MGMT 5310 SPRING 2019 Dr.

LeCounte

MGMT 5310
Spring 2019 (2nd 8-weeks)
SYLLABUS
University Information

College of Business Administration Mission Statement:

The College of Business Administration creates a dynamic learning environment for a diverse
student population with a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experience, to develop
the knowledge and skills needed to become productive contributors to the global business
environment.
http://www.tarleton.edu/COBAWEB/coba/index.html

Student Success Statement-ADA:

It is the policy of Tarleton State University to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act
(www.ada.gov) and other applicable laws. If you are a student with a disability seeking
accommodations for this course, please contact the Center for Access and Academic Testing, at
254.968.9400 or [email protected]. The office is in Math 201. More information can be found at
www.tarleton.edu/caat or in the University Catalog.

Academic Affairs Core Value Statements:

Academic Integrity Statement

Tarleton State University’s core values are integrity, leadership, tradition, civility, excellence,
and service. Central to these values in integrity, which is maintaining a high standard of personal
and scholarly conduct. Academic integrity represents the choice to uphold ethical responsibility
for one’s learning within the academic community, regardless of audience or situation.

Academic Civility Statement

Students are expected to interact with professors and peers in a respectful manner that
enhances the learning environment. Professors may require a student who deviates from this
expectation to leave the face-to-face (or virtual) classroom learning environment for that
class session (and potentially subsequent class sessions) for a specific amount of time.
In addition, the professor might consider the university disciplinary process (for Academic
Affairs/Student Life) for egregious or continued disruptive behavior.

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Academic Excellence Statement

Tarleton holds high expectations for students to assume responsibility for their own individual
learning. Students are also expected to achieve academic excellence by:

• Honoring Tarleton’s core values

• Upholding high standards of habit and behavior
• Maintaining excellence through class Blackboard participation and punctuality
• Preparing for active participation in all learning experiences
• Putting forth their best individual effort
• Continually improving as independent learners
• Engaging in extracurricular opportunities that encourage personal and academic
growth
• Reflecting critically upon feedback and applying these lessons to meet future
challenges

Academic Affairs Service Statement

Tarleton faculty, staff, and students are expected to model responsible citizenship through
service activities that promote personal and academic growth while enhancing the university,
local, regional, national, and global communities. These activities will foster a culture of
academic/public engagement that contributes to the achievement of the university’s mission and
core values.

Tarleton State University

Mission/Vision/Core Values:

Mission:
Tarleton State University provides an academically challenging education where learning is
grounded in real-world experiences and effective teaching, research, scholarship, and service. As
a member of The Texas A&M University System, Tarleton is rich in history and tradition while
being committed to student success and diversity. Tarleton strives to develop moral and ethical
thinkers, scholars, and leaders who demonstrate civility and integrity, while contributing
meaningfully and responsibly to a global society.

Vision:
Tarleton will be the premier student-focused university in Texas and beyond. We will transform
generations by inspiring discovery, leadership and service through exceptional teaching and
research in vibrant learning communities.

Core Values:
• Integrity
• Leadership
• Tradition
• Civility
• Excellence
• Service
http://www.tarleton.edu/ORG/strategicplan/2016-2020/mission-vision.html

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Grades and Type of F:

Tarleton utilizes a refined grading system as it relates to failing grades in a course based upon the
student’s Blackboard participation, as follows: A student who never attended receives a grade
‘F0’; a student
who stopped attending at some point of the semester receives an ‘FX’ grade; and a student that
who attended the entire semester receives an ‘F’ grade.
http://www.tarleton.edu/registrar/grades.html

University Policy:
Students are responsible for knowing and abiding by the policies and information contained in
the Tarleton Student Handbook. [See the Student Handbook]
http://www.tarleton.edu/studentrules/campus-rules.html

Academic Honesty Statement:

Any student guilty of academic dishonesty, cheating, or plagiarism in academic work shall be
Subject to disciplinary action. [See the Student Handbook] The instructor may initiate
disciplinary action in and case of academic misconduct. Tarleton State University expects its
students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Students guilty of
academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not
limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the
abuse of resource materials. The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each case
of academic dishonesty that occurs in his or her class.

