MOD009210 The Conceptual and Theoretical Framework of Leadership

Posted: March 15th, 2024

Module Title: Undergraduate Major Project (Leadership in Practice)
Module Code: MOD009210
Understanding the Conceptual and Theoretical Framework of Leadership

In today’s dynamic business landscape, effective leadership plays a pivotal role in driving organizational success. Leadership is a multifaceted concept that encompasses various theoretical perspectives and conceptual frameworks. To navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, it is essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of leadership.

The Agile Coaching Growth Wheel (ACGW) is a powerful tool that provides a holistic approach to understanding and developing leadership competencies. This framework emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, self-reflection, and adapting to changing environments (Ong, Ashford, & Bindl, 2023). By embracing the ACGW, organizations can cultivate a culture of growth and innovation, fostering leaders who are agile, resilient, and capable of navigating the ever-evolving business landscape. One of the fundamental theories that underpins contemporary leadership is transformational leadership. Propounded by Bass and Avolio (1994), transformational leadership emphasizes the importance of inspiring and motivating followers to transcend self-interest for the greater good of the organization. This theory highlights the leader’s ability to communicate a compelling vision, serve as a role model, and foster an environment that encourages creativity and innovation (Northouse, 2020). By aligning individual goals with organizational objectives, transformational leaders can drive positive change and unlock the full potential of their teams. Another influential theory is servant leadership, which emphasizes the leader’s commitment to serving others, fostering a supportive and empowering environment (Greenleaf, 1970). Servant leaders prioritize the needs and development of their followers, creating a culture of trust, collaboration, and shared decision-making (Dinandt & Westley, 2021). This approach cultivates a sense of ownership and accountability among team members, ultimately contributing to organizational success. The contingency theory of leadership, developed by Fiedler (1967), recognizes that effective leadership is contingent upon various situational factors, such as the nature of the task, the leader-member relations, and the position power of the leader. This theory emphasizes the importance of adapting leadership styles to specific contexts, acknowledging that a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective. By understanding the interplay between leadership styles and situational variables, organizations can foster a more dynamic and responsive leadership approach (Tipuric, 2022). In the modern business environment, ethical leadership has emerged as a critical component of effective leadership. Ethical leaders uphold high moral standards, promote integrity, and act as role models for ethical behavior within the organization (Askeland et al., 2020). By fostering an ethical culture, leaders can build trust, enhance stakeholder confidence, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the organization.

Askeland, H., Espedal, G., Jelstad Løvaas, B., & Sirris, S. (2020). Understanding Values Work: Institutional Perspectives in Organizations and Leadership. Cham: Springer Nature.
Dinandt, P., & Westley, R. (2021). Business leadership under fire: nine steps to rescue and transform organizations. London: London Publishing Partnership.

Northouse, P. G. (2020). Leadership: theory and practice (9th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE.

Ong, M., Ashford, S. J., & Bindl, U. K. (2023). The power of reflection for would-be leaders: Investigating individual work reflection and its impact on leadership in teams. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 44(1), 19-41.

Tipuric, D. (2022). The Enactment of Strategic Leadership: A Critical Perspective. Cham: Springer Nature.

