University of Bridgeport

Ernest C. Trefz School of Business

MGMT 400 - Leadership & Management

Course Syllabus

 

 

Instructor

Department

Phone

E-Mail

Office Hours

 

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the primary tenets of leadership and management. Successful organizations foster effectiveness and agility, as well as efficiency and stability. Students will examine the field of management through the traditional primary four functions (plan, organize, influence, and control) to gain a better understanding of the most important principles and challenges facing modern managers. In addition to the required textbook, students will explore a variety of timeless and influential ideas and challenges related to managing people and organizations. Students will perform research using academic and industry journals as a way to evaluate the application of leadership and management techniques in real settings across various industries.

 

Intended Audience

Graduate Students at the University of Bridgeport, new to the field of management.

 

Required Learning Materials

1. Certo, S. & Certo, T. (2014). Modern Management: Concepts and Skills (13^th Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-305992-2
2. Access to business journals, such as:  Business Week, Forbes, Economist, Forbes, Financial Times, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, New York Times, Newsweek, Sloan Management Review, Wall Street Journal et al.
3. One book from the list below for the Module 8 Book Analysis:

• (Plato) The Republic
• (Machiavelli) The Prince
• (Smith) The Wealth of Nations
• (Jonathan Swift) A Modest Proposal
• (Marx & Engels) The Communist Manifesto
• (Orwell) Animal Farm / Nineteen Eight-Four
• (Peter Drucker) The Essential Drucker or any one of his other books
• (Jack Welch) Winning or Straight from the Gut
• (John Wooden) Pyramid of Success
• (Alan Axelrod, Ph.D.) Elizabeth I CEO: Strategic Lessons from the Leader Who Built an Empire
• (Robin Gerber) Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way: Timeless Strategies from the First Lady of Courage

 

Recommended Learning Materials

American Psychological Association. (2003). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6^th ed.). Washington: APA. ISBN 1-55798-791-2

 

Required Software and Hardware

·         Microsoft Word & PowerPoint)

• Means to record a video (camera, mic, these may be integrated into your laptop/PC/MAC)
• YouTube or another account where you can upload and link videos

 

 

Learning Objectives

• gain an appreciation for the timeless dimensions of leadership
• understand the prominent theories of management
• build a framework for ethics
• understand the role of planning, organizing, influencing, and controlling
• appreciate the dynamics of building and sustaining effective teams
• grasp the challenges to - and methods for – managing change
• reconcile the gap between theory and practice in the aforementioned topics
• empathize with the challenges facing modern-day leaders

 

Course Outline & Schedule

 

Module 1 – Contemporary Assessment - In this module, we will explore the emerging opportunities and challenges that are facing contemporary leaders and managers. The readings in this chapter will include contemporary articles published in practitioner journals, such as The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, The New York Times, etc. This will include an exploration of evolving roles and career tracks in the new knowledge-based and global economy, as well as a personal assessment that will lead to forming your five-year plan.

 

Module 2 – Leadership & Management – Concepts and Skills

In this module, we will review the definitions and principles of leadership and management as presented in Part 1 of the textbook. We will examine the principles of ethics, management science, motivation, systems thinking, organizations, etc.

 

Module 3 – Planning

In this module, we will review and discuss the importance of planning as presented in Part 3 of the textbook.  We will discuss strategic planning and explore the challenges associated with introducing innovative products and services while maintaining organizational stability. We will also reflect on the counterintuitive assertion that, over time, leadership styles that seem to break traditional rules of favorable financial metrics may provide better returns in the long run.

 

Module 4 – Organizing

In this module, we will review and discuss the importance of organizing as presented in Part 4 of the textbook. In this module, we will examine organizational structures, hierarchies, bureaucracies, division of labor, authority, delegation, and human resource management.  

 

Module 5 – Influencing

In this module, we will review and discuss the importance of influencing as presented in Part 5 of the textbook. In this module, we will examine the importance of culture by reviewing tenets of Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, Quality Management in its many forms, innovation and communication.

 

Module 6 – Controlling  

In this module, we will review and discuss the importance of controlling as presented in Part 6 of the textbook. In this module, we will explore the emerging opportunities and challenges that are facing contemporary leaders and managers. This will include an exploration of evolving roles and career tracks in the new knowledge-based and global economy, as well as a personal assessment that will lead to forming your five-year plan.

 

Module 7 – Leadership & Management – Contemporary Challenges 

In this module, we will review the definitions and principles of leadership and management as presented in Part 2 of the textbook. We will explore ethics, stakeholders, social responsibility, diversity, globalization, entrepreneurship, and search for common threads among the readings, which span across cultures and multiple generations. We will also discuss the challenges associated with advancing desirable leadership and ethical tenets while attending to modern economic pressure – especially the challenge of quarterly results.  

