Course Design Guide LDR/531 Version 4

Syllabus
School of Business LDR/531 Version 4 Organizational Leadership
Copyright 2011, 2009, 2008 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Course Description This course prepares students to apply leadership principles to the roles they play as managers. Students will discover more about themselves and will learn more about the connection between the individual and the organization. Other topics include organizational culture, structure, group behavior, motivation, power, politics, organizational change, and workplace conflict. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum.

University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Mintzberg, H., Lampel, J., Quinn, J. B., & Ghoshal, S. (2003). The strategy process: Concepts, contexts, cases (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational behavior (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Yukl, G. A. (2010). Leadership in organizations (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. All electronic materials are available on your student website.

Week One: Organizational Structure

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Objectives 1.1 Summarize the impact of structure on an organization. 1.2 Compare and contrast management and leadership. 1.3 Explain how organizational behavior theories shape management purpose, positions, and essential skills. Read Ch. 1 & 2 of Leadership in Organizations. Read Ch. 1 of Organizational Behavior. Read Ch. 8 of The Strategy Process. Read this weeks Electronic Reserve Readings. Participate in class discussion. Note that responses to Ongoing 3

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Participation

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discussion questions must be posted no later than day four. Nongraded Activities and Preparation Learning Activities Individual Leadership Approach Paper Listen to the Course Overview podcast. Listen to the Week One podcast.

Resource: Leadership in Organizations Review Ch. 1 of Leadership in Organizations Write an overview of no more than 700 words on one of the major approaches to studying leadership. Include the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen leadership approach. Provide an example in which this leadership approach was used in an organization. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Day Seven

Week Two: Leading Individuals

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Objectives 2.1 Evaluate how attitudes and emotions influence behaviors. 2.2 Explain ways personality and values influence behaviors. 2.3 Create a plan to increase employee motivation, satisfaction, and performance. Read Ch. 35, 7, & 8 of Organizational Behavior. Read this weeks Electronic Reserve Readings. Participate in class discussion. Note that responses to discussion questions must be posted no later than day four. Listen to the Week Two podcast. Complete the Whats My Emotional Intelligence Score? DISC assessment. Follow these steps: Select the Assessment tab. Scroll to the What About Me section and over to Other. Select Whats my Emotional Intelligence Score? Complete all of the assessments in that section. Complete the Values and Attitude Insights assessments. Follow these steps: Select the Assessment tab. Scroll to the What About Me section and over to Values and Attitudes Insights assessments. Complete all of the assessments in that section. Ongoing 3

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Readings Participation Nongraded Activities and Preparation Learning Activities

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Individual Managerial Organization Assignment

Option 1: Examining a Business Failure Research a business failure that occurred at a large organization such as Tyco International Ltd., Chrysler LLC, Daewoo Motor America, WorldCom, or Enron. Write a paper of no more than 1,050 words, describing how specific organizational-behavior theories could have predicted or explained the companys failure. Compare and contrast how leadership, management, and organizational structures contributed to the failure. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Choose one of the following assignment options: Option 2: Small Business Examination Paper Research a small business within your community. Write a paper of no more than 1,050 words that includes the following in your research: o Identify the small businesss organizational structure. o Determine the effects of the organizational structure towards the success as a small business. o Compare and contrast management and leadership strategies evident within the small business. o Identify the evident organizational behavior theories within the organization and how they shape the purpose, positions, and essential skill requirements of management within the small business. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Day Seven

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Option 3: Organizational Structure Interview You are employed as a consultant for a business improvement firm. Resource: Zoomerang survey website (www.zoomerang.com) Choose a business in which you can administer an interview or questionnaire to the management staff. Develop a Zoomerang survey that encompasses the following: o Portrays and distinguishes the hierarchical map of the organization o What type of organizational structure is used within the company o Centralized vs. decentralized decision-making