_____________________
ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Assessment Practical – Viva
Assessment code: 010
Academic Year: 2023/2024
Trimester: 2
Module Title: Undergraduate Major Project (Leadership in Practice)
Module Code: MOD009210
Level: 6
Module Leader: Anne Conneally
Weighting: 30%
Time Limit: 7 minutes per student
Assessed Learning
Outcomes 1. Understand the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of Leadership and their application to the modern workplace
2. Knowledge and Understanding Collect, organise, interpret, and synthesise information from a variety of appropriate resources, acting autonomously, with minimal supervision
3. Knowledge and Understanding Identify, select and justify the use of appropriate techniques, methods and development strategies
5. Intellectual, practical, affective and transferrable skills Communicate effectively in a form appropriate to the topic and produce detailed and coherent work.
Assessment date: Please refer to the deadline on the VLE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• This is an individual assignment.
• No extensions are available for this assessment.
• Exceptional Circumstances: The deadline for submission of Exceptional Circumstances in relation to this assignment is no later than five working days after the submission date of this work. Students will need to provide evidence to support their EC claim. Please contact the Director of Studies
Team – DoS@london.aru.ac.uk. See rules 6.112 – 6.141: http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/academic/public/academic_regs.pdf
Please note:
• You must upload a list of your academic sources onto the VLE 24
hours before you deliver your viva.
• Use Harvard referencing to acknowledge the sources
TASK
You will attend a 7-minute viva, where you will discuss your knowledge and understanding on the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of leadership. You will include reference to an organisation within your sector. You will acknowledge and apply the extended version of the Agile Coaching Growth Wheel (ACGW) to your answer.
As part of the assessment task, you will:
• Choose an organisation specific to your area of study;
• Thoroughly research the organisations approach towards leadership. You will focus on the leadership techniques, methods and the development strategies the organisation puts into practice. You will apply the ACGW tool to your discussions. You are required to focus on only 1 octant of the tool
• As an example, the flow of the viva may follow the below format:
You will introduce yourself to your tutor and you will state your VLE number
? Introduce the organisation, its function, a rationale as to the choice of organisation and its contribution to society
? Comment on the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of leadership – your particular focus will be on ACGW tool
? You will apply the ACGW tool to the organisation under discussion
? Consistently refer to references and authors throughout the viva
? Close the viva
In order for this viva to be successful, the student must engage in a thorough literature review on the leadership concept under discussion. This would typically involve the reading and synthesising of at least 10 academic sources.
Additional Resources: Examples of organisations specific to your sector are available on the VLE. These are as a reference point only, and thus it is not an expectation that they feature as your chosen organisation for your assessment task.
Learning Outcomes
LO1: Knowledge and Understanding
Understand the conceptual and theoretical underpinning of leadership and their application to the modern world
LO2
Knowledge and Understanding
Collect, organise, interpret and synthesise information from a variety of appropriate resources, acting autonomously, with minimal supervision
LO3: Knowledge and Understanding Identify, select and justify the use of appropriate techniques, methods and development strategies
LO5: Intellectual
practical, affective and transferrable skills Communicate effectively in a form appropriate to the topic and produce detailed and coherent work.
READING REQUIREMENT
You are expected to use the below textbook to inform your approach towards understanding, critiquing, analysing and synthesising your academic material:
Northouse, P.G. (2020) Leadership: theory and practice. 9th ed,. Los Angles: SAGE
The reading list below will act as a guide towards engaging with the literature review process
ADDITIONAL READING RESOURCES:
Armstrong, M. (2015) Armstrong’s handbook of performance management: an evidence-based guide to developing high performance. Fifth edition. London: Kogan Page
Askeland, H., Espedal, G., Jelstad Løvaas, B. and Sirris, S., (2020). Understanding Values Work: Institutional Perspectives in Organizations and Leadership. Cham: Springer Nature.
Cottrell, S., 2017. Critical thinking skills effective analysis, argument and reflection. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Deal, T. E. and Kennedy, A.A., (1982). Corporate Cultures: the rites and rituals of corporate life, Harmondsworth, Penguin
Dinandt, P., and Westley, R., (2021). Business leadership under fire: nine steps to rescue and transform organizations. [e-book] 1st ed. London: London Publishing Partnership
Dwyer, S., (2023). People Behave Badly: Stanford Social Innovation Review.
Stanford: Stanford Social Innovation Review, Stanford University.21 (2) pp.89-91
Franco, M., (2020). Digital Leadership: A New Leadership Style for the 21st Century.
[e-book] London: IntechOpen
Hayes, J., (2014). The Theory and Practice of Change Management (4th Ed). London, Palgrave Macmillan
Johannessen, J., (2020). Knowledge management for leadership and communication: AI, innovation and the digital economy. [e-book] Bingley, England: Emerald Publishing.
Kellerman, B., (2018). Professionalizing Leadership. New York: Oxford University Press.
Northouse, P.G., (2015). Introduction to leadership: concepts and practice. [e-book] Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc.
Ong, M., Ashford, S.J. and Bindl, U.K., (2023). The power of reflection for would-be leaders: Investigating individual work reflection and its impact on leadership in teams. Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 44 (1), pp.19-41.
Parker, P., Hall, D.T., Kram, K.E. and Wasserman, I.C., (2018). Peer Coaching at Work: Principles and Practices. [e-book] Redwood City: Stanford University Press.
Rees, G. and French, R., (2016). Leading, managing and developing people. 5th ed.
London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
Rees, W.D. and Porter, C., (2015). Skills of management and leadership: managing people in organisations. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Seijts, G.H. and MacMillan, K., (2017). Leadership in practice theory and cases in leadership character. London: Routledge.
Tipuric, D., (2022). The Enactment of Strategic Leadership: A Critical Perspective. [e- book] Cham: Springer Nature
Trompenaars, F. & Hampden-Turner., (2003). Riding The Waves of Culture:
Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business, London-UK, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2nd Edition
Waldman, D.A. and O’Reilly, C.A., (2020). Leadership for organizations. [e-book] 1st ed. Los Angeles, California: SAGE
Watson, G and Reisser, S. (2014). Developing skills for business leadership. 2nd ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
E-Journals:
Group and Organisation Management
Human Resource Management
International Journal of Human resource Management
Journal of Leadership in Organizations
Journal of Management
Leadership Quarterly
Personnel Review
Work, Employment and Society
Marking Grid:
Table 1
The work will be assessed in an integrative manner as indicated in the marking rubric, that is consistent with Anglia Ruskin University generic assessment criteria
and marking standards
Criteria /
Grade 0-29%:
Absent or deficient evidence of knowledge, Absent or deficient evidence of academic/ expressive/ professional skills. 30-39%:
Little evidence of knowledge.
Little evidence of or use of scholarly conventions. 40-49%: Adequate knowledge, use of scholarly conventions inconsistent. Adequate academic/ expressive/ professional skills. 50-59%: Sound knowledge, use of scholarly conventions inconsistent. Sound academic/ expressive/ professional skills. 60-69%: Good
analysis- consistent use of scholarly conventions. Good
Academic/
Expressive/ Professional skills. 70-79%: Excellent analysis-high level of intellectual rigour and consistency. Excellent academic/ expressive/ professional skills 80-89%: Outstanding analysis-Work pushes the boundaries of the discipline. Outstanding
Academic/
Expressive/ professional skills and creativity 90-100%:
Exceptional analysis – Work pushes the boundaries of the
discipline. Exceptional
Academic/
Expressive/
professional skills and creativity

