21937 Managing, Leading and Stewardship
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 21722 Leadership, Coaching and Mentoring AND 21800 Management and Organisations
Description
An understanding of managing, leading and stewardship is foundational to the development of students as responsible leaders, managers and followers. This subject aims to prepare students to meet profession-like, personal responsibility objectives and how to guide others to meet collective responsibility in morally challenging situations. To do so, the subject develops the concept of stewardship to help leaders to better understand how to promote and sustain the symbiotic integrity of business and society, i.e. where business serves society's needs for not just products and services but in ways that earn public trust and respect. The approach taken in the subject delivery and associated assignments is to encourage students to recognise the place of business in society and to cultivate a personal commitment toward earning and sustaining public trust in consideration of others in their business judgements and decision-making.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 1. | Analyse critically and reflect on how management, leadership and stewardship practices affect the performance of individuals, teams and organisations |
|---|---|
| 2. | Research and apply organisation theories to critique and/or propose improvements to organisation and management practice |
| 3. | Demonstrate an understanding of the role of stewardship in ensuring personal accountability and responsibility when engaging in management, leadership and followership practice |
| 4. | Discuss the personal capacity an individual needs to build to deliver on moral responsibility |
| 5. | Integrate a range of communication and team working skills required to transmit information and knowledge to business audiences |
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
As the flagship subject in the Masters of Management this subject develops the graduate attributes relating to social responsibility and cultural awareness. Managing, Leading and Stewardship is fundamental to the development of students as responsible managers, leaders and followers. The subject aims to prepare students to understand the tensions modern organisations face in meeting diverse stakeholder needs and to address these and guide others to meet collective responsibility. To do so, the subject develops the concept of stewardship to help leaders to better understand how to promote and sustain the symbiotic integrity of business and society. The approach taken in the subject delivery and associated assignments is to encourage students to cultivate a personal commitment toward consideration of others in decision making.
This subject contributes specifically to the development of the following Program Learning Objective(s) for the Master of Management courses:
- Evaluate and apply principles of law, ethics, sustainability and indigenous values as publicly accountable managers (3.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
Classes involve a combination of lectures, guest lectures, case study discussions, collaborative learning experiences and exercises, video analysis, role-plays, simulation exercises and participation in a discussion group with current and former students of the subject via LinkedIn. Assignments focus on personal exploration and development of capacity in self and others to make judgments and deliver on responsibility.
This subject adopts a blended learning approach where students take on the responsibility for their own learning. This includes preparing a range of materials before students come to class and actively contributing to the learning process in class. Prior to each class, students are expected to read and reflect upon assigned materials including videos and documentary material provided via the learning management system or other means so that they are prepared to participate in class discussion. In-class activities have a heavy focus on collaborative learning experiences, such as role plays, debates, preparation of short presentations, discuss and debate ideas, theories, and arguments with peers as well as mentor students when appropriate.
The class contribution will include:
- Making observations that integrate concepts and discussions;
- Asking key questions that lead to revealing discussions;
- Engaging in devil’s advocacy;
- Respectfully challenging the lecturer, tutors, other students and prescribed materials or commonly held assumptions about various theories, concepts and models when the difference of opinion serves as both a counterpoint and a way of exploring all sides of a concept, issues, or practice; and
- Working with others to come to a common understanding of topics—in and out of the classroom (ie in formal and informal learning settings);
- Mentoring other students to support them in their learning process and to share knowledge;
- Providing feedback to the lecturer, tutors and other students;
- Sharing examples from students’ personal experience in order to contribute to the embedded and embodied nature of the learning process in this subject and the development of a learning community.
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills to succeed at university and in the workplace. During the course of this subject, you will complete a milestone assessment task that will, in addition to assessing your subject-specific learning objectives, assess your English language proficiency.
Content (topics)
- Organisation theories
- Theories of managing, leading and stewardship
- Contemporary challenges to managing and leading theory and practice
- Challenges people experience when they encounter organisational tensions and moral responsibility
- Judgment and biases in decision-making
- The role of stewardship and followership
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Professional report (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 3 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 35% |
| Length: | 6 pages max (excluding References) |
Assessment task 2: Collaboration Project (Group)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 5 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% |
Assessment task 3: Self-reflective portfolio (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 3 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 35% |
| Length: | Overall: Max. 6.5 pages - roughly 2 pages for each stage (starting, mid-way, completing). Two additional requirements: (i) ½ page comprising one peer review including a personal reflection on peer's feedback (ii) 1/2 page of 2-4 personal action-guiding principles - a defining requirement for MLS (see A3 Writing Guide for example of an exemplary assignment) PLEASE NOTE: There will be a loss of 10 marks (5 marks each) if both of these requirements have not been met. |
Minimum requirements
Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.