 

Module 8 – Reflect and Analyze- Leadership and management timeless theories.

In this module, we will reflect on what we have learned about leadership and management and analyze the definitions and principles of leadership and management as presented in the “additional reading.” We will explore timeless debates about leadership, such as whether leaders are born or bred, the role of timing and opportunity, etc. We will also examine human nature, virtue, justice, lifecycles, organizations, progress, etc.

 

Course Requirements & Guidelines

This course requires both public and private written assignments. Research is an important component of this class and it allows you the opportunity to integrate your interests with the course theories. You will be required to complete a total of three three-page papers, three 12-slide presentations, one book analysis, and six discussion postings.

 

Each assignment should meet the minimum requirement for content and length. All assignments should include a title, the student’s name and student number, the course name and section, and the type of assignment. All papers should use 12-point Times New Roman font, be double-spaced, and utilize a formal writing style. Papers and presentations for Modules Two through Seven should include seven (referenced) sources.

 

Writing is very important in any business environment and can make the difference in your ability to succeed in your career. These skills are also transferable to any discipline and vocation you choose to explore. Responding quickly, methodically, and succinctly to questions and assertions will also help you develop necessary skills in today’s time-sensitive culture.

 

Presentations should include a final slide with references and be printed in gray scale that contains six slides per page.  Each slide should have a heading. Try to stay consistent (a.k.a. parallelism) within each slide. In other words, if your first statement is a proper sentence, then keep using sentences for the remainder of the slide and use proper punctuation. If you use bullets and start with verbs, then continue to use bullets and verbs for the remainder of the slide. Please try to end your presentation by restating the primary problem and then stating your position, which may include your conclusion, a recommendation, or request for approval/funding etc.

 

I would like you to use the following four-part format for your papers and presentations: introduction, one view of the subject, a second perspective on the subject that should include analogies and critical thinking, and a summary. I force you into this format for a few reasons. I believe this structure encourages critical thinking and reflection, and I think it builds better leadership skills by encouraging you to think of other points of view. Moreover, the format is designed to help you frame an argument that is helpful in any setting. These assignments are not meant to test your memory nor are they meant to serve as a “book report.” Your papers, presentations, quizzes, and responses should reflect a rigorous intellectual problem-solving methodology. In other words, you should “tell a story” based on sound information and systematic reasoning.

 

Over the years I have noted a few “areas of opportunity” related to submitted work. First, don’t look past the really easy stuff. Please make sure you use the proper number of references and satisfy the required length in pages or slides. I view an MBA as an executive degree (CEO, entrepreneur, etc.). So, please try to think of these assignments as really important business opportunities. Imagine showing up for an important presentation to the board of directors and announcing “oh, was this due today?” or “do you have a stapler?” or “can I e-mail that to you in a couple of days?” or “I didn’t comply with your requirements because I didn’t have time to read that stuff in any detail.” I force these limits/ranges/requirements because I want you to be prepared when you are doing this in your post-academic life (I’m really not trying to punish you with random onerous demands!).

 

Please prepare your responses in an organized way and try not to ramble or leave us wondering about the message. It is important that you form a clear and concise message.

You may want to build a theoretical or conceptual framework for your paper. This is fairly easy and is just for you - so keep it simple. Write one sentence for each of the four sections and try to build your paper around these markers. This may help you stay focused on the subject. Occasionally papers, much like projects, suffer from “scope creep” and take on too many divergent topics. You may want to save the other topics for future papers.

 

Please follow the framework! Let’s just say you are in trouble if I detect inflammatory language or a predetermined outcome in the opening paragraph. This isn’t just bad in a college course; it will hurt you in business, life, and any place that fosters intellectual dialogue. Your first paragraph and your first sentence should be really clear and objective. This is your only chance to gain the audience’s attention. A confusing message or a biased attack will almost always disengage or alienate your audience.

This next section is the most difficult to explain because it is less quantifiable than most deliverables, which usually have clearly defined requirements. I do not want a simple report that restates a collection of data. As future leaders you know there is an information value hierarchy: data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. Critical thinking involves reflection and knowledge that can help discover patterns that can lead to established theoretical ideals or new revelations. Knowing that the stock market crashed in 1987 is a pretty interesting fact; knowing how to think about the market and any of the possible cause-and-effect relationships that may materialize in the future is much more valuable.

 

Please be sure to cite all references properly and it is very important that you comply with the University of Bridgeport’s position on academic honesty that may be found in the University of Bridgeport Student Handbook.

