MN50587: Leading complex change - transformation in South Africa
[Page last updated: 09 August 2024]
| Academic Year: | 2024/25 |
| Owning Department/School: | School of Management |
| Credits: | 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 120 |
| Level: | Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7) |
| Period: |
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| Assessment Summary: | CW 100% |
| Assessment Detail: |
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| Supplementary Assessment: |
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| Requisites: | |
| 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. |
| 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). |
| 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. |
| Course availability: |
MN50587 is Optional on the following courses:School of Management
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Notes:
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