Reference no: EM131313631 , Length:

Assignment One

The assignment brief is as follows:

You will produce a written report that critically assesses and evaluates your company and its leadership using Value Systems Theory (vMEME) and all the leadership theories it contains. On completion of this Unit you be able to meet the Core Learning Outcomes (LOs);

1. Critically evaluate through theory application how certain types of leadership/management styles differ depending on history, culture, geographic life and conditions and how they impact strategy, people performance and productivity.

2. Critically evaluate leadership problems and challenges and your personal leadership capabilities and critically analyse the need for future development.

Through application of Value Systems Theory you will have a tool (and the skill) to critically assess and evaluate all types of leadership theories and worldviews that include; USA, China, UK, France, Indian, Russia, Vietnam, Middle East, Africa, etc. Company culture and its leadership/management are different depending on the relevant Value System (life conditions and how individuals adapt to successfully compete). Inevitably this impacts everything about a company - strategy, people, performance, productivity, etc.

This assessment is divided into four equal sections weighting 25% each. These are presented as four questions. The structure for the written report should include the following:

I. First, briefly describe the background of Dr. Clare Grave's Value Systems Theory in your own words. Then use a small example of what is currently taking place in leadership in the world of business, finance, sport, etc., or even in your sector to illustrate this theory.

Reference general information on Value Systems Theory from BREO in;

- Guided Learning Folder: Unit Session 1 Presentation - General VST Overview
- Reading Materials Folder: Graves Value Systems Theory Research & Testing
- Reading Materials Folder: Value Systems Theory Overview - Section 3
- Reading Materials: Memenomics Economics in Banking & Finance_ Book Chapter (p. 38 to 46)
- Guided Learning: American Leadership Value Systems - Example
- Guided Learning Folder: Unit Session 2 Key Characteristics of Leadership Value Systems
- Articles & Academic Reference Folder: All
- Online or other media world/business press

Learning Outcomes addressed: 1

II. Produce an evaluation of differing leadership styles and behaviours in an organisation from different cultural, geographic and historic perspectives. To enable critical assessment and analysis, describe your company's culture, management and leadership using Value System Theory and Leadership Structure.

a. Chose from one of the eight Value and Leadership Systems and Structures that best describe your company culture, management and leadership.

b. Use a picture diagram to illustrate the Value System and Leadership Structure.

c. Next describe what Value System and Leadership Structure is present in your company and leadership how this has evolved from past to present, what changes have taken place in the business environment - local or regional or global (Life Conditions), and how the company and leadership have adapted to those changes (vMEME).

Important Note: To write this you will have to read/refer to the Core Reading materials on Value Systems and Leadership Theory from BREO as well as and do research on your company's history (Please refer to the Core Reading Schedule below)

Learning Outcomes addressed: 1 and 2

III. Produce an evaluation and analysis of particular leadership issues in an organisation through the use of relevant leadership theory. Describe in general terms current leadership issues/challenges in your organisation using Value Systems Theory. An example of this could possibly be issues/challenges your company is facing as a result of changes taking place in the business environment like competition, economic, security, on a local, regional, or global scale that your leadership and management must adapt in order to remain competitive.

1. Use past and present information from your industry/sector and company

Important Note: Please keep this part very general. This is meant to be a general analysis and description. This does not include offering/identifying solutions, giving advice or describing what specifically needs to be change or improved. You will be specific in LP2.

Learning Outcomes addressed: 1 and 2

(Approximately 750 words)

IV. Discuss how your understanding of the definition of ‘leadership' has evolved as a result of taking this course i.e. your perspectives on ‘leadership' before and after the course and what has changed

1. Here you should consider what you have learned about the topic of leadership in general. What did you think about leadership before the semester then after completing the semester? As you should know by now there is no single, universal definition of what leadership is, or how you should lead. In this section therefore, you describe how your definition or idea of leadership has changed before the Leadership Project 1 and now at the end of the first semester. You could also discuss when and why different leadership approaches (using Values System Theory) may be appropriate in different contexts and circumstances.

