Content

This course is structured into two distinct parts. First, students will learn about leadership and will work on developing their leadership potential. A large body of research findings points towards leaders’ characteristics as antecedents of individual, group, and organizational outcomes. This course will guide students over a century of leadership research and perspectives, such as trait, behavioral, or contextual theories of leadership. Students will learn to think critically about the effectiveness of leadership behaviors, the boundary conditions of leadership theories, and how to better influence others. Second, students will learn about the behavioral science of decision-making and receive an overview of its most relevant theories, concepts, and research for decision leadership in organizations. Offering a historical and future-oriented behavioral scientific lens on fairness, cooperation, ethics, and evidence-based practice in organizations, the course also stimulates students to think critically about the implications of leadership and decision-making techniques. Finally, students will learn to detect obstacles to effective decision-making in themselves and others and identify ways to overcome these.

Course material

Lecture slides will be available in PDF format from Ultra. Any compulsory or optional readings or video will also be made available on Ultra.

There is no mandatory course book reading. Interested students may find the following volumes useful:

https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/the-nature-of-leadership/book242522

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-22902-000

For each lecture, we will upload optional scientific readings on Ultra. These readings will not be exam material but serve for interested students who want to dig deeper into certain aspects of the course.

Language of instruction: more information

Course language will be in English

Format: more information

Through pre-class videos, in-class lectures, and constructive discussion, we will cover a vast amount of state-of-the-art research with a particular emphasis on knowledge development and critical thinking.

To ensure the best learning experience, we expect students to attend all lectures prepared (e.g., keep up with mandatory course readings, come to class prepared by having watched the relevant class materials) and to engage in open discussions during lectures. When students actively participate, everyone benefits from a more positive learning environment and the class becomes more interesting and fun.