SFS40316 Organisation and leadership 2 (Autumn 2018–Spring 2019)

The course is connected to the following study programs

Mandatory course in the Master's Programme in Organization and Leadership.

Lecture Semester

Third and fourth semester (autumn and spring). Part-time with eight three-day sessions in total during the autumn and spring semesters.

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

After completing the course, the student is capable of:

• analysing the relationship between an organisation and its surroundings

• discussing the representative democracy's normative basis

• discussing relevant organisational ethical issues

• describing and analysing unique features and differences between public and private enterprises

• describing different causes of the growth of popular organisation ideas

• describing basic concepts and theories in economics

• mapping and analysing the opportunities and limitations relating to political and economic circumstances for a leader's organisational management. Analysing the causes and consequences of organisational disobedience

• integrating financial management and quality leadership as part of the leader and organisation's planning tools

Content

The course is rooted in ethics and values management in the public and private sectors and at the intersection between the sectors. Major focus is placed on the organisation of democracy, organisations' frameworks and leaders' sphere of action. Political, economic and technological development trends and macro-trends will be presented and discussed in relation to organisational behaviour. The course focuses on unique features and similarities in the private and public sectors, and the interplay between sectors and levels. The course will also discuss to what degree organisational trends and myths affect organisational life and how to keep a critical and constructive attitude towards this as a leader.

Financial management and quality leadership will be elucidated from a macro and micro perspective. We are interested in how financial management and quality leadership can be practised in a democratic tradition at the same time as other external influences, internationalisation and globalisation challenge the possibilities for political governance. Such situations can give rise to modern organisation ideas that can in some cases (in retrospect) be characterised by myths and trends. This also affects the understanding and practical implementation of financial management and quality leadership. Financial management can be seen as performance-oriented planning of activities, with an emphasis on managing an enterprise's core processes. Financial management relies on factors including good indicators of goal attainment.

The connection between an organisation's purpose, structures, systems, production processes and performance, as well as various managing and control functions in the organisation is a key topic. Another key topic will be presenting the requirements that apply to knowledge bases. What challenges and traps can one encounter? What is measurable and what must be considered? When discussing these questions, we will touch on a number of questions in the philosophy of science field that lead us into key social science discussions concerning different sides of the concept of rationality.

Towards the end of the academic year, the students will choose in-depth topics in the area of either economics or educational leadership. This specialisation is linked to the transition to the third year of study and further work on the master's thesis.

Forms of teaching and learning

Teaching activities vary between lectures, assignments for group work, plenary discussions and supervision. The course places great emphasis on improving the students' verbal skills, and oral presentations are therefore an important part of the teaching. Linking the students' work and studies is of major importance. It is assumed that insight from the course can provide fruitful approaches to the students' working life and that experience from the workplace can enrich teaching activities. Much is therefore expected of the students' own activities and dialogue. Permanent study groups will be established that will work between sessions on the syllabus, group assignments and in-depth assignments.

Literature review will be a recurrent theme. Students will select a specific theoretical theme and the exam will consist of the students providing an overview of relevant literature on this theme. The purpose of the literature review is that the students familiarise themselves with a theoretical topic that is current and relevant to the master's thesis they will work on in the third and fourth years.

Workload

The expected number of working hours for the whole course is 840 hours, of which teaching sessions comprise 168 hours.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

• Attendance requirement of 75 % of teaching days.

• Submission of a draft literature review paper for the two group seminars in December and April.

• Participation at group seminars organised in connection with submissions.

Required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam.

Examination

Individual in-depth assignment
During the course of the academic year, students will work on a literature review that will be submitted towards the end of the year as an in-depth assignment of 15-25 pages. 

The in-depth assignment will be graded using the grade scale A-F.

Examiners

One external and one internal examiner or two internal examiners are used.

Conditions for resit/rescheduled exams

If a fail grade is awarded, the student has one opportunity to rework the in-depth assignment. Please note that the student is not entitled to further supervision in such cases.

In the event of a resit (improving a grade), the student must submit a new in-depth assignment on a new topic. The student is not entitled to further supervision.

Course evaluation

Student evaluations are conducted in accordance with the procedures for quality assurance work at HiØ.