*University Policy and Academic Conduct may be combined.

http://www.tarleton.edu/STULIFE/studentrules/academic-rules.html
http://www.tarleton.edu/STULIFE/studentrules/academic-rules.html

Service Day Statement:

This semester any interested students, and all Tarleton undergraduate students enrolled in any
Thursday class from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, are expected to participate in Service Day. Students
will be able to view, and register for, Service Day projects created by each Academic College in
Texan Sync’s Service Day Portal. Students seeking additional information should seek guidance
from their Academic College or Academic Department.
http://www.tarleton.edu/servicelearning/

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Course Information/Expectations

Semester: Fall 2019

Course: MGMT 5310
Professor: John LeCounte, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Professor Office: Business 144, Stephenville Campus
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday (Virtual or Phone)
Instructor Email: [email protected]
Department Phone: 254-968-9098
Department: Management
Required Text: Clawson, J. G. (2012). Level three leadership (5th. Ed.) Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN 9780132556415

Catalog Description: Leadership is explored through the process of developing oneself as a

leader while developing followers. Emphasis is placed upon learning the skills necessary to lead
through the ethical use of influence in order to achieve organizational strategic goals. MGMT
5310 is an advanced course which emphasizes the importance of sound, strategic, ethical
leadership in the workplace. Leadership is viewed as a process that involves the interaction
between the leader, the followers, and the situation. The major classic and newer contemporary
theories of leadership will be studied. Theories and concepts from other related behavioral
disciplines are explored in support of a multi-disciplinary approach.

Prerequisites: Graduate Student Classification

Course Format is Online:

This course is being offered in an online format. The course runs for the entire eight-week term.
Each week there will be a learning module/unit that contains readings, assignments, and
discussion threads that focus on a specific topic. Student interaction and participation online
is required. It is the student’s responsibility to read all assigned content and complete each
assignment and actively engage in discussions.
Course Objectives:
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an understanding of leadership and
practices of leadership development applicable to all forms of organizations. Students will
understand the development of leadership theory and develop abilities to recognize and
understand individual leadership approaches from both themselves and others.

Topic/Learning Module Outline:

Topics to be covered include:
1. Defining Leadership
2. Types of Leaders
3. Leadership Qualities, Traits and Personalities
4. Leadership Skills
5. Leadership Styles
6. Leadership Theories
7. Leader as Change Agent and Visionary
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8. Leading Teams
9. Leadership and Culture
10. Ethics and Conflicts

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND WEIGHTING

Professionalism 100 Points

Homework Assignments 100 Points
SWOT Analysis Paper 100 Points
Reflection Journal 100 Points
Threaded Discussions 100 Points
Literature Review Paper 100 Points
_________________________________________________________
Total 600 Points

Professionalism (100 points). In a discussion-based class it is your responsibility to be thoroughly

prepared to discuss course related topics and complete in class individual and group assignments.
Hence, Blackboard participation is essential for full consideration of 100 points. A critical
component of the course is spirited, informed discussion and attending class lectures. Many people
are intimidated by the “obligation” of thoughtful communication contributions in class. Don’t be.
Your anxiety will be reduced only through practice. Please keep in mind that the only measurable
outputs of your professionalism grade are class Blackboard participation frequency, professional
courtesy, and interpersonal relations.

Homework Assignments (100 points). The course textbook has a wealth of leadership and
management information. Some of the textbook assignments include case studies, quizzes, and
management assessments. All the assignments broaden student management knowledge. The
broadening of management knowledge enhances student critical thinking competencies of which
typically yields benefits during exams and team consulting projects.

SWOT Analysis Paper (100 points)

Your SWOT analysis paper consists of you identifying a chief executive officer (CEO) of a
publicly traded company. Additionally, you must identify the CEOs leadership style,
organizational performance results and provide detailed evidence as to why you believe the correct
leadership style was identified. Conduct a SWOT analysis specifically detailing the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the CEOs leadership based on reputable sources.
Reputable sources include: (a) journal articles (e.g., Academy of Management Review, Human
Resource Management Review and Leadership Quarterly), (b) the company’s website, (c) the
Wallstreet Journal, (d) the Economist, (e) Success Magazine, (f) the CEO Magazine, and (g) the
Chief Executive Magazine. A SWOT analysis guides you to identify the positives and negatives
inside the organization (Strength & Weakness) and outside of it, in the external environment
(Opportunity & Threat). The paper must be 5-7 pages in APA format. The 5-7-page requirement
does not include a title page and references. The SWOT Analysis paper is Due April 12, 2019.

