THE PSYCHOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING - 2025/6

Module Overview

The module is an introduction to leadership, commonly defined as the process through which individuals influence and are influenced by one or more people to accomplish group/organisational goals. It is one of the most important determinants of employee well-being and performance as well as organisational effectiveness. A central part of effective leadership is decision making and some scholars regard leaders as no less than "decision architects", which means that leaders do not just create their own decision-making environments but also those of other individuals and groups in organisations. This module seeks to enable a critical