Academic Handbook Course Descriptors and Programme Specifications

LBUSI7240 Leadership for a Global and Dispersed Workforce Course Descriptor

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Course Code LBUSI7240 Discipline Business and Project Management
UK Credit 15 US Credit NA
FHEQ level 7
Core Attributes NA
Pre-requisites None
Co-requisites None

Course Overview

In this course, students explore the challenges of talent management in a post-pandemic environment. With diverse teams, located across a wide range of geographic locations and socio-cultural settings and with different skill sets, managers are required to plan, observe and influence team activities with a wide lens, while also contributing to shared project goals and meeting objectives, taking into account key organisational priorities such as sustainability. The course helps students become conversant and confident in the challenges of not only multi-national and multi-cultural management and the potential management of conflict, but also factors related to working environments, working and resourcing practices (e.g. outsourcing), operational adjustments required for projects as parameters change, and the successful management of people and their roles and connections in a globalised environment.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge And Understanding

K1d Critically appraise a range of human resource management, team formation, and leadership concepts and frameworks, including methods for the acquisition, development, and management of personnel in global settings involving long geographical distances, and attending to all relevant regulatory and ethical standards.
K2d Devise strategies and justify business decisions with attention to diverse workforces, including gender, ethnic, disability, and/or other relevant differences.
K3d Critically analyse socio-cultural differences and talent management challenges for full and productive employment, in project contexts across a range of locations.

Subject Specific Skills

S2d Critically analyse scenarios involving multi-layered challenges in managing projects in global and remote settings.
S2d Compare and contrast leadership and management theories for creating motivational environments in scenarios involving diverse workforces and change management in one or more areas of sustainability (as defined by the Sustainable Development Goals).

Transferable, Employability or Professional Skills

T1d Critique their own management experiences and approaches, and revise their own leadership strategies in line with the findings, toward inclusive leadership.
T2d Independently develop options for managing a complex organisational scenario with remote or hybrid teams, and critically justify their recommendations for a solution.
T3d Consistently display an excellent level of technical proficiency in written English and command of scholarly terminology, so as to be able to deal with complex issues in a sophisticated and systematic way.

Teaching and Learning

This course has a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) page with a syllabus and range of additional resources (e.g. readings, question prompts, tasks, assignment briefs, discussion boards) to orientate and engage students in their studies.

Teaching and learning strategies for this course will include:

  • Lectures: Instructor-led classes.
  • Seminars/workshops: Interactive sessions on project management principles, focused on applying theoretical concepts.
  • Experiential Learning: It is anticipated that this course would include an impact challenge.
  • Online Resources/VLE: Flexible learning with study materials.

Faculty hold regular ‘office hours’, which are opportunities for students to drop in or sign up to explore ideas, raise questions, or seek targeted guidance or feedback, individually or in small groups.

Students are to attend and participate in all the scheduled teaching and learning activities for this course and to manage their directed learning and independent study.

Indicative total learning hours for this course: 150 including 40 scheduled hours.

Assessment

Formative

Both formative and summative assessment are used as part of this course, with purely formative opportunities typically embedded within interactive teaching sessions, office hours, and/or the VLE.

Summative

AE: Assessment Activity Weighting (%) Duration Length
1 Presentation 30% 15 minutes NA
2 Examination 70% 1.5 hours NA

The examination can be, for example, an in-tray exercise, where students receive a bundle of information (either on the day, or in advance) which they review under timed conditions, and from which they are expected to diagnose a range of challenges and/or potential solutions, including challenges related to meeting project objectives in international contexts, making use of the opportunities of hybrid working while managing its challenges, or other contextual requirements or priorities such as sustainability.

The presentation can be, for example, a reflective exercise in assessing one’s own management or leadership style within a diverse environment, or a specific given challenge (which could be an impact challenge).

Further information can be found in the Course Syllabus.

Feedback

Students will receive formative and summative feedback in a variety of ways, written (e.g. marked up on assignments, through email or the VLE) or oral (e.g. as part of interactive teaching sessions or in office hours).

Indicative Reading

Books

Burke, R. and Barron, S. (2007) Project Management Leadership: Building Creative Teams. Wiley.

Mackay, G. (2021) Evolving project leadership. Association for Project Management (APM).

Nieto-Rodriguez, A. (2021) How to Launch, Lead, and Sponsor Successful Projects (HBR Handbooks). Harvard Business Review Press.

Journals

Chamakiotis, P., N. Panteli, R.M. Davison (2021) “Reimagining e-leadership for reconfigured virtual teams due to Covid-19”. International Journal of Information Management, Volume 60, October 2021.

Hunsaker, T. (2024) “How to Actually Execute Change at a Company.” Harvard Business Review Magazine. https://hbr.org/2024/03/how-to-actually-execute-change-at-a-company

Zak, P.J. (2017) “The Neuroscience of Trust.” Harvard Business Review Magazine. https://hbr.org/2017/01/the-neuroscience-of-trust

Electronic Resources

Project Leadership and Society: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/project-leadership-and-society

Harvard Business Review cases in Project Management: https://hbr.org/topic/subject/project-management

Indicative Topics

Students will study the following topics:

  • Human Resource Management and International HRM
  • Theories of leadership and teams in cross-cultural contexts
  • Managing multi-cultural teams in an inclusive manner
  • Managing remote teams

Version History

Title: LBUSI7240 Leadership for a Global and Dispersed Workforce Course Descriptor

Approved by: Academic Board

Location: Academic Handbook/Programme Specifications and Handbooks/ Postgraduate Programme Specifications
Version number Date approved Date published Owner Proposed next review date Modification (As per AQF4) & category number
1.0 July 2024 August 2024 Dr Marianna Koli July 2029