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Reflection Journal
Each participant should keep a journal which provides a session by session reflection on
specifics of (a) your personal leadership observations from that session and (b) how your
personal leadership observations inform behaviors in academic, professional, and personal
situations on a bi-weekly basis. Your headers for the journal will be academic, professional, and
personal experiences. APA guidelines will be utilized for evaluating your journals structure. For
example, title page; abstract; journal’s body; and conclusion. You are being evaluated on the
thoroughness of the three sections mentioned above. Write about the challenging situations; your
feelings; your perceptions of others; discuss what went well; and what you will consider doing
differently. Each bi-weekly assignment is worth 25 points.

Reflections are to be written at the end of two-week period, approximately two typed page
(max). The reflection journal is due May 4, 2019.

Due Dates Potential

Points
March 30 25
April 6 25
April 20 25
May 4 25
______________________________________________________________________________
Total 100 points
Threaded Discussions (100 Points)
Beginning in unit 1 and every unit thereafter, there will be a discussion thread(s) that addresses
the specific topics we will be looking at during the week. You are expected to post an initial
response to the discussion thread NO LATER THAN Saturday evening and respond to at least
two other classmate’s comments by Saturday @11:59 pm EST, to receive consideration for the
full 25 points for that week. Additional responses will not only improve your class participation
grade to 25 out of 25 but will also generate additional class discussions which could enhance the
learning experience. All discussions will end at 11:59pm each Saturday! Each new week will
start on Sunday! The earlier you respond, the easier for your peers to do as well. Please don’t
wait until Saturday evening to post replies. LATE submissions will have 8 points deducted.

Your responses should be more than "I agree," or "I disagree". They should be supported with
complimentary information or good rebuttals, which give substance to your comments. I will
read responses to the discussion threads and will give you appropriate and timely feedback, as
needed.
The purpose of these threaded discussions is to encourage you to share your professional and
personal experiences. However, any questions or comments, which you wish to share solely with
me as your professor, should be sent via "e-mail". Please note that there will be three sections
that must be completed within the specified due dates.

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Due Dates Potential

Points
March 30 25
April 06 25
April 13 25
April 20 25
_____________________________________________________________________________
Total 100 points
Literature Review Paper (100 Points)
Each student in the class will do a combination literature review/project (8-10 pages plus
references) that will begin with an investigation of either Fiedler's Contingency Theory, LMX
Theory, or Path-Goal Theory. You must provide a comprehensive rationale for selecting the
theory. The paper should contain at least five published articles about the leadership theory and
how it can be applied for leadership development programs for executives in organizations. The
paper must be center on reputable sources that describe the leadership theory. Reputable
sources include: (a) journal articles (e.g., Academy of Management Journal, Journal of
Leadership and Organizational Studies, Human Resource Management Review, Management
Perspectives, and Leadership Quarterly). The goal of your paper must be positioned on how the
organization benefits from the research project. You are encouraged to write about anything
related to the theory that you have learned that is as original as possible. The write up should cite
relevant literature throughout the paper and follow APA format. You must provide at least 3
references. The literature review paper is Due May 5, 2019.

Most days have additional text and supplemental readings to accompany the case or exercise.
Excellent participation incorporates the lessons from these readings into the case or exercise.
Additional readings will normally not be reviewed separately – you are assumed to have read
and understood them.

Since this is a discussion-based course, I consider online Blackboard participation to be very

important. Meaningful posts and responses to postings of peers is how I track Blackboard
participation and participation. Some of the behaviors that contribute to effective class
participation are captured in the questions that follow:

a) Is the participant a good discussion contributor?

b) Are the points that are made relevant to the discussion? Are they linked to the comments
of others?
c) Do the comments add to our understanding of the situation?
d) Do the comments show evidence of analysis of the case?
e) Does the participant distinguish among different kinds of data (that is, facts, opinions,
beliefs, concepts, etc.)?
f) Is there a willingness to share?
g) Is there a willingness to test new ideas, or are all comments "safe"? (For example,
repetition of case facts without analysis and conclusions or a comment already made by a
colleague.)
h) Is the participant willing to interact with other class members?

