MQM1LCH: Leadership in Complexity and Change

Module code: MQM1LCH

Module provider: Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters Stage 1

When you'll be taught: Full year

Module convenor: Dr Ana Graca, email: ana.graca@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students:

Talis reading list:

Last updated: 28 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module forms part of the PGDip Leadership (Senior Leader Apprenticeship) programme and, as such, sets out to provide the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by senior leaders in today’s world.  The module covers the challenges of leadership in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, including leading and influencing projects to deliver change and transformation programmes. It also includes how to find solutions that meet the needs of the stakeholders in a responsible and ethical way. 

This module builds on the knowledge covered in Foundations of Leadership and Leading Personal Transformation and develops further understanding of leadership choices, team/organisational dynamics and ethical considerations in leading complex change.  

Aims: 

The module aims to: 

• Develop the capability of individuals to plan, manage and reflect on their individual leadership development/leadership responses in relation to complexity and change. 
• Develop an awareness of a range of perspectives on leadership of planned and emergent organisational change. 
• Encourage development of behavioural skills in individuals to increase the effectiveness and appropriateness of their complexity informed change leadership interventions. 
• Develop awareness of the ethical and practical issues in relation to complexity and change leadership. 
• Develop practical knowledge about effectiveness and assessing outcomes of leading change 

Module learning outcomes

Intended learning outcomes: 

Assessable learning outcomes: 

By the end of the module, it is expected that programme members may be able to demonstrate their ability in the following areas: 

To know and understand: 

• K4: Innovation; the impact of disruptive technologies (mechanisms that challenge traditional business methods and practices); drivers of change and new ways of working across infrastructure, processes, people and culture and sustainability. 
• K5: Systems thinking, knowledge/data management, research methodologies and programme management. 
• K6: Ethics and values-based leadership theories and principles. 
• K7: Competitive strategies and entrepreneurialism, approaches to effective decision making, and the use of big data and insight to implement and manage change. 
• K10: Organisational/team dynamics and how to build engagement and develop high performance, agile and collaborative cultures. 
• K12: Influencing and negotiating strategies both upwards and outwards. 

Module content

The module covers the following topics: 

• Perspectives on organisational change 
• Organisations as complex evolving systems 
• Intervening in change – the role of the change leader 
• Change leader choices and limitations (includes ethical choices) 
• Uncertainty and unintended consequences in change 
• Change leader sense-making – working with weak signals, making sense of emerging patterns 
• Practical implications of complexity for change leaders 

To meet the apprenticeship standards, the following additional learning outcomes will be covered during the teaching of the module: 

Additional Learning Outcomes: 

Skills: 

• S1: Use horizon scanning and conceptualisation to deliver high performance strategies focusing on growth/sustainable outcomes. 
• S2: Set strategic direction and gain support for it from key stakeholders. 
• S3: Undertake research, and critically analyse and integrate complex information. 
• S4: Lead change in their area of responsibility, create an environment for innovation and creativity, establishing the value of ideas and change initiatives and driving continuous improvement. 
• S13: Use personal presence and "storytelling" to articulate and translate vision into operational strategies, demonstrating clarity in thinking. 

Behaviours 

• B1: Work collaboratively enabling empowerment and delegation. 
• B2: Take personal accountability aligned to clear values. 
• B3: Curious and innovative - exploring areas of ambiguity and complexity and finding creative solutions. 
• B4: Value difference and champion diversity. 

Additional Outcomes 

• Confidence 
• Understanding the importance and use of reflection in learning and leadership  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching and learning takes place through a blended learning approach. The teaching and learning methods comprise a combination of self-study via a range of online materials on the Canvas learning platform, face-to-face workshops with Faculty and a Learning Coach, who supports the cohort throughout the module.  The learners follow an inquiry based approach, and each person participates in a facilitated Action Learning set of approximately 6 - 8 learners in week 6 of the module. 

Materials on Canvas include content on-screen, videos, PowerPoint presentations, journal articles, book chapters, practical activities and reflection points.  

Study hours

At least 7 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module. 

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

This module is subject to the Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes policy, which can be found at:

https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmissionpgflexible.pdf

The Module Convenor will apply the following penalties to work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted up to one calendar month after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark; 
• where the piece of work is submitted more than one calendar month after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative assessment is either a “Proceed” or “Revise”, and emphasis is placed on providing feedback. 

Reassessment

Additional costs