49069 Leadership and Responsibility
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2016 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject develops an understanding of the role of engineering and technical managers as responsible leaders in organisations. It focuses on the need to work through other people, not only subordinates and supervisors, but other managers and leaders. The subject provides a comprehensive review of leadership theory by following the timeline of historical development. It teaches that there exists many complex facets of leadership and emphasises the belief that one should not accept a position of trust without accepting the responsibility that goes with it. However, the art of leadership cannot be learned solely from books, virtual cafes or YouTube videos, it needs to be experienced and practised by doing and by interacting with real humans. A central teaching element of this subject is a set of activities that require engagement, motivation, critical thinking, verbal communication, group participation, perseverance and performance under time pressure.
Subject objectives
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | demonstrate a developed capacity to be a life long student of leadership. |
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| 2. | consider both positive and negative aspects associated with a set of ideas or a problem or opportunity and reach a personal position that places due weight on different perspectives. Students should be able apply critical analysis/thinking effectively. |
| 3. | proactively pursue self-reflection as a means of guiding their personal, managerial and leadership development. |
| 4. | show a well developed awareness of the historical development and the thrust of the dominant leadership theories and be able to discuss their strengths and weaknesses. |
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following faculty course intended learning outcomes and Engineering Australia (EA) Stage 1 competencies:
- A5. Apply systems thinking to understand complex system behaviour including interactions between components and with other systems (social, cultural, legislative, environmental, business etc.) (A.5)
- B6. Demonstrate research skills (B.6)
- C1. Apply abstraction, mathematics and/or discipline fundamentals to analysis, design and operation (C.1)
- D1. Manage own time and processes effectively by prioritising competing demands to achieve personal goals (Manage self) (D.1)
- D2. Reflect on personal and professional experiences to engage in independent development beyond formal education for lifelong learning (D.2)
- E1. Communicate effectively in ways appropriate to the discipline, audience and purpose. (E.1)
- E2. Work as an effective member or leader of diverse teams within a multi-level, multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural setting (E.2)
- F1. Be able to conduct critical self-review and performance evaluation against appropriate criteria as a primary means of tracking personal development needs and achievements (F.1)
- F2. Appreciate ethical implications of professional practice (F.2)
- F3. Understand cross-cultural issues (regions or workplaces) (F.3)
Teaching and learning strategies
The subject is offered in a number of different modes. Each learning mode has a separate subject outline. The learning objectives and content are the same for all modes. There are however some differences in emphasis and in assignment work as a result of specific constraints presented by the various modes.
The Subject Outline for the specific session of study being undertaken must be read in conjunction with the Supplementary Instructions. Both documents will be posted on UTSOnline and provide information and advice on many facets of the subject content, its administration and the student’s obligations. It is mandatory that students obtain, read and comply with the requirements of both the subject outline and supplementary instructions.
Subject announcements will be made using UTSOnline. Students are expected to regularly check the announcements page for information.
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An important part of the subject design is aimed at providing opportunities for students to develop their reasoning ability, written and verbal communication skills, and their self-management and independent learning capacity. A significant additional thrust is encouraging students to develop some interest in and an aptitude as, a competent "self-monitor". This attribute has attracted interest in leadership research in recent years and in the opinion of the subject coordinator may be a key factor in developing an understanding of leadership success particularly when working in complex environments with a diverse range of actors.
A specific design feature of the subject delivery is that subject participation activities are generally not pre-scheduled. This approach is used because it best models (within the significant constraints of an academic environment) the reality of leadership. Leaders have a set of objectives which generate a base work load and in addition they must cope with a range of unexpected task that are often required to be resolved or completed urgently. You need to be aware of the assignment due dates and be vigilant in identifying the announcement of subject participation activities and their deadlines.
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Whilst your study approach is a personal choice, do keep in mind that this subject is not one that can be mastered by some cursory reading and frantic activity just prior to the due dates for assignments. The participation requirements demand a schedule of continuous engagement with the subject. Of course assignment due dates set time limits for achieving necessary competence in some aspects of material comprehension and subject objectives.
A willingness to take personal responsibility is a key element of successful learning. It is estimated that you should set aside a minimum total of approximately 9 hours of study time per week (inclusive of any face to face contact) throughout the semester. This is a rough guide only as people learn at different rates and will approach the subject from different backgrounds and levels of experience and have different ambitions and expectations in regard to outcomes. It is also reasonable to expect assignment deadlines will add a potential load peak.
Leaving study/activity and assessment items to the last minute is a common problem for most students. Such behaviour is the antithesis of leadership. To maximise your learning from this subject you should work consistently and progressively throughout the study session. The best way to achieve this is to allocate a study time at the beginning of the session, given the participative nature of the subject this should be planned as a number of blocks of time each week rather than a single large weekly block. Make sure you adhere to the planned schedule making adjustment as your experience dictates. You should also have a contingency allowance for the requirements that you hadn't been able to foresee.