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i) Do comments clarify and highlight the important aspects of earlier comments and lead to
a clearer statement of the concepts being covered?
j) Does the student ask questions rather than limit participation to responding to others’
questions?
k) Does the student behave professionally? You will be expected to treat this class like you
would any other business situation. Please see the administrative policies section for more
details on the definition of professionalism.

Course Objectives
• Understanding what leadership is and is not: By analyzing real life cases from diverse
contexts, you should be able to have a more relevant and practical idea of the scope and
limitations of leadership.
• Developing the skills needed to lead: By understanding the conduct of actual leaders and
analyzing the effectiveness of their conduct, you should be able to further develop the
natural leadership skills you already possess and leverage them more effectively in
complex organizational situations.
• Understanding your own mindscape as a leader: Since effective leadership requires you
to be aware of your own assumptions about leadership, your unarticulated preferences
and unconscious style, we would , through discussion of actual cases, try to identify,
comprehend, and critique our own assumptions and attitudes towards leaders and leading.
• Developing a personal agenda for successful integration of course concepts into your
work/life
• By the end of this course, you should have gained substantial insight into how best to
harness your natural inclinations to lead toward a more successful management of your
career path, perhaps even laying out a new one.

Learning Objectives
• To become aware of strengths and weaknesses in one’s leadership behavior
• Analyze the numerous approaches of leadership development and critically evaluate how
they may be applied in practice
• To understand how the most successful leaders can influence followers through
effective communication of well-reasoned ideas, proposals and values
• To systematically train and improve one’s leadership effectiveness
• Apply concepts of leadership and effective communication to individuals, groups, and
organizations
• Improve one’s self leadership skills through effective emotion regulation and emotional
Intelligence

Course Learning and Teaching Methodology

The learning and teaching methodology for this course is designed specifically for the adult
learner. In that context students are expected to interact with the professor and other students

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through the online classroom. Students are encouraged to ask clarifying questions and to discuss
the module topics using critical thinking skills and to reinforce learning through personal
examples. The professor will utilize a variety of teaching methodologies that derive from course
textbook information; popular press; videos; and discussions.
Learning techniques used to foster adult learning principles include, but are not limited to:
Threaded Discussions
To acknowledge and encourage students to reference their background and share their expertise
with classmates, some topics will be covered through threaded discussions. Small group
discussions will also be used as it allows a small group to dig deeper into a topic. The discussion
will start with questions posed by the professor or questions associated with a relevant case
study. Students will share their own experiences as they relate to the subject matter. Those
students who are more familiar with the topic can explain to the class their points of view.

All students are expected to participate actively in the discussion. Active participation implies
posting messages and visiting the online classroom at least 3 times per week, responding to at
least two other students’ postings, and adding to the discussion by sharing personal experiences
and/or external references such as books, articles, etc. to keep the discussion active.
Student Responsibilities
1. Make wise use of resources provided including text, online class materials, course
instructor, other students, and current publications.
2. All references (direct quote or idea for an external source) must be noted using APA
citation style. You will find an APA Sample Paper online site located at
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_g
uide/apa_sample_paper.html.
3. Actively participate in online discussions by using good online etiquette, submit
assignments on time, be fully prepared, and ready and willing to participate. Class
participation is essential. *Make sure you are familiar with online etiquette, by
visiting http://www.netmanners.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
4. Written assignments should be clear, concise, and relevant. Appropriate grammar and
form are expected.
5. Planning and organizing your time are critical in an online course. Please take a few
minutes at the beginning of the course to schedule dates/times to complete each
assignment. A “typical” graduate class requires 36-45 hours per semester to complete.
As a word of advice, please, do not wait until the last moment to complete your work. If you do,
you run the risk of experiencing unanticipated problems that might prevent you from completing
the work on time. Whenever possible, consider alternative schedules.