Learning Outcomes addressed: 1

(Approximately 750 words)

Leadership Project 1 (LP1) Core Reading Schedule from Reading Materials Folder
• Session 1: Value System Theory Overview_Book Section 3 (p. 195) and Chapter 9: Beige (p. 197) and Values Systems Theory in Leadership & Management Chapter 7 (p. 139 to 141) + Also read: Memenomics Economics in Banking & Finance_ Book Chapter Two (p. 33-37)

- Listen to LP1 Podcast Series Session 1

• Session 2: Value System Theory Overview_Book Chapter 10 Purple (p. 203) and Chapter 11: Red (p. 215) and Values Systems Theory in Leadership & Management Chapter 7 (p. 136 to 141) + Also read: Memenomics Economics in Banking & Finance_ Book Chapter Two Purple and Red (p. 47 - 52)

- Listen to LP1 Podcast Series Session 2

• Session 3: Value System Theory Overview_Book Chapter 12: Blue (p. 229) and Chapter 13: Orange (p.244) and Values Systems Theory in Leadership & Management Chapter 7 (p. 132 to 136) + Also Read: Memenomics Economics in Banking & Finance_ Book Chapter Two Blue and Orange (p.53 to 60) + The Value System_Psychosocial DNA of Capitalism (Example)

- Listen to LP1 Podcast Series Session 3

• Session 4: Value System Theory Overview_Book Chapter 14: Green (p. 260) and Chapter 15: Yellow (p. 274) and Values Systems Theory in Leadership & Management Chapter 7 (p. 127 to 132) + Also Read: Memenomics Economics in Banking & Finance_ Book Chapter Two Green and Yellow (p.60-65) + Value System_Psychosocial DNA of Politics (Example)

- Listen to LP1 Podcast Series Session 4
- Listen to LP1 Podcast Series Assignment Brief

Leadership Project - Unit Overview

Leadership Worldviews - Culture, Behaviour and bio-psycho-neuro dynamics

Leadership's impact on business, management, finance, economy and politics

Leadership theory and study only began in the early 1940s and since 1968 nearly 90,000 books have been published on the topic. Yet as a concept and practice leadership has existed since human beings emerged to walk planet earth. So what exactly does leadership mean? How does leadership impact business, management, politics, economy and finance?

This is a highly practice based leadership unit project, the first of its kind in Europe. It takes a highly strategic and integrated systems approach to define leadership and explore its impact. The systems approach was pioneered by human adult psychologist Dr. Clare Graves, who conducted the first study to define the process of human nature; adult bio-psycho-neuro, cultural and social development. Dr. Don Beck a geopolitical systems strategist and Graves' colleague/friend expanded the theory and put into practical application by helping President elect Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk transition South Africa from apartheid to democracy. A systems approach is used by leaders who face delivering critical agendas environments that include a complex mixture of extreme element of perspectives, economic, financial, ethnic, political, national, religious, cultural, governmental, and business.

This approach integrates the world of leadership and business with human adult development, psychology, biology, neuroscience, anthropology, sociology, culture and behaviour. It is said, "Different Times Produce Different Minds", thus specific ‘mindset systems' naturally emerge depending on life conditions at particular times in history that shape business culture and drive change (or not). This is not about what leadership ‘is' or ‘is not' or the ‘best" or the ‘worst', but how a leader can effectively evolve and solve problems in increasing complex environments.

Unit Learning Objectives

- Critically analyse particular leadership problems and challenges through critical evaluation and appropriate application of theory

- Critically evaluate how certain types of leadership/management styles differ depending on history, culture, geographic life and conditions

- Critically evaluate how certain types of leadership/management styles impact people performance, productivity

- Critically evaluate how certain types of leadership/management styles determine who will ‘follow and how'

- Critically evaluate your personal leadership capabilities and critically analyse the need for future development

Summary/Overview This project is a combination of academic theory and ‘real world' application. It's the first of its kind in Europe that takes an integrated and systems approach to exploring why leaders do what they do to shape business culture and drive change. It also takes academic theory and applies it to real world current events in the news headlines in order to help make sense of complex issues in business, economics and management that gradually shape the world of business.

A systems approach provides a richer context to understand complexity and encourages viewing it from diverse perspectives, as opposed to a simplistic ‘flat land' approach. It integrates many disciplines, perspectives, approaches, theories and research in the world of human adult development, types, culture, anthropology, epigenetics, psychology, biology, evolution, neuroscience and behaviour.

This is not about what leadership ‘is' or ‘is not', ‘right' or ‘'wrong' but rather how you can adapt and evolve your leadership to effectively deliver results and manage change. You will learn premium, 21st century ‘next generation' leader/manager skills to develop in order to deal with increasingly complex conditions, to solve problems and manage change. These leadership skills are referred to as abilities to be ‘reflective' ‘emotionally intelligent', ‘adaptive', ‘cognitive', ‘agile' or ‘situational'.