It is a requirement of this subject that all students complete a written diagnostic task. Students who receive a Basic grade in the written diagnostic task are required to attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials in order to pass the subject. Students who do not complete the written diagnostic task and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X [W] grade.
Required texts
- Cunliffe, A. T. (2014) A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Management, 2nd edition. SAGE Publicaitons. Please note, only the 2nd edition is acceptable.
- Luhman, J. T. and Cunliffe, A. T. (2012) Key Concepts in Organization Theory. SAGE Publications (electronic version available via UTS Library).
- Paul du Gay and Signe Vikkelsø? (2016) For Formal Organization: The Past in the Present and Future of Organization Theory (electronic version available via UTS Library).
References
Helpful references on Leadership and Stewardship; please note, additional readings are provided in the e-readings for 21937 via UTS Library: https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/drr/search.html?q=21937
- Empson, L. (2017) Leading professionals: Power, politics, and prima donas. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Jackson, B. and Parry, K. (2011) A very short, fairly interesting and reasonably cheap book about studying leadership. London: SAGE, 2nd ed.
- Rego, A., Pina E Cunha, M. and Clegg, S. (2012) The Virtues of Leadership. Contemporary Challenges for Global Managers. Oxford University Press.
- Clarke, C. (2016) Ethics and Economic Governance: Using Adam Smith to understand the Global Financial Crisis. London: Routledge
- Follett, M. and Graham, P. (2003, c1995.) Mary Parker Follett-prophet of management: A celebration of writings from the 1920s. District of Columbia: Beard Books.
Other resources
We strongly recommend you to check/study the following resources:
- Supplementary information on assignments provided on UTS Online.
- Guidelines for writing persuasive essays provided on UTS Online.
- UTS Business Guide to writing assignments available at: https://www.uts.edu.au/sites/default/files/business-writing-guide-2014.pdf. You are expected to understand and conform to expectations on citing and referencing. Please study those conventions.
- Due to the critical approach to learning and the academic expectations of written work you are strongly encouraged to STUDY two references:
- Stella Cottrell (2nd edition, 2011) "Critical Thinking Skills" (PalgraveMacmillan) (around $30) This is especially important in understanding what is meant by "critical" and "analysis". These latter aspects are best covered through the second 2011 edition.
- Wayne Booth, et al (3rd Edition, 2008) "The Craft of Research" (University of Chicago Press) (around $30). This latter work illustrates the requirements of structuring an academic argument - i.e., a persuasive argument, of the kind needed at university level. Structuring an academic argument starts with a critical analysis of the literature on a specific field. Thus what is needed for your assessments (and indeed all PostGrad subjects, not to mention your workplace practice) is a combination of critical thinking and a structured/disciplined approach to persuasive argument. These works will be discussed in class but the prudent student would get started immediately in studying what each of these crucial works has to offer.
All other lecture material will be provided through UTS online (http://online.uts.edu.au), the e-readings for this subject available via the uts library website (https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/drr/search.html?q=21937) or in some cases they will be provided in class.
Attendance Policy
The attendance policy is in accordance with the University policy on attendance and/or participation requirements as detailed in the UTS Student Rules Section 3.8 (see http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/rules/student/index.html)
3.8 Attendance and/or participation requirements
3.8.1 If there are any attendance and/or participation requirements for a subject, they must be prescribed in the relevant subject outline.
3.8.2 If a student does not satisfy the prescribed attendance and/or participation requirements for a subject, the Responsible Academic Officer may:
- refuse permission for the student to be considered for assessment;
- refuse permission for the student to attempt an assessment task;
- refuse permission for the student to undertake an examination in that subject;
- record a final result of ‘Fail’ for the student’s enrolment in that subject.
3.8.3 If a student is prevented from meeting prescribed attendance or participation requirements as a result of illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s reasonable control, the student may lodge an application for special consideration under Rule 8.3 for consideration of alternative arrangements.
3.8.4 Where appropriate, the Responsible Academic Officer in consultation with the Subject Coordinator may approve suitable alternative arrangements.
3.8.5 Approval of alternative arrangements for attendance and/or participation does not imply exemption from payment of any fees or charges, nor does it imply exemption from, or concessions relating to, assessment or examinations. Alternative arrangements will be subject to normal assessment grading.