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6. Make sure you keep a backup of all your work. Even if you submit your homework on
time, there is no guarantee that your work will reach its destination as expected. Your
instructor may contact you in case there are any problems. Remember, you are
responsible for making sure your work receives proper credit, and this includes it is
successful submitted.
Welcome to the elective course in Leadership!
• Do you wish to rise to the top and lead a large organization someday?
• Are you planning to be an entrepreneur and make your mark?
• Do you want to do good after doing well in your career and start your own philanthropy?
• Do you simply wish to know why some leaders succeed while others fail?
• Do you wish to analyze and understand your own potential for leadership?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, this course will benefit you. It is meant for those who
wish to better understand and further develop their innate potential and propensity to lead others.
As you rise in your career, you will need multiple and often conflicting constituencies on board
to follow your vision. But if you don’t lead, others will not follow. This course will help you
toward honing some of the essential self-reflective skills you need to give form and substance to
such vision. This course will also be of value to those who wish to have a broad intellectual
understanding of the context of leading and the content of leadership.
By the end of this course, you should be able to answer the following questions about yourself:
• Am I a good leader? If so, how do I get better at this? If not, what is preventing me from
developing my leadership potential?
• When I lead, who follows?
• How do I know what separates a great leader from a merely good one?
• Even if I know what makes a great leader, how do I develop that skill set?
• How do I use such skill set to rethink, reframe and revision my career/life choices?

What is leadership? James McGregor Burns calls it in his opus “one of the most observed and
least understood phenomena on earth”. He is right. If you google the word, you get over
270,000,000hits! If you do a title search on amazon.com for books on this subject, you get at
least 7,700 listings. For example, consider the listings of leadership definitions:
• You cannot manage men into battle. You manage things; you lead people.
• a leader . . . is one who can persuade people to do what they don't want to do...and like it.
• Leadership is the ability of a superior to influence the behavior of a subordinate or group
and persuade them to follow a course of action.
• What can a leader do? He can provide a vision. That’s all he can do.
• A leader reflects his people.
• Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself
before others and you can become a leader among men.
• Managers have subordinates—leaders have followers.

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All these perspectives are, of course, true in some sense. In this course, rather than defining
what leadership is, we will instead analyze, through several case studies, what leaders do,
how they do it and how they do it differently from others, and with what consequences.
Administrative Policies

Policy on Tarleton State University’s College of Business Classroom Professionalism. The

highest professional standards are expected of all members of the community. The collective class
reputation and the value of the undergraduate program experience hinges on this. Faculty are
expected to be professional and prepared to deliver value for each class session. Students are
expected to be professional in all respects. The classroom experience is enhanced when:
• Students arrive on time. On time arrival ensures that classes can start and finish at the
scheduled time. On time arrival shows respect for both fellow students and faculty and it
enhances learning by reducing avoidable distractions.
• Students display their name cards. This permits fellow students and faculty to learn names,
enhancing opportunities for community building and evaluation of in-class contributions.
• Students minimize unscheduled personal breaks. The learning environment improves when
disruptions are limited.
• Students are fully prepared for each class. Much of the learning in the undergraduate
program takes place during classroom discussions. When students are not prepared they cannot
contribute to the overall learning process. This affects not only the individual, but their peers
who count on them, as well.
• Students respect the views and opinions of their colleagues. Disagreement and debate are
encouraged. Intolerance for the views of others is unacceptable.
• Laptops should only be used for this class. When students are surfing the web, responding
to e-mail, instant messaging each other, and otherwise not devoting their full attention to the
topic at hand they are doing themselves and their peers a major disservice. Those around them
face additional distraction. Fellow students cannot benefit from the insights of the students
who are not engaged. Faculty office hours are spent going over class material with students
who chose not to pay attention, rather than truly adding value by helping students who want a
better understanding of the material or want to explore the issues in more depth. Students with
real needs may not be able to obtain adequate help if faculty time is spent repeating what was
said in class. There are often cases where learning is enhanced using laptops in class. Faculty
will let you know when it is appropriate to use them. In such cases, professional behavior is
exhibited when misuse does not take place.
• Phones and wireless devices are turned off. We’ve all heard the annoying ringing in the
middle of a meeting. Not only is it not professional, it cuts off the flow of discussion when the
search for the offender begins. When a true need to communicate with someone outside of
class exists (e.g., for some medical need) please inform the professor prior to class.

You must use APA writing style. You must submit a reference page. Please refer to the
following APA writing style links:

APA: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
** I reserve the right to make changes to any part of this syllabus including assignments and/or topics as needed **

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The final course grade will be based on final averages:

Final Grade:

A 600 – 520 Points

B 519 – 480 Points
C 479 – 400 Points
D 399 – 300 Points
FO Failed & never attended
FX Failed & last date attended prior to last class day
F Failed & last date was last class day

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