GSZ415 Global Leadership and Complexity


To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.


Unit Outline: Flexible Period - 08B 2024, Canberra, Online (Start Date: 24 Jul 2024)

Unit code:GSZ415
Credit points:6
Pre-requisite:GSZ409
Equivalent:GSN415
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

In this unit we will explore the various ways of defining and understanding leadership at scale. The focus of this unit will be to build on your growing self-awareness and improve your capacity to understand, communicate and influence the people you will lead in your own complex business environment.

The aim of this unit is to develop your leadership ability, utilising a conceptual framework for self-understanding and the development of the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes required to successfully lead and thrive in your own business environment.

This unit is positioned towards the end the program to build upon and extend your knowledge of leadership that you have already gained in the earlier leadership units GSN497 Personal Leadership and Change and GSN409 Understanding and Leading Others. This unit will complete the triad of awareness (self, others and wider world) that leaders require to analyse, innovate and lead effective organisations.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Synthesise advanced leadership theories and frameworks to demonstrate how leaders need to respond to complex environments. KS 1.1, HO 2.1,
  2. Critically reflect and analyse your own personal leadership approach and link to relevant advanced leadership theories and your understanding of your business environment. HO 2.1, SL 4.1,
  3. Create a visual artefact that clearly demonstrates your personal leadership philosophy. HO 2.2, SL 4.1

Content

The content of this unit is designed to further build professional identity through understanding: 

  • The Context of your leadership
  • Frameworks for complexity leadership
  • Competencies / Traits of 21st Century Leadership
  • Culture & Global Leadership
  • Leading Change & Adaptation
  • Leading with intent

Course Learning Goals (Postgraduate - Executive)

The Graduate School of Business has established the Assurance of Learning (AOL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools. Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment:

KS 1.1

Demonstrate and apply integrated and advanced theoretical and practical knowledge (including systems thinking approaches, multidisciplinary frameworks and knowledge of research principles and methods) that incorporate recent development in business disciplines and professional practice.

KS 1.2

Apply advanced technical and technological knowledge and skills to critically reflect on, evaluate and contribute to developments that enhance innovative, sustainable and effective business performance in local, national and global business environments.

HO 2.1

Provide evidence of effective analysis, interpretation, evaluation and synthesis of complex data, theories, ideas, issues and situations and demonstrate knowledge of how research and inquiry can be used to interpret, contribute to and create theoretical and practical knowledge.

HO 2.2

Provide evidence of higher order thinking including creativity, judgement, cognitive flexibility and critical reflection in designing, planning and implementing strategies and solutions for effective performance in complex business environments.

PC 3.1

Demonstrate advanced use of language and argumentation in written communication, including digital communication, to frame strategic and influential responses to engage, persuade, negotiate, collaborate and lead in diverse and complex contexts and for diverse audiences.

PC 3.2

Demonstrate advanced use of language and argumentation in oral communication, including digital communication, to frame strategic and influential responses to engage, persuade, negotiate, collaborate and lead across diverse and complex contexts and for diverse audiences.

SL 4.1

Demonstrate adaptive personal leadership and accountability, including self-awareness, reflective practice and foresight in adapting and applying knowledge and skills to inform and influence effective and innovative practice.

SL 4.2

Lead, manage and foster the development of collaborative teams that value and leverage the diverse knowledge and skills of others to contribute to the development of robust, adaptable and sustainable courses of action.

SEC 5.1

Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices of business, to contribute to responsible organisational governance and citizenship in local, national and global business environments.

SEC 5.2

Apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate, interpret and critically reflect on, appropriate culturally and socially inclusive and responsible decisions and actions across diverse social and cultural contexts.

The specific course learning goals that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Learning Approaches

This unit adopts a blended learning approach and as such, includes a variety of teaching and learning approaches.

Intensive face-to-face class sessions and/or webinars are the primary methods of teaching this unit. A textbook and/or readings and a range of digital materials that are designed to support and extend learning prior to, during and after class sessions available in the unit Canvas site supplements the classes and/or webinars. Where appropriate, social media tools and forums will be used to extend learning and build connections with students outside the class or webinar sessions. Given the importance of the unit Canvas site to the teaching and learning strategy used in this unit, a computer and tablet device with internet access is strongly recommended for all students.

The principal purpose of the classes, webinars and readings is to build upon the key concepts that were introduced through the Preparation for Class activities and readings. The purpose of the case study work, experiential learning tasks and assessment tasks is to help the student develop their understanding of the concepts and enable them to be applied within a range of business contexts.