 

“It is the student's responsibility to familiarize himself or herself with and adhere to the standards set forth in the policies on cheating and plagiarism as defined in Chapters 2 and 5 of the Key to UB http://www.bridgeport.edu/pages/2623.asp or the appropriate graduate program handbook.”

 

 

Course Deliverables

 

Class Participation:

Reading the appropriate material and slides, as well as regularly visiting the course website each module is expected. The slides complement the material in the book and are meant to provide additional insight and prompt thought-proving areas that you mind suitable for your papers.

 

A significant portion of your learning will accrue through the constructive and respectful exchange of ideas. In Module 1, the discussions are designed to encourage collaboration and facilitate students getting to know one another.  In Modules 2-7, please post a one-paragraph comment related to any current news that relates to a topic in that week’s module. Please note anything you feel the author has identified as an important phenomenon and one area that you feel the author’s view may need revision. Students are expected to respond to online material posted by the professor and classmates.  Initial Post is due by Wednesday and three replies by Sunday.   Students must be active in the discussions at least three times per week.  Posting all replies on Sunday is not conducive to discussion and will result in a lower grade for that assignment.

 

Book Analysis - Discussion:

These analyses will be posted to a discussion board in Module 8.  Students are expected to post the analysis by Wednesday and reply to three classmates by Sunday.  Students must be active in the discussions at least three times per week.  Posting all replies on Sunday is not conducive to discussion and will result in a lower grade for that assignment.

 

For Module Eight, each student will select an item from the list of books at the beginning of the syllabus.  Each analysis will consist of at least 1000 words that address the following sections:

 

1. Introduction
2. Environmental Analysis – Explain the time, place, and historical context of the article
3. Biography – Describe the author’s background and any important factors that may have influenced/motivated his/her writing
4. Summary - Summarize the most important messages in the article/book
5. Lessons Learned - Identify and relate lessons to current events
6. Remaining Questions - Identify one question that you would like to have discussed in the discussion board.

1. Conclusion
2. References

 

Papers 1, 2, and 3  & Presentations 1, 2, and 3:

As detailed in the Course Requirements section you will be required to complete three formal papers and three formal presentations (one for modules 2-7, papers for the even numbered modules and presentations for the odd numbered modules) to successfully complete this course. You may choose any topic from the representative readings in that module as your subject for research.  Students will post in the week prior to the assignment due date, the proposed topic for the paper/presentation.  Please check back in this discussion board, as your instructor may provide feedback meant to ensure your topic meets the objectives for the course.

 

Each assignment should cite at least seven different sources.  The instructor may request a conference call to discuss the topic and ask you to summarize your paper and respond to any questions he/she may have related to your assignment or anything related to that module’s content.  Please be prepared to discuss your topic, as this discussion may impact your grade for the assignment.

 

Grading

Inevitably, the question of grading criteria surfaces sometime during the semester. As you have probably noted, I do not administer easily quantifiable methods for evaluating your knowledge of the concepts in the course. I choose to use reports, presentations, and open-ended questions in classroom discussion as a way to measure your learning, which are more qualitative. This probably makes it a little harder for both of us, but I believe it is the best way to measure knowledge.

I will use the following rubric and matrix (20% each) for your papers and presentations:

 

Argument

H: clear distinction between criteria and a concise persuasive conclusion

L: no distinct choice between criteria: ambiguous framework, “book report”

 

Compliance

H – all requirements fully met

L – more than two major deficiencies

 

Creativity

H: new or novel approach/concept to a subject

L: familiar set of ideas and contrasts

 

Grammar

H: no errors or very few minor errors

L: difficult to interpret content/message

 

Organization

H: clear outline, symmetrical, and aesthetically acceptable 

L:  unprofessional, poor construction of content with little use of proper formatting

 

Any paper that includes any form of plagiarism will be graded “50.” For the first offense, the student will have an opportunity to send me a three-paragraph email that 1) describes the specific plagiarism offense, 2) includes relevant comments on the seriousness of academic integrity, and 3) offers a promise from the student that he/she has read the full description of plagiarism and now commits to a plagiarism-free academic experience. The initial “50” will then be revised favorably for the student; though not to exceed “80.” A second offense will result in an “F” for the course and a written comment in the student’s file.

 

Please keep in mind that your final grade is cumulative so you will not be able to “make up” for missed work and poor performance by “hustling” during the last week of the semester. Excellent work is marked by consistent engaged participation, and work that exhibits exceptionally rigorous and insightful thinking as described in the rubric.

 

Grading Breakdown

 

Class Participation Assignments                                    20%

Book Analysis and Critique                                            20%

Papers 1, 2, and 3 & Presentations 1, 2, and 3             60%                                     

                                                                                     100%