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strategies o Formalization tactics o Management vs. Leadership tactics o The identification and use of organizational behavior theory Send the Zoomerang survey to identified audience as well as your facilitator. Write a memo to the management staff of no more than 700 words that addresses the data results and recommendations you foresee from the survey administered. Learning Team Learning Team Weekly Reflections Discuss last weeks objectives with your team. Your discussion should include the topics you feel comfortable with, any topics you struggled with, and how the weekly topics relate to application in your field. Note that it is insufficient to simply divide the assignment and combine the parts; actual discussion in learning teams is considered in the grade. Prepare a 350- to 1,050- word paper detailing the findings of your discussion. Day One 2

Week Three: Leading Organizations

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Objectives 3.1 Differentiate between groups and teams. 3.2 Evaluate the challenges of communicating in groups and teams. 3.3 Describe effective collaboration and conflict management within groups and teams. Read Ch. 11 of Leadership in Organizations. Read Ch. 911 & 14 of Organizational Behavior. Read Ch. 10 of The Strategy Process. Read this weeks Electronic Reserve Readings. Participate in class discussion. Note that responses to discussion questions must be posted no later than day four. Listen to the Week Three podcast. Complete the Leadership and Team Skills Assessments. Follow these steps: Select the Assessment tab. Scroll to the Working with Others section and over to Leadership and Team Skills assessments. Complete all of the assessments in that section. Summarize your assessment results. Ongoing 3

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Participation Nongraded Activities and Preparation Learning Activities

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Develop a training plan with your Learning Team to increase the effectiveness of groups and teams by discussing challenges and benefits of group and team communication, collaboration, and conflict. Individual Creating a Plan for Positive Influence Imagine that your team at work has been assigned a project that will take 1 year to complete. Prepare a plan of no more than 1,050 words that may be applied in a business setting and that would increase a group or teams motivation, satisfaction, and performance. Address specific differences in attitudes, emotions, personalities, and values among the people you collaborate with, and address how each difference influences behavior. How may those differences be effectively addressed in the plan to positively influence the team? Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Learning Team Learning Team Weekly Reflections Discuss last weeks objectives with your team. Your discussion should include the topics you feel comfortable with, any topics you struggled with, and how the weekly topics relate to application in your field. Note that it is insufficient to simply divide the assignment and combine the parts; actual discussion in learning teams is considered in the grade. Prepare a 350- to 1,050- word paper detailing the findings of your discussion. Day One 2 Day Seven 10

Week Four: Leadership Theories and Styles

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Objectives 4.1 Compare and contrast leadership theories. 4.2 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of established leadership styles. 4.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of substitutes for leadership. Review Ch. 1 of Leadership in Organizations. Read Ch. 3 & 8 of Leadership in Organizations. Read Ch. 12 of Organizational Behavior. Read this weeks Electronic Reserve Readings. Participate in class discussion. Note that responses to discussion questions must be posted no later than day four. Listen to the Week Four podcast. Complete the Whats My Leadership Style assessment. Consider the following: Ongoing 3

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Participation Nongraded Activities and Preparation Learning Activities

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Learning Team Addressing Challenges of Groups and Teams

How is it possible to balance both the operational and personnel aspects of leadership? Should a manager balance these two sides of leadership? As a manager of an organization, why would you want to use one aspect more than the other? Provide an example that supports your viewpoint. Your Learning Team is the management staff for a contracted customer-service call center of Desert Communications Inc., a major wireless telecommunications organization. Each manager has no more than 10 employees to manage, and he or she oversees the operational output of his or her team. Each employee performs a series of functions including providing customer support, responding to service inquires, and answering billing questions. Employees are encouraged to offer additional services to help maximize the profit of Desert Communications but are not required, per their performance reviews, to do so. Day Seven 10

Because of a change in the communications industry, Desert Communications net profit has declined. Because demand for communication products has declined, Desert Communications has begun a strategic movement to reallocate their resources to capitalize on the added services of the communications industry. Examples include phone insurance, additional minutes, roadside service, and so on. To do so, they have asked your team to integrate strategies that would help generate the profit needed. Aside from evaluating your employees on customers satisfaction ratings, you must assess your employees based on the percentages of services they can sell during each service call. Note that it is insufficient to simply divide the assignment and combine the parts; actual discussion in learning teams is considered in the grade. Write an action plan of no more than 1,750 words in which you consider ways to present the upcoming operational change to your employees while answering the following questions: Which methods will be used to present the operational change? How would you develop a training that conveys to multiple audiences within the organization? How will group and team collaboration facilitate the success of training? What tactics will be used to identify and minimize conflict? What kind of collaboration among the employees and management affect the success of the operational change? How will management use work teams and work groups to facilitate the upcoming operational change?