There is an expectation that the student will participate in class sessions and/or webinars, to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss important issues with their instructor and their peers.

It is expected that students have completed all Preparation for Class activities and readings identified in the unit Canvas site prior to coming to class and/or webinar to be able to maximise the learning opportunities of the class sessions.

A variety of learning activities designed to engage students in their learning will be incorporated into the lectures/workshops and webinars. Such learning activities may include short lectures, class discussions, debates, role plays, group work, guest speakers, student presentations, simulations, case study analysis, videos, readings, wikis, media/current events reports, web searches, etc.
There is a commitment to critical inquiry and intellectual debate in regard to the material covered. Students are encouraged to relate the theories and research discussed to situations known to them and will be encouraged to share their experiences relating to the topics explored in this unit with the class to enrich the overall learning experience of all students.

Expanding the awareness of Australian management policies and practices into intercultural and global perspectives is fostered within this unit. Typically, students enrolling in this unit have extremely varied backgrounds. There is diversity of professional background and socio-cultural background. Students are reminded that this is to their advantage and they have much to learn from one another. To this end, students are strongly encouraged to be sensitive to cultural, gender-related and international issues.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Students will receive a variety of formative feedback throughout this unit.

Informally, feedback will be given verbally in class through class discussions and during the debriefing of learning activities.

Direct feedback will be available to those students who request a private or group consultation session with the lecturer.

Formal feedback will be received on both formative and summative assessment tasks through a Criterion Reference Assessment sheet which will also include written feedback on the assessment task. The Criterion Reference Assessment Sheet will be available in the unit Canvas site at the commencement of the unit. Students will receive feedback on their formative assessment task prior to their summative assessment task being submitted.

Assessment

Overview

A further Guide to the Assessment Items is available from the unit Canvas Site: http://Canvas.qut.edu.au

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Personal Leadership Philosophy

Essay plus visual artefact
This assessment task builds upon previous assessment tasks completed in former leadership subjects and asks you to think about the leader you want to become, in the context in which you lead.

The task has two parts:

1. Develop and present in visual form a statement of your professional leadership philosophy (artefact) that clearly represents the leader you aspire to be.

2. Explain and critically evaluate your professional leadership philosophy statement. 


Over the course of your weekend intensive you will be guided through five primary scaffolding activities designed to provide a range of formative feedback that will allow you to conceptualise, draft and review your artefact and leadership philosophy prior to completing the workshop before submitting your completed assessment post-workshop. 

Formative/Summative: Formative and Summative

Relates to learning outcomes
Unit objectives: 1, 2 and 3 and AOL goals: KS 1.1, HO 2.1, HO 2.2, SL 4.1

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Weight: 100
Length: 2,500 words plus visual leadership philosophy artefact
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): as timetabled
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Hougaard, R., & Carter, J. (2018). The mind of the leader: How to lead yourself, your people, and your organization for extraordinary results. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press.

Other

GSZ415 Canvas site

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to
view the Emergency video.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

QUT Business Capabilities (Postgraduate Executive)

HO (2.1): Critical Analysis

Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Personal Leadership Philosophy

HO (2.2): Independent Judgement and Decision-Making

Relates to: ULO3, Personal Leadership Philosophy

KS (1.1): Advanced Discipline and Professional Practice Knowledge

Relates to: ULO1, Personal Leadership Philosophy

SL (4.1): Personal Leadership, Accountability and Reflective Practice

Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, Personal Leadership Philosophy

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

GS50 Executive Master of Business Administration

  1. Demonstrate, apply and integrate contemporary, advanced multidisciplinary knowledge, business practices, and research principles underpinned by a systems thinking framework to respond to global, complex real-world challenges.
    Relates to: ULO1, Personal Leadership Philosophy
  2. Critically analyse, interpret, evaluate and synthesise complex data, research, theoretical knowledge, ideas and situations to lead and support decision-making in global complex business environments.
    Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Personal Leadership Philosophy
  3. Demonstrate holistic thinking, creativity, problem solving and critical reflection to design, plan and implement strategies and solutions for strategic leadership in global complex business environments.
    Relates to: Personal Leadership Philosophy
  4. Demonstrate reflective practice, foresight, self-awareness and personal accountability and the flexibility to adapt leadership style to achieve personal and organisational outcomes in complex business environments.
    Relates to: ULO2, Personal Leadership Philosophy