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MN50587: Leading complex change - transformation in South Africa

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2018/9
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: School of Management
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Modular (no specific semester)
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Coursework (CW 100%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
This unit serves three key purposes.
Firstly, it integrates two key areas of the existing MBA syllabus - Leadership and Change - and enables students to explore these conceptual areas in a practical context, interacting with leaders immersed in transformational change. This responds to student feedback for increased exposure to leading practitioners throughout their study.
Secondly, it enables students to develop an understanding of an important emerging economy in South Africa and more broadly the continent of Africa. This also supports our increasing internationalisation of the MBA.
Finally, in exploring whole system change in the transformation process in South Africa, students will be able to consider the role of business in societal change.
This unit will approach this subject from a developmental as well as an educational perspective, giving the students the opportunity to consider their own leadership, and their contribution to society as a future business leader. As such this unit connects to the students' work in Personal Leadership and Careers (PLC).

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this unit, students will have:
* Developed an appreciation of leading complex change
* Made provisional sense of the transformational and business challenges in South Africa
* Considered the role of business in social change
* Reflected on the personal leadership implications provoked by their experience
* Constructed a critical and coherent narrative of their experience.

Skills:
Critical thinking - making sense in highly uncertain, political situations - facilitated and assessed
Reflexivity - development of an awareness of the impact personal values and beliefs on thinking and action - facilitated and assessed
Critical writing - assessed
Questioning - facilitated
Cultural awareness - facilitated
Collaborative learning - facilitated.

Content:
The unit requires mandatory attendance at a series of presentations, discussion forums, visits and conversations in South Africa. These will vary each time the unit is run, but will typically include exposure to:
* Large international South African businesses
* Domestic organisations, private and/or public
* Craft workshops and social enterprises
* Charities
* Museums
Students will interact with a selection from:
* Corporate managers
* Entrepreneurs
* Political leaders
* Trades Unionists
* Members of Civil Society
* Academics
The common denominator will be the individuals will all be personally leading change in their own situation, within the larger national context.
There will be core contextual themes through which the leadership of change will be examined. These will be flexed to remain topical and to ensure a good balance of leadership stories, but are likely to include:
* Economy
* Education and Skills
* Wealth Distribution - Poverty
* Health (e.g. HIV/Aids and TB)
* Religion
* Politics
* Race (including Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment)
In preparation, students will be required to review their previous units for relevant ideas and concepts and will be encouraged to select from a short list of reading on leadership, on change and on South Africa.
Before taking this module you must take MN50340 AND take MN50341 AND take MN50342 AND take MN50343 AND take MN50344
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

MN50587 is Optional on the following programmes:

School of Management

Notes: