Unit information: Contemporary leadership challenges in 2026/27

Please note: Programme and unit information may change as the relevant academic field develops. We may also make changes to the structure of programmes and assessments to improve the student experience.

Unit name Contemporary leadership challenges
Unit code EFIMM0035
Credit points 20
Level of study M/7
Teaching block(s) Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director Professor. Abbey
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

None

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

None

School/department School of Management - Business School
Faculty Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Unit Information

Why is this unit important?

The next decade will bring new and ever more complex challenges for organisations and their leaders. To be effective in leading strategic change you will need to develop yourself and your teams, not just to survive, but to thrive. This unit discusses leadership challenges associated with a changing global business context and how this is shaping organisational responses in terms of their purpose, governance, technology, skills and developing new opportunities for good growth.

How does this unit fit into your programme of study

This unit connects perspectives from theories and practice of leadership, strategy and change to support you in consolidating learning from across the programme and to consider the implications for your development as a leader.

Your learning on this unit

An overview of content

This unit discusses such challenges as globalisation and the changing structure of the business environment, CSR approaches and issues, dealing with turbulence and resistance, and issues around employee relations and governance.

Throughout the unit and in the assessment the aim is to draw on the models, ideas, and perspectives from across the whole MSc. In this way, this is also intended as preparation for capstone project, which will also be discussed on this unit.

How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit

As a result of this unit, students will gain an understanding of the key leadership challenges associated with a changing global business context and how this is shaping organisational responses.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the unit, students should be able to:

  1. Critically evaluate the role of leaders especially in relation to globalisation and the changing structure of the business environment.
  2. Examine the core issues involved in employee relations and governance.
  3. Compare a range of approaches to ethics and CSR issues.
  4. Identify and describe a range of issues relevant to change management and employee resistance.

How you will learn

Teaching will be delivered through a combination of mini-lectures, group and plenary discussions, Question and Answer sessions, reflection exercises and case-study discussions.

This includes asynchronous structured learning (collaborative/peer to peer tasks, pre-recorded videos on Teams or similar, quizzes, multiple choice questions and exercises), synchronous virtual learning as well as in-person or hybrid sessions.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):

Short individual written assignments, or equivalent, to demonstrate understanding of relevant academic literature, theories and models.

Groupwork assessment (formative only) intended for students to apply what they are learning, receive [oral] feedback from lecturers on their progress, and create a virtual community among participants. This will take the form of a 10-minute presentation.

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

Individual 3,000 words reflective writing combining theory, practice and personal learning. This will assess all the Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs).

When assessment does not go to plan

Where students have failed an assignment and are eligible to resubmit, the resubmission will be a new piece of work in the same format and word count as the original assignment.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EFIMM0035).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.

The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.