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Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Learning Team Learning Team Weekly Reflections Discuss last weeks objectives with your team. Your discussion should include the topics you feel comfortable with, any topics you struggled with, and how the weekly topics relate to application in your field. Note that it is insufficient to simply divide the assignment and combine the parts; actual discussion in learning teams is considered in the grade. Prepare a 350- to 1,050- word paper detailing the findings of your discussion. Day One 2

Week Five: Initiating and Leading Change

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Objectives 5.1 Identify properties of innovative organizations and factors for successful change. 5.2 Recommend strategies to implement change. Read Ch. 10 of Leadership in Organizations. Read Ch. 18 of Organizational Behavior. Read this weeks Electronic Reserve Readings. Participate in class discussion. Note that responses to discussion questions must be posted no later than day four. Listen to the Week Five podcast. Complete the Gene One simulation located on the student website. Analyze Gene Ones future options, and answer the following question: As an organizational leader, do you think Gene Ones current organizational structure and leadership style are appropriate when it goes public? Why or why not? Day Seven 10 Ongoing 3

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Readings

Participation Nongraded Activities and Preparation Learning Activities

Individual Determining Your Perfect Position Paper

Resources: The Strategy Process, Organizational Behavior, and Leadership in Organizations Imagine the company you work for is expanding and restructuring. You are provided the opportunity to determine the position that best suits you, meaning you are able to define your role so that you will most benefit the company and be most successful. Write a paper of no more than 1,400 words that describes your leadership style model. Identify strengths and weaknesses of your leadership style by

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applying what you learned about yourself through self-assessments. Note that your personal strengths and weaknesses must be included. Compare and contrast leadership theories in the textbooks to better understand relevant theories applicable to your leadership approach. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Learning Team Learning Team Weekly Reflections Discuss last weeks objectives with your team. Your discussion should include the topics you feel comfortable with, any topics you struggled with, and how the weekly topics relate to application in your field. Note that it is insufficient to simply divide the assignment and combine the parts; actual discussion in learning teams is considered in the grade. Prepare a 350- to 1,050-word paper detailing the findings of your discussion. Day One 2

Week Six: Culture, Power, and Politics

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Objectives 6.1 Assess how organizational size and structure influence control. 6.2 Analyze the effects of culture within an organization. 6.3 Evaluate how managers develop and maximize power and politics. Read Ch. 6 of Leadership in Organizations. Read Ch. 15 & 16 of Organizational Behavior. Read this weeks Electronic Reserve Readings. Participate in class discussion. Note that responses to discussion questions must be posted no later than day four. Listen to the Week Six podcast. Complete the Leadership in Action simulation located on the student website. Discuss the following: Individual Final Examination Methods of control and the current departmental and organizational cultures Restructuring strategies that would improve the culture and empower employees Management practices that would be most effective and why Day Seven 15 Ongoing 3

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Readings

Participation Nongraded Activities and Preparation Learning Activities

Resources: Organizational Behavior, The Strategy Process, and Leadership in Organizations

