Leading in Complexity and Change 15 Credits

The purpose of this course is to develop leadership, organisations and groups in order to manage complexity and change more effectively and efficiently. Our increasingly challenging environment relies not only on our abilities to manage but also to lead in times of uncertainty, change and complexity. The abilities to adapt, innovate and thrive are essential components for successful businesses, organisations and for the people that work and lead them. The course focuses on a developmental project, the challenges involved, the implications of different solutions, perspectives and different leadership styles.

Course Contents

The purpose of this course is to develop leadership, organisations and groups in order to manage complexity and change more effectively and efficiently. Our increasingly challenging environment relies not only on our abilities to manage but also to lead in times of uncertainty, change and complexity. The abilities to adapt, innovate and thrive are essential components for successful businesses, organisations and for the people that work and lead them. The course focuses on a developmental project, the challenges involved, the implications of different solutions, perspectives and different leadership styles. More specifically it means to

a) assess the organisations/departments (or the like) readiness for development and change;
b) develop a plan for change that addresses a real (small or large) challenge, taking aspects like resistance, culture and leadership of potentially different solutions into account;
c) implement the plan in the organisation; and
d) evaluate the implementation and reflect over the projects as a whole from different perspectives related to leading in complexity and change.

The course is organised around three different modules comprising of 10 sessions in all.

• Module 1 comprises of 4 sessions, focussing on understanding different organisational and leadership contexts, including oneself as a leader. During module one the student will carry out an organisational assessment of the context regarding its change capacity. The student will also develop an action plan for the implementation of change in the student´s own organisation.
• Module 2 comprises of 4 sessions focussing on carrying out the action plan.
• Module 3 comprises of 2 sessions focussing on evaluation of the project.

Connection to Research and Practice
The course is designed based on research in change, leadership, diversity and problem solving. Based on practical knowledge of change projects, leadership and innovation the course integrates theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience of different challenges involved in change.

Prerequisites

Bachelor´s degree (i.e. the equivalent of 180 credits at an accredited university or the equivalent) and at least two years of work experience in a leading role. Applicants without a bachelor´s degree need least five years of work experience in a leading role.

Also, an application letter written in English is required. The letter should contain a description of the applicant´s current leading role and a short description of the organization’s support for the development project, including who has given the permission (can be the applicant him- or herself, for instance in the case of the applicant being self-employed), why the applicant feels interested and motivated in taking the course.

Level of Education: Master
Course code/Ladok code: JLCR21
The course is conducted at: Jönköping International Business School Last modified 2021-08-23 09:05:18