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Subject Activity #1 and Subject Activity #2 are already announced (refer to UTSOnline and the Subject Participation assessment task in this document). These initial activities are aimed at encouraging you to immediately commence study.
Content
Leadership involves a complex range of activities and one possible framework for studying the topic is outlined below. This subject will focus on the elements of “the Research”, “the Popular Literature and Practitioner’s Views” and “Critical Thinking”. However, it is important to remember that the scope of any leadership position is likely to be very broad.
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SELF
- Leadership - the Research, the Popular Literature and Practitioner’s Views
- Self Management
- Ethics
- Critical Thinking
- Strategic Thinking
OTHERS AS INDIVIDUALS
- Motivation
- Coaching / Mentoring
- Conflict Management
OTHERS COLLECTIVELY
- Teams / Groups
- Communication / Meetings
ORGANISATION ISSUES
- Recruitment / Placement
- Appraising
- Training / Development
- Occupational Health and Safety
______________________________________________________________________________
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Assessment
Assessment task 1: Critical Analysis Assignment
| Objective(s): | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following course intended learning outcomes: A.5, B.6, C.1, D.1, E.1, F.2 and F.3 | ||||||||
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| Type: | Report | ||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||
| Weight: | 15% | ||||||||
| Length: | 1200 words | ||||||||
| Criteria: |
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| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Group Presentation (Face to Face attendance mode students only)
| Objective(s): | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following course intended learning outcomes: A.5, B.6, D.1, E.1, E.2, F.2 and F.3 | ||||||||
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| Type: | Presentation | ||||||||
| Groupwork: | Group, group assessed | ||||||||
| Weight: | 20% | ||||||||
| Criteria: |
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| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Response paper
| Objective(s): | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following course intended learning outcomes: A.5, B.6, D.2, E.1, F.1, F.2 and F.3 | ||||||||
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| Type: | Report | ||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||
| Weight: | 25% | ||||||||
| Length: | 2000 words | ||||||||
| Criteria: |
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| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 4: Subject Participation (Face to Face attendance mode students only)
| Objective(s): | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following course intended learning outcomes: A.5, B.6, D.1, D.2, E.1, F.2 and F.3 | ||||||||
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| Type: | Exercises | ||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||
| Criteria: |
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| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Required texts
Covey, Stephen R. (2004). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Free Press, Simon & Schuster, New York. This popular book which fits in the "self-help" genre is used as the basis for one of the assignments.
The text may be obtained from the Co-op Bookshop refer to http://www.coop-bookshop.com.au - students can order online arrange to pick the book up from a store or have it mailed or delivered. The Co-op Bookshop has a general store at 3 Broadway, City Campus as well as specialist stores on the Broadway campus. Refer to the Co-op web site for further details and opening hours.
The text is also available from large general bookshops and some web book sellers.
References
The academic content of the subject predominantly consists of the leadership theories that underpin current understanding. These are well documented in many standard texts, however as much as possible the subject considers the theories through the academic lens of critical analysis. For those students wishing to study beyond the "in class content" a text that appears to go some way towards being sympathetic with this approach is Nahauandi, Afsaneh (2003). The Art and Science of Leadership, 3rd Ed. Pearson Education Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Other resources
UTSOnline
The subject is very significanly supported by UTSOnline http://online.uts.edu.au/webapps/login/
Substantive subject advice will be provided progressively throughout the semester via the subject’s UTSOnline site. Many of the subject activities will be undertaken using the portal. Access to the site will be available to enrolled students at the beginning of the transition week(s). Students enrolling after the start of the session will experience a delay before access is granted.
Supplementary Instructions
The Supplementary Instructions document is posted on UTSOnline, it must be read in conjunction with the semester specific Subject Outline.
The Reading Material (RM) and Lecture Support Notes (LSN) books.
The Reading Material book contains copies of journal papers or portions of key books. they are not necessarily written by acknowledged experts in the field. The Reading Material aims to provide a broad glimpse at the vast array of academic papers that have been published in the leadership area.
The Lecture Support Notes are intended to assist students in their understanding of the contact sessions and lecture presentations and to help focus their note taking on important conceptual issues. The notes should not be used as an alternative to class attendance by standard mode students as a portion of your marks come from your actual attendance at and participation in each session. It has been organised to enable distance mode students to work through the material in a measured and comprehensive manner particulally if used in conjuction with the audio files made available on UTSOnline.
Students enrolled in the subject can download from UTSOnline an electronic version of both the RM and LSN. Students can purchase, at cost, a copy of the subject Lecture Support Notes (LSN) and the Reading Material (RM) at the UTS Union Shop. Distance student will receive this material via post, for more information visit https://my.feit.uts.edu.au/pages/course/postgraduate/distance_mode
Workbook
Students enrolled in the class will be issued a subject Workbook without cost. It will be provided at the first class and must be returned at the end of each class. Aspects of the workbook should helpful in understanding both the subject material and your individual characteristics and attributes. Distance students are provided with the Workbook to assist their self-study and self-assessment. The individually completed workbook will become the students personal property at the end of the session.
