Reference no: EM133860925

Introduction to Leadership

Learning Outcome 1: Analyse the role leaders play in creating an inclusive and positive workplace culture.

Learning Outcome 2: Examine leadership approaches that support effective change in an organisation.

Aim of the Assignment

This assessment aims to develop students' ability to analyse leadership within Aotearoa New Zealand organisations, focusing on how leaders foster an inclusive and positive workplace culture (LO1) and drive organisational change (LO3).
Through a group report, students will evaluate a well-known leader's strengths and weaknesses and apply Prosci's Change Model to address organisational challenges (LO3). In the presentation, students will critically examine the leader's style, characteristics, and behaviours, demonstrating how their approach influences workplace culture (LO1) and supports effective change (LO3). This assessment integrates theoretical insights with real-world leadership practices.

Assignment Instructions - Overview

For this assessment, you are allowed to use Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) or Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, etc. to:
Clarify concepts, theories, ideas, etc., discussed in class during your preparation for the assessment.
Generate preliminary ideas for writing.
Edit a working draft of the assessment.
Read and summarise research and supporting evidence for the assessment.
Spelling/grammar checkers, e.g., Microsoft spell-check, and the ‘Grammarly Education' version provided by Unitec.
Referencing software, e.g., EndNote, Mendeley, Zotero.
Using a GenAI or RAG tool is just like referencing a journal article or a book.

Process
You will form groups of 4 - 5 members. Discuss with the team to assign the following roles:
Team Leader: a communication focal among the tam and with the lecturer as a Program Manager.
Deputy Team Leader: an acting team leader when the Team Leader becomes unavailable for various reasons.
Minute Taker: a person who records the meeting minutes for each meeting (e.g., in-person, virtual, group chat), shares the draft for verification among the team, refines it, and share the meeting minutes on Moodle as a formative assessment.
Select one organisation that the group is familiar with or one for which a group member works. Post your chosen organisation on Moodle, ensuring no other group has selected the same one.
Groups should meet regularly for discussion and keep a record of meetings along with dates and key decisions. Provide the meeting minutes as a formative assessment on Moodle (A meeting minutes template is provided on Moodle for reference)
Assessment 2 consists of three tasks:
Task 1 - Group Report
Task 2 - Group Presentation
Task 3 - TNK Peer Review

Assignment Context
You are a consultant for a NZDBS Management Consultancy. The chairperson of the Aotearoa Business Association has commissioned NZDBS Management Consultancy firm to identify candidate organisations for the Annual CEO of the Year Award.

Deliverables to the Aotearoa Business Association
Report: Provide a structured report outlining the rationale for the selecting a specific organisation and its CEO as a strong candidate for the award.
Presentation: Prepare a professional presentation summarising key points from the report, including the CEO's achievements, leadership style, and business impact.

Scope
Identify an organisation operating in Aotearoa (New Zealand) with outstanding business performance, innovation, and leadership impact.
Justify why the selected CEO deserves the award, using measurable achievements and evidence of leadership effectiveness.
Discuss a significant change or transformation led by the leader, and apply the recognised change model, Prosci's ADKAR Model, to explain how the change was successfully implemented.
Support your justification with evidence, considering factors such as financial performance, corporate social responsibility, innovation, employee satisfaction, and industry influence.

