Curriculum Action Notice

From:

Academic Affairs Committee

Date:

September 29, 2004

This is a bulletin from the Academic Affairs Committee concerning proposed curricular actions. Please forward any comments or concerns in the next 10 days to the AAC chair, Flor Blanco, Belknap Hall 110A, Ext. 4604, fblanco@mnsfld.edu.

The Department of Business and Economics has requested the following curricular action:

New Course: BUS 3325 Business Leadership

Purpose and Nature of Course:
The primary focus of this course is on business leadership as opposed to political leadership, leadership of social movement or community leadership. The course is intended for business majors who aspire to acquire insight into effective leadership in formal business organizations. It integrates theory and practice and creates a comprehensive body of knowledge and concepts about how one can become an effective leader in a business environment.

The world of business and organizations is undergoing a major transformation. Business leadership course addresses the qualities and skills business leaders need in this rapidly changing global economy. The course incorporates valuable issues that are critical in determining organization’s success such as leadership vision unique to the business context, leading learning organization, and shaping cultural and values change in business organizations. Specifically the course will focus on:

1. The role of effective business leaders who relentlessly search for new opportunities and adapt to the new business environment in times of adversity and uncertainty.
2. The importance of business leadership as demonstrated in the design of business organizations, and their systems of leadership in managing organizational change.
3. The integrative nature of business leadership by addressing the issues of strategy, managing change and ethics, and the interrelatedness among them.
4. Motivating students to develop their leadership potential as future leaders in business organizations.
   

The course is rationalized on the following grounds:

1. Business leaders’ main responsibility is changing their organizations to co-exist with the rapidly changing and uncertain environment. The course deals with how business leaders in times of adversity, and uncertainty seek to explore new challenges and lead their organizations survival.
2. Business leadership takes precedence over organizational culture and management tools such as TQM (Total Quality Management) and reengineering. Without effective business leadership achieving organizational effectiveness is not sustainable.
3. Business leadership has become critical to organizational success due to the fact that the business world has become more competitive and volatile.
4. Unethical practices of top-level managers in corporate America demonstrate how these managers strayed from the fundamental of effective leadership. There is an urgent need to return to these basics.

Course description for catalog:
This course provides a broad overview of the new context of business leadership, with an emphasis on the theories and research findings that offer important insights and practical knowledge about effective leadership in formal business organizations.
It offers a set of leadership practices based on the real world experiences of business managers who assumed the role of business leadership effectively.
Prerequisites: BUS 2230 Management Principles or permission by instructor.