the conceptual
and theoretical underpinning of leadership and their application to the modern world There is deficient or no reference to leadership. Deficient or no knowledge of leadership concepts. Deficient or no relation to leadership in the modern world. Deficient or no knowledge or understanding of leadership. Major or total inability to express theory is observed. Limited reference to leadership. Limited knowledge of leadership concepts. Limited discussion on leadership in the modern world. Limited overall understanding of leadership. Difficulty with theory is expressed.
The ACGW
tool is presented in a limited manner Adequate reference to leadership concepts and theoretical underpinnings. Adequate knowledge and ability to apply theoretical underpinnings of leadership to sector under discussion. Restricted ability to express theory beyond an adequate
approach
The ACGW tool is presented in an adequate manner Sound reference to leadership concepts and theoretical underpinnings. Sound knowledge base and ability to apply theoretical underpinnings of leadership to sector under discussion. A sound understanding of the area under review is
observed The ACGW
tool is
presented and applied in a sound manner Good reference to the concepts and theoretical underpinnings of leadership. Good knowledge and ability to apply theoretical underpinnings to sector under discussion. A good understanding of the area under review is observed. The ACGW
tool is
presented and applied in a good manner Excellent reference to the concepts and theoretical underpinnings of leadership. Excellent knowledge and ability to apply theoretical underpinnings to sector under discussion.
The ACGW
tool is
presented and applied in an
excellent manner Outstanding reference to the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of leadership. Outstanding knowledge and ability to apply theoretical underpinnings to sector under discussion.
The ACGW tool is presented and applied in an outstanding manner Exceptional reference to the conceptual and
theoretical underpinnings of
leadership.
Exceptional knowledge and ability to apply theoretical underpinnings to sector under
discussion. The ACGW
tool is presented and applied in an exceptional manner
40 Marks 0-11 12-15 16-19 20-23 24-27 28-31 32-35 36-40
LO2
Knowledge and
Understanding
Collect, organise, interpret and synthesise information from a variety of Deficient or no evidence of the collection, organisation or synthesis of information from a variety of resources. Deficient or inability to discuss without Limited evidence of the collection, organisation or synthesis of information from a variety of resources. Adequate evidence of the collection, organisation and synthesis of information from a variety of resources. Sound evidence of the collection, organisation and synthesis of information from a variety of resources. Sound means Good evidence of the collection, the organisation and synthesis of information from a variety of resources. Good means Excellent evidence of the collection, the organisation and synthesis of information from a variety of resources. Outstanding evidence of the collection, the organisation and synthesis of information from a variety of resources. Outstanding Exceptional evidence of the collection, the organisation and synthesis of information from a variety of resources. Exceptional means towards delivering without intervention.
appropriate resources, acting autonomously, with minimal supervision intervention. Little to no knowledge base Limited ability to deliver without intervention. Limited knowledge base Adequate means towards delivering without intervention. Adequate knowledge base towards delivering without intervention. Sound knowledge base towards delivering without intervention.
Good knowledge base Excellent means towards delivering without intervention. Excellent
Knowledge base means towards delivering without intervention. Outstanding information base Exceptional information base
25 marks 0-7 8-9 10-12 13-14 15-17 18-19 20-22 23-25
LO3:
Knowledge and
Understanding Identify, select and justify the use of appropriate techniques, methods and development strategies Deficient or no evidence of any identified, selected or justified use of appropriate techniques, methods and development strategies.
Little to no evidence of knowledge base Limited evidence of any identified, selected and justified use of appropriate techniques, methods and development strategies. Limited to no evidence of knowledge base Limited reference to ethics in leadership Adequate evidence of any identified, selected and justified use of appropriate techniques, methods and development strategies. Adequate knowledge base. Ethics in leadership is present in an adequate manner Sound evidence of any identified, selected and justified use of appropriate techniques, methods and development strategies. Sound knowledge base Focus on ethics in leadership is sound Good evidence