Assignment Instructions - Task 1: Group Report

Instructions
Organisation and Leader Introduction (LO1 & LO3) (2 marks)
Briefly introduce your chosen Aotearoa New Zealand organisation (e.g., its industry, history, current market position) and a well-known current leader (e.g., who they are, what they do, leadership position, background information).
Explain why this organisation and leader are strong candidates for the CEO of the Year Award.
Leadership Approach (LO1) (2 marks)
Describe one or more leadership approaches demonstrated by the leader or leadership team.
Link to leadership theories (e.g., transformational, democratic, authentic) and support with examples and references of how they create an inclusive and positive workplace culture.
Strengths and Weaknesses (LO3) (4 marks)
Identify key organisational strengths and weaknesses.
Explain how these influence the organisation's performance, innovation, culture, and stakeholder engagement.
Use credible evidence (e.g., academic journals, AI tools, industry reports, business news).
Challenges and Solutions Using the ADKAR Model (LO3) (6 marks)
Identify a key organisational challenge.
Apply Prosci's ADKAR Model to structure your improvement plan:
Awareness - What does the organisation need to understand?
Desire - How can motivation be built?
Knowledge - What needs to be learned?
Ability - How can new behaviours be enabled?
Reinforcement - How can the change be sustained?
Provide one realistic, evidence-based suggestion for each ADKAR step.
Conclusion (LO1 & LO3) (2 marks)
Summarise your key points.
Reinforce how strong leadership can drive successful change.
Report Structure and Format (LO1 & LO3) (2 marks)
The Group Report should follow the structure below:
Report Cover Page
Table of Contents
Introduction (including the introduction of your organisation in two to three sentences)
Leadership Approach
Current Strengths and Weaknesses
Challenges and Improvement Plan Using the ADKAR Model
Conclusion
The Group Report should be in a high standard, including credible sources and referenced properly.
Include at least five academic journal articles, at least two AI (GenAI or RAG) references, relevant textbooks, and other supporting materials.
Provide evidence-based arguments with proper referencing using APA 7th edition. For guidance, visit Unitec Library's APA Referencing 7th Edition Guide.

Assignment Instructions - Task 2: Group Presentation

Overview
Each group will deliver a 6-minute in-class presentation based on the content of your Group Report.
You will act as consultants for NZDBS Management Consultancy, commissioned by the Chairperson of the Aotea Business Association to identify candidate organisations for the prestigious Annual CEO of the Year Award. Your task is to select a successful organisation based in Aotearoa New Zealand and one of its well-known current leaders, and to describe and analyse the organisation's leadership approach, strengths and weaknesses, and how the leader addresses challenges through effective change management.

Instructions
Presentation Content (8 marks)
Tell an exciting story with the key points well summarised and notes highlighted.
Present findings from Task 1, Group Project.
Structure your content based on the topics answered in Task 1 of the assignment, including an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion as follows:
Title
Organisation and Leader Introduction
Organisational Strengths and Weaknesses
Challenges and Solutions Using the ADKAR Model
Conclusion (including reasons of why this organisation and leader are strong candidates for the CEO of the Year Award)
References
Provide findings and justifications that are concise and logical based on literature and insights.

Presentation Visual Aid (6 marks)
Ensure the slides are of a high professional standard and use an effective layout and graphics.
Ensure the slides are sufficient to prompt you to discuss your key findings. Do not provide too many words on your presentation slides. Include any detailed notes in the slide notes pages of your PowerPoint slide deck.
Written material should be professional and grammatically correct with no spelling errors; therefore, proofread your written work thoroughly.
Use supporting evidence referenced, charts, graphics, and pictures to support your comments.
Use APA 7th referencing style to acknowledge all sources.

Presentation Delivery (6 marks)
Ensure al team members present within the 6-minute time limit. Points will be deducted for poor time management.
Use effective verbal and non-verbal communication.
Engage the audience through effective eye contact. Present confidently without reading from your phone, handheld notes, or relying heavily on your PowerPoint slides.
Know the topic confidently and avoid reading directly from notes.
Deliver with audible volume and natural body language and gestures.
Transition smoothly to the next presenter.

Assignment Instructions - Task 3: TNK Peer Review

Te Noho Kotahitanga (TNK), created in 2001, expresses Unitec's commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi. It is guided by five key principles:
Rangatiratanga (authority and responsibility)
Wakaritenga (legitimacy)
Kaitiakitanga (guardianship)
Mahi Kotahitanga (cooperation), and
Ngakau Mahaki (respect), which underpin Unitec's goals and practices.

Unitec's TNK values focus on how we aspire to work and achieve together daily. These values are significant if we are to work together successfully on a team project. For each of our TNK values, you will find two key team behaviours described that explain what we expect you to demonstrate while working on a team assessment.

*Note: Need only organisation and leader introduction