Aims The unit aims are to enable you to:
- Practiceand apply multiple theories and perspectives of leadership in order to assess a particular leadership problem or challenge;
- Evaluate how certain types of leadership/management styles differ depending on history, culture, geographic life and conditions and how certain types of leadership/management styles impact upon business environment (historically from past to present);
- Evaluate how certain types of leadership/management styles impact people performance, productivity and how certain types of leadership/management styles determine who will ‘follow and how'.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit you should be able to:

1 Critically analyse particular leadership problems and challenges through critical evaluation and appropriate application of theory

2 Critically evaluate how certain types of leadership/management styles differ depending on history, culture, geographic life and conditions

3 Critically evaluate how certain types of leadership/management styles impact people performance, productivity

4 Critically evaluate how certain types of leadership/management styles determine who will ‘follow and how'

5 Critically evaluate your personal leadership capabilities and critically analyse the need for future development

Approach to Learning
o Aims, objectives and learning outcomes are achieved through a blended approach with some face-to-face interaction together with reading and reflection of a diverse leadership literature. Theoretical awareness and evaluation will be facilitated through a detailed study plan and guided readings that are fully supported by the Bedfordshire Resources for Education Online (BREO) Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), synchronous Voice over Internet Protocol (VolP) sessions for remote learners, and face-to-face meetings with lecturers.
o You are required to undertake set reading as well as attend tutorials. These interactive workshops are student-centred and focus on active experience, structured in line with the outline teaching schedule below to provide plenty of opportunity for peer and tutor discussions.
o The unit adopts a practical approach to facilitate transfer of learning to the context of your workplace and continuous reflection on learning based on progressive personal and professional development. In this way the unit is very successful in addressing the five dimensions of realistic learning:
o Learning in this unit is a blend of face to face interaction but has a heavy emphasis on online learning, featuring post session online group sessions facilitated by your UoB tutor and in particular self-development via structured reflection based on the e-journal and video links described in the teaching schedule.

i Meaningful - of direct practical relevance to enhancing leadership thinking and management in your organisation
ii Active- learning is student-centred and you will be actively involved in the process of learning at all times
You will need to engage in research about varying leadership behaviours across cultures and organisations and current leadership theory and critically evaluate the diverse nature of leadership and its impact.
iii Reflective- you will need to continuously reflect on your current leadership attributes in the light of exposure to leadership theory and across the time frame of this unit. This reflection will form the basis of a plan for development of yourself as a leader.
iv Challenges knowledge and understanding of how leadership is auctioned and implemented in practice and potentially challenges aspects of organisational culture and climate, in particular with regard to leadership development and implementation
v Collaborative - through online learning, workshops and group support as well as from tutors

The topics covered and learning resources used in this unit will be challenging and relevant to the manufacturing, service, public and not for profit sectors. Youwill be encouraged to share your work experiences with the group to enhance the learning experience.

Skills Development
Communication
To help with the development of this you will:
- Actively engage in reading and discussions with your peers and tutors at weekend workshops. Written communications skills will be developed through the production of concise analysis and recommendations for strategy development.
- Engage in online discussion with tutors and colleagues.

Information Literacy
To help with the development of this you will:-
- Be expected to extend your learning through accessing and evaluating supplementary materials including books and journals. There is a heavy research element to this Unit and you will be required to develop you ability to conduct research via a wide variety of traditional and modern sources. Research should be conducted through a range of media. You will produce a report in digital format.
- Engage with the various tools available in BREO

Research and Evaluation
To help with the development of this you will:
- Critically evaluate research journals and established knowledge relating to leadership and extending this theory through application to your own and other organisations;
- Investigate via a range of up to date and relevant sources the development and implementation of leadership across a range of cultures and contexts and evaluate their appropriateness.

Creativity and Critical Thinking
To help with the development of this you will:
- Develop ideas for more effective leadership practice.
- Analyse a wide range of information in order to identify issues in the practice of leadership across a variety of cultures and contexts;
- Develop innovative recommendations for your own leadership development and the leadership practice within your own organisation.

Assessment Strategy The assessment will consist of two parts:

Assessment 1
You will produce a report that critically assesses and evaluates your company's leadership and management culture, worldview and leadership styles in the context of leadership theory. (2000 words)

Assessment 2
You will produce a reflective account, supported by a portfolio of evidence including your e-leadership journal, that critically evaluates your leadership and management style and approach to solving a particular challenge or issue, and based on this reflection develop an initial CPD plan of how you need to develop. (2000 words, plus portfolio evidence)

SECTION 3 - Once initial approval of the unit has been given, the Unit Co-ordinator may make changes to this section, following appropriate consultation

word count:3000

Attachment:- Leadership Project Unit Overview Brief.rar