of any identified, selected and justified use of appropriate techniques, methods and development strategies. Good knowledge base. Focus on ethics in leadership is good Excellent evidence of any identified, selected and justified use of appropriate technique, methods and development strategies. Excellent knowledge base.
Ethics in leadership and negotiation are referred to in an excellent manner Outstanding evidence of any identified, selected and justified use of appropriate techniques, methods and development strategies. Outstanding information base. Ethics in leadership and negotiation are referred to in an outstanding manner Exceptional evidence of any identified, selected and justified use of appropriate techniques, methods and development strategies. Exceptional knowledge base
Ethics in leadership and negotiation are referred to in an exceptional manner
25 Marks 0-7 8-9 10-12 13-14 15-27 18-19 20-22 23-25
LO5:
Intellectual practical, affective and
transferrable skills
Communicate
effectively in a form appropriate to the topic and produce detailed and coherent work. Vocal communication and expression is deficient. No evidence of academic/intellectual skills. Work wholly descriptive. Incoherent approach taken. No evidence of practical
and or professional skills Vocal communication and expression of thought is limited. Little evidence of
academic/ intellectual skills. Work significantly descriptive. Little evidence of practical and or Vocal communication and expression of thought is adequate. Adequate evidence of academic/ intellectual skills. Work significantly descriptive. Little evidence of practical and or professional skills Vocal communication and expression of thought is sound. Sound
level of academic/
intellectual skills going beyond description at times. Sound practical and or professional skills Vocal communication and expression of thought is good. Good academic, intellectual, practical and professional skills.
Vocal communication and expression of thought is excellent. Excellent academic, intellectual, practical and professional skills. Vocal communication and expression of thought is outstanding. Outstanding academic, intellectual, practical and professional skills. Vocal communication and expression of thought is exceptional. Exceptional academic, intellectual, practical and professional skills.
professional skills
10 marks 0-2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9-10
ARU GENERIC ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND MARKING STANDARDS: LEVEL 6 – the Depth stage
Level 6 is characterised by an expectation of students’ increasing autonomy in relation to their study and developing skill sets. Students are expected to demonstrate problem solving skills, both theoretical and practical. This is supported by an understanding of appropriate theory; creativity of expression and thought based in individual judgement; and the ability to seek out, invoke, analyse and evaluate competing theories or methods of working in a critically constructive and open manner. Output is articulate, coherent and skilled in the appropriate medium, with some students producing original or innovative work in their specialism.
Mark
Band s
Outcom
e Characteristics of Student Achievement by Marking Band for
ARU’s Generic Learning Outcomes (Academic Regulations,
Section 2)
Knowledge & Understanding Intellectual (thinking), Practical, Affective and Transferable Skills
90-
100
%
Achieves module
outcome(s
) Exceptional information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with extraordinary originality and autonomy. Work may be considered for publication within ARU Exceptional management of learning resources, with a higher degree of autonomy/exploration that clearly exceeds the assessment brief. Exceptional structure/ accurate expression. Demonstrates intellectual originality and imagination. Exceptional team/practical/professional skills. Work may be considered for publication within ARU
80-
89% Outstanding information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with clear originality and
autonomy Outstanding management of learning resources, with a degree of autonomy/exploration that clearly exceeds the assessment brief. An exemplar of structured/accurate expression. Demonstrates intellectual originality and imagination.
Outstanding team/practical/professional skills
70-
79% Excellent knowledge base that supports analysis, evaluation and problem- solving in theory/ practice/ethics of discipline with considerable originality Excellent management of learning resources, with degree of autonomy/research that may exceed the assessment brief. Structured and creative expression. Excellent academic/ intellectual skills and practical/team/ professional/ problem-solving skills