengths and weaknesses with regard to obtaining an understanding of actual leadership in organizations as well as their normative relevance for guiding leaders in promoting efficiency and effectiveness in organizations.
Literature

The following is an indicative list that covers some contemporary perspectives in leadership and change management:

Book:

  • Gary Yukl: Leadership in Organizations. Pearson Education. New Jersey. 8 edition, 2013 (Global Edition). ISBN 10: 0-273-76566-3, ISBN 13: 978-0-273-76566-0

 

Articles:

  • Beer, M. & Nohria, N. (2000). Cracking the Code of Change. Harvard Business Review, Vol. 78 Issue 3, pp. 133-141.
  • Brown, S.L. & Eisenhardt, K.M. (2001). The art of continuous change in M.P.E. Cunha & K. Kamoche (Ed) Organizational Improvisation. Taylor & Francis, UK. p225-256.
  • Kotter, J.P. (2007). Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. Harvard Business Review, Vol. 85, Issue 1, pp. 96-103.
  • Smith, W.K. & Lewis, M.W. (2011). Toward a Theory of Paradox: A Dynamic Equilibrium Model of Organizing. Academy of Management Review, Vol. 36 (2), pp. 381–403.
  • Weick, K.E. Quinn, R.E. (1999). Organizational change and development. Annual Review of Psychology, Vol 50, Issue 1, pp. 361-386.
  • Note: More specific papers will be suggested once students have decided the topic of their seminar paper.

 

BSc in Economics or similar
There is no recommended academic qualifications requirered other than the admission requirements to the Study of Economics.
Activities:
- Kick-off meeting
- Finding literatur and defining the project
- Writing process of the seminar paper
- Presentation of own project and paper
- Giving constructive feedback to another student´s paper
- Actively participating in discussions at the presentations and other meetings.

At the seminar the student is trained independently to
- identify and clarify a problem,
- seek and select relevant literatur,
- write a academic paper,
- present and discuss own paper with the other students at the seminar.

The aim of the presentations is, that the student uses the presentation as an opportunity to practice oral skills and to receive feedback. The presentations is not a part of the exam and will not be assessed.

There is no weekly teaching/lecturing and the student cannot expect guidance from the teacher. If the teacher gives a few introduction lectures or gives the opportunity for guidance, this as well as other expectations are clarified at the kickoff meeting.

Process:
It is strongly recommended that you think about and search for a topic before the semester begins, as there is only a few weeks from the kick-off meeting to the submission of the project description/ agreement paper.

Before the presentations, your nearly finished version of the seminar project paper must be uploaded in Absalon, as the opponents and the other seminar participants have to read and comment on the paper. It is important that you upload a paper that is so finalized as possible due to the fact that the value of feedback and comments at the presentation is strongly associated with the skill level of the seminar paper.

After the presentations, you can with a few corrections improve the seminar paper by including the feedback and comments emerged during the presentations. It is NOT intended that you rewrite or begin the writing of the full project AFTER the presentation has taken place.
Schedule:
Autumn 2019:
• Kick-off meeting: 5 and 6 September 2019 from 1515-1700 hrs (depending on the amount of participants)
• Deadline commitmentpaper: not later than October 1 at 10AM
• Deadline of pre-paper uploaded to Absalon: 7 November at 10 AM
• Presentations/Workshops: 14 and 15 November

The teacher will give students critical feedback on their proposed research question and draft seminar papers.

All information regarding the seminar is communicated through Absalon including venue. So it is very important that you by yourself logon to Absalon and read the information already when you are registered at the seminar.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Project work
  • 186
  • Seminar
  • 20
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination
A seminar paper in English that meets the formal requirements for written papers stated in the curriculum of the Master programme and at KUNet for seminars.
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Exam registration requirements

Attendance in all  activities at the seminar as stated in the formal requrements in the Curriculum  and at the KUnet for Seminars (UK)  and  Seminars (DK)  is required to participate in the exam.

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Aid
All aids allowed

for the seminar paper.

The teacher defines the aids that must be used for the presentations.

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Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
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Exam period

Exam information:

Autumn 2019:

Deadline for submitting the final seminar paper: December 2, 2019 before 10 AM

 

Exam information:

The seminar paper must be uploaded to the Digital Exam. More information will be available from the middle of the semester.

 

For enrolled students more information about examination, rules, aids etc. is available at the intranet for Master (UK) and Master (DK ).

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Re-exam

Reexam information:

The reexam is a written seminar paper as stated in the Curriculum.

Deadline and more information is available at Seminars(UK) and Seminars(DK).

More information about reexam etc is available at Master(UK)andMaster(DK).

Criteria for exam assesment

Students are assessed on the extent to which they master the learning outcome for the seminar and can make use of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes in the Curriculum of the Master programme.

 

To receive the top grade, the student must with no or only a few minor weaknesses be able to demonstrate an excellent performance displaying a high level of command of all aspects of the relevant material.