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Click the link to the Final Examination on the student website available from the end of Week Five through the end of Week Six. Complete the Final Examination. You are allowed one attempt to complete the exam, which is timed and must be completed in 3 hours. Results are auto graded and sent to your instructor. Note. Final Examination questions are adapted from the Organizational Behavior, The Strategy Process, and Leadership in Organizations Learning Team Implementing Leadership Change Resource: Gene One Scenario link Review the Gene One Scenario link, located on your student website. Write a proposal of no more than 2,100 words for facilitating change within Gene One. Determine two possible strategies that the remaining leadership of Gene One could use to lead the company to two distinct but desirable outcomes while remaining an innovative organization. Integrate the following into the strategies proposed: Describe how these strategies could be implemented and how these strategies would lead to the desired outcome. Explain how each strategy supports Gene Ones desire to be innovative. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation of no more than 20 slides proposing the strategies chosen to the remaining management of Gene One. Summarize the two strategies proposed to Gene One. Include the following in your presentation: o Explain how the organizations size affects leadership and management control. o Identify the proposed changes potential effects on the organizations culture. o Explain any adjustments to political power that the proposed strategies require and how power and politics will facilitate the implementation of each change. Note that it is insufficient to simply divide the assignment and combine the parts; actual discussion in learning teams is considered in the grade. Day Six 10

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Learning Team Learning Team Weekly Reflections

Discuss last weeks objectives with your team. Your discussion should include the topics you feel comfortable with, any topics you struggled with, and how the weekly topics relate to application in your field. Prepare a 350- to 1,050- word paper detailing the findings of your discussion.

Discussion Questions Week One Discussion Questions In what specific ways may an individual influence an organization through his or her management and leadership skills? What is the difference between managers and leaders? Is it possible to be an effective manager but not an effective leader? Provide examples. According to Robbins and Judge (2011), a leader must acknowledge three primary roles as a manager. What are these management roles, and how do they affect the purpose, positions, and skills required by management? Provide an example from a current or past work experience that conveys these management roles. Week Two Discussion Questions Which factors do you think influence employee job satisfaction? Compare and contrast these factors to those most important to you. How does a managers personality and values affect their employees job performance? Provide an example. Seldom do people hand you a list of values. How do you infer values? Think of a recent experience in a work environment in which the individuals attitudes or emotions influenced their behaviors. What was the outcome? How could the outcome been different? Week Three Discussion Questions After completing the Williams Institute for Ethics and Management, Ethics Awareness Inventory, and Ethical Choices in the Workplace assessments on the student website, evaluate how a company structures the use of groups or teams. Do you feel the organization would be an effective fit, based on what you learned through the Williams assessment? Why or why not? How would you modify your communication style to better accommodate team members with contrasting styles? Provide specific examples. What recommendations may you make for effective communication among coworkers who have contrasting communication styles? Provide specific examples. Week Four Discussion Questions In which type of organizational structure do you think your leadership style would be most effective? In what kind of structure would it be least effective? Compare and contrast the structures.

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Think of an organization and a manager within that organization with whom you are familiar. Identify the organizations structure type and the leadership style of the manager. Suppose that the structure of the organization was changed drastically in way of your choosing. Do you think the manager that you described would be more or less effective given the new structure? Why or why not? According to Yukl (2010), three characteristics comprise the leadership substitutes theory. What is an example of each characteristic? Explain the difference between a substitute and a neutralizer for supportive and instrumental leadership strategies. Week Five Discussion Questions Which leadership elements in the different positions from the Gene One Scenario support the change effort? Which elements hinder it? Explain your responses. Which factors of the business you researched do you think could be implemented at Gene One to make its change effort more successful? According to Yukl (2010), people resist change for many reasons. Choose one reason listed within Leadership in Organizations and provide an example from your past or current employment of this type of resistance to change. How was this obstacle managed? What actions would you now recommend and why? Week Six Discussion Questions How can an organization use its culture to influence control over its employees? Is it ethical to do so? If not, can an organization actively influence its employees through socialization? According to Yukl (2010), how can leaders acquire and lose power within their organization? How is position and personal power defined within your current or past employment environment? Is it possible to possess a high position without personal power? Why or why not? According to Yukl (2010), French and Raven developed a power taxonomy that listed five distinct types of power in relation to their source. How are these power types used within an organization? From this list, which power type would you consider most valuable and why? Copyright
University of Phoenix is a registered trademark of Apollo Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Use of these marks is not intended to imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation. Final Examinations contain third-party copyrighted materials. Portions are: Copyright 2010 University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Copyright 2010 Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. Edited in accordance with University of Phoenix editorial standards and practices.