Leading people, teams, and organisations for excellence

People are not just the greatest, but also the most complicated asset of any organization. Discover how to encourage people to thrive and deliver excellence in today’s diverse workplace.

The first theme focuses on how leaders can motivate, direct, and influence the behaviour of their followers.Leaders play a key role in drawing out employees’ potential. At the same time leaders can be the source of demotivation and conflict. An understanding of how leadership can help people thrive and where it can go wrong is essential for effective organizational functioning.
The second theme mainly applies this question to the area of teams.Organizations increasingly turn to teams to carry out their most vital tasks. Unfortunately, team-based work does not always accomplish more than the sum of members’ individual contributions. In this theme, we explore core issues affecting teams (e.g., composition, processes, conflict) and the challenges they present.
The third theme puts the current management of diverse workforces centre stage to explore how we can build organizations in which employees thrive and perform.Managing today’s increasingly diverse workforce presents organizations with a challenge that is both complex and potentially rewarding. This theme discusses key theories of diversity and offers insights into best practices in diversity management in order to help you realize the benefits and avoid the pitfalls of diversity.

Each module combines a foundation of relevant scientific theories and research findings with a strong practical focus. This practical focus entails linking the theory to relevant cases as well as practicing and experiencing some of the concepts we discuss yourself so that you can develop your own skills.******

This course consists of a combination of self-study (including both reading of relevant literature and short, pre-recorded lectures) and interactive sessions (combining lectures with practical exercises, case discussions, and simulations). Moreover, assignments and presentations encourage students to apply the content to their own practice as leaders and team members as well as to practical examples and problems in organizations.
In line with the three learning goals, there are three core ways in which you will be evaluated in this course.

• Knowledge Acquisition: To test your understanding and knowledge of the important concepts we will discuss in class, there will be an individual written test for each theme.
• Ability to apply theory and research findings to practice: Your ability to use this knowledge to analyse and solve practical problems will be tested through a case assignment and presentation. This will be largely done in groups.
• Personal skills development: Throughout this course, you will be asked to develop, implement, and reflect upon a personal development plan to work on one of the core skills we explore in this course. Since this is about your personal development, this is an individual work product.

The final grade is a weighted average of the evaluation components below.

• Written test 1: Foundations & Teams 20% (individual)
• Written test 2: Leadership & Diversity 30% (individual)
• Case writing assignment 30% (team)
• Individual reflection report 15% (individual)
• Carry the class 5% (team)

To obtain a final grade, the weighted average of both written test grades needs to be ≥ 4.5. To pass the minor the final grade must be ≥ 5.5. There is a resit for the written tests, this is an integrated test of both written tests. The minor re-sit period for all written tests at EUR is in July. The carry the class assignment requires you to design an interactive learning activity on the topic of one class session together with your team. It is graded pass/fail.

Teaching methods
This course consists of a combination of self-study (including both reading of relevant literature and short, pre-recorded lectures) and interactive sessions (combining lectures with practical exercises, case discussions, and simulations). Moreover, assignments and presentations encourage students to apply the content to their own practice as leaders and team members as well as to practical examples and problems in organizations.

Teaching materials
The reading for this course consists of a combination of textbook and handbook chapters, review articles, and illustrative research articles from top-tier management and psychology journals.

Method of examination

• In line with the three learning goals, there are three core ways in which you will be evaluated in this course.
• Knowledge Acquisition: To test your understanding and knowledge of the important concepts we will discuss in class, there will be an individual written test for each theme.
• Ability to apply theory and research findings to practice: Your ability to use this knowledge to analyse and solve practical problems will be tested through a case assignment and presentation. This will be largely done in groups.
• Personal skills development: Throughout this course, you will be asked to develop, implement, and reflect upon a personal development plan to work on one of the core skills we explore in this course. Since this is about your personal development, this is an individual work product.

Composition final grade
The final grade is a weighted average of the evaluation components below.

1. Written test 1: Foundations & Teams 20% (individual)
2. Written test 2: Leadership & Diversity 30% (individual)
3. Case writing assignment 30% (team)
4. Individual reflection report 15% (individual)
5. Carry the class 5% (team)

To obtain a final grade, the weighted average of both written test grades needs to be ≥ 4.5. To pass the minor the final grade must be ≥ 5.5. There is a resit for the written tests, this is an integrated test of both written tests. The minor re-sit period for all written tests at EUR is in July. The carry the class assignment requires you to design an interactive learning activity on the topic of one class session together with your team. It is graded pass/fail.

There are no special aspects to this course in view of prerequisite knowledge, scheduling, or selection/application procedure.

All RSM minors have mandatory attendance.

The minor is in English. All literature, class sessions, and course activities will be conducted in English.