Course syllabus for Leadership and communication

Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-26 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameLedarskap och kommunikation
  • CodeBOM030
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPDCM
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyCivil and Environmental Engineering
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 88118
  • Maximum participants60
  • Open for exchange studentsNo

Credit distribution

0107 Project 7.5 c
Grading: TH
7.5 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites


Aim

A company's success is largely attributed to its leadership, but what is leadership? Like many abstract constructs, leadership has many definitions depending on the point of view adopted, the people involved and the situation. One of the aims of this course is to problematise leadership in a complex and uncertain world. We view leadership as the ability to engage people to achieve outcomes that benefit the individual, the team, the organisation, and even in the long run, society. To engage and support team members requires communication skills. This is the reason why the second focus of this course is communication. Our assumption is that you will one day be in a leadership position. The purpose of this course is to prepare you for such a challenge using both theory and practical examples.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

By the end of this course you will understand and be able to explain theory within the following areas:
  • communication in organisations
  • leadership as process and interaction between leader, followers and situation
  • organisational communication
By the end of this course you will also have improved your practical abilities within the following areas:
  • general communication skills: written, spoken, auditory and body language
  • critical analysis skills: reflecting and assessing interpretation and argumentation skills
  • ability to work effectively in groups and teams, as well as to take on the role of group/team leader
  • ability to train your own leadership skills

Content

The course mixes theory with practice, critical thinking, collective reflection and discussion concerning the following topics. In this course you are expected to actively practice your communication skills by reading, writing, listening and discussing. The following themes will be addressed:
- Leadership and self-assessment
- Leadership and groups
- Leadership and the individual
- Leadership and competencies
- Judgement and change processes in practice
- Leadership and futures thinking
- Leadership dilemmas

Organisation

The course is designed as full-day workshops led by different experts from academia and the work place. Each workshop consists of a blend of:
- short lectures
- collective reflection and discussions in smaller groups
- practice-oriented exercises

In time for each workshop, students are expected to collectively carry out and submit a group reading and writing assignment.

Literature

Bolden, R., Hawkins, B., Gosling, J. & Taylor, S. 2011. Exploring Leadership: Individual, Organizational & Societal Perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Selected articles.

Examination including compulsory elements

Continuous assessment of weekly group assignments and a home exam.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.