06260278 - Responsible leadership

This course concerns the concept of responsible leadership and similar leadership styles. Students will get familiar with different paradigms and models in this field. 

According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2020, 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025, as adoption of technology increases and changes in the environment. Critical thinking and problem-solving top the list of skills employers believe will grow in prominence in the next five years. Newly emerging are skills in self-management such as active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility. As a first step, and to be a “good” and responsible manager and leader in this new world, students need to get familiar with these realities. 

The aim of this course is to provide participants with some of the most recent concepts and models of new leadership styles and with the concept of responsible leadership which encompasses 4 dimensions:
 

1. The ethical / responsible person;
2. The ethical / responsible manager and leader;
3. Responsible stakeholder relationships
4. Sustainable growth focus

One of the course aims is to give participants the opportunity to reflect critically about themselves, the others, their future roles as a manager etc. The aim is also to co-construct a “toolbox” when analyzing, interpreting, and managing these new realities.

Estimation of private study (outside of contact hours): 20 hours

DIMENSION OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Corporate Social Responsibility is an important part of the lecture (Sustainable growth focus).
The participants are encouraged to act and learn in accordance with the ethical standards and norms defined by the iaelyon (Charte de Responsabilité Sociétale et des engagements des membres de la communauté de l'iaelyon)

TARGETED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 

Acquire knowledge on leadership styles (definitions, key concepts, schools of thought, methods, tools…), BUT, more importantly…
Give the participants the opportunity to…

• train analytical thinking
• learn actively and to develop or improve their own learning strategies
• solve (complex) problems
• think critically
• get creative and show initiative
• train their leadership skills and get aware of areas that they are good at and others where they  need / want to improve
• train their resilience to stress and to get more flexible
• develop new ideas 

in a safe environment!

COURSE OUTLINE

1. Introduction to « Responsible Leadership » - Between strategy and ethics

2. Responsible leadership and other (overlapping) leadership styles: Ethical leadership, Servant leadership, Authentic leadership, Transformational leadership…
 
3. The 4 dimensions of responsible leadership and associated theories 
a. A responsible / moral person (Social cognitive theory)
b. A responsible / moral manager & leader (Social learning theory)
c. Responsible stakeholder relationships (Stakeholder theory)
d. Sustainable growth focus (People, Planet, Profit)

4. Students’ presentations to be chosen from the following list of topics:

Topic 1:  Book review: Responsible leadership and AI
Topic 2:  Critical analysis: The leader as a hero? Do we need a new leadership model?
Topic 3:  Critical reflection: Responsible leadership across cultures (1) Africa – Are moral questions and answers universal?
Topic 4: Critical reflection: Responsible leadership across cultures (2) Asian vs. Western Views –  Are moral questions and answers universal?
Topic 5: Critical analysis: Do we need more labels to be more responsible? “Entreprise à mission”, B-Corp, Responsibility Europe…CSR-Labels… 
Topic 6: Following leading examples? Choose and present one or several responsible leaders or companies – Explain if and what we can possibly learn from them? Justify!
Topic 7: Reach out to a local initiative or company that is involved in a responsible action or putting companies in the center of responsible actions (eg. Time for the Planet, Goodness & Co., Global Shapers Community -Lyon Hub…), interview the leaders and decision makers and present your central findings.

5. Agile Awareness Program – A serious game to help discover one’s own leadership style

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PRESCRIBED TEXTS AND PUBLICATIONS

AGARWAL, S. / BHAL, K.T. (2020): A multidimensional measure of responsible leadership: Integrating Strategy and Ethics.- Group & Organization Management, Vol. 45(5), 637-673

VOGTLIN, C.  / PATZER, M./ SCHERER, A.G. (2017): Responsible Leadership in Global Business: A New Approach
to Leadership and Its Multi-Level Outcomes. – Journal of Business Ethics (2012) 105:1–16
DOI 10.1007/s10551-011-0952-4

RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND PUBLICATIONS

BADAROCCO, Joseph L (2001): We don’t need another hero. (HBR 09/2001) https://hbr.org/2001/09/we-dont-need-another-hero 

EDMONDSON, Amy (2018): The fearless organization. Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth

ENSLIN, C. / WOLFSWINKEL, M. / TERBLANCHE-SMIT, M. (2023): Responsible leadership through purpose-driven brand building: Guidelines for leaders in Africa.- South African Journal of Business Management, 54(1), a3427. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v54i1.3427

SCHEIN, Edgar (2017): Organizational culture and leadership.- 5th edition (Available on the digital library of the University Lyon 3)

SCHARMER, Otto (2018): The Essentials of Theory U. Core principles and applications. - (Available on the digital library of the University Lyon 3)

VERHEZEN, P. (2023): Making wise decisions in a Smart World: Responsible Leadership in an Era of Artificial Intelligence

WITT, M. A. / STAHL, G.K. (2016): Foundations of Responsible Leadership: Asian Versus Western
Executive Responsibility Orientations Toward Key Stakeholders. - Journal of Business Ethics 136; p.623-638 

Individual grade
Written test, 30min 

Grading during class
20 min group presentation, Q&A + Feedback

TEACHING METHODS
PPT presentations, individual and group work, break-out sessions, class discussions and presentations, case studies, serious game. 
The active participation of the students is mandatory to make this course an interesting, rich experience.

► Pédagogie : le format World Café séduit les étudiants du Master Commerce Extérieur

NATURE OF MATERIALS
Presentations, case studies, discussions, lecturers, videos (eg. TED,…)

TEACHING INNOVATIONS AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Gaming and in-class live experiment with feedback from lecturer & observers.

PRE-REQUISITES IN TERMS OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

•    Students should have a first experience in an international environment.
•    Openness toward the others, willingness to share experience and knowledge.
•    Ability to question and challenge own frameworks, beliefs, and behavior.
•    A good understanding of basic business functions is mandatory.

ADVISED PRIOR READING
VOGTLIN, C. (2017): What is responsible leadership? https://managemagazine.com/article-bank/leadership/what-responsible-leadership/

RESOURCES AVAILABLE
Digital library of the University Lyon 3 in order to search and read, according to students’ learning needs (self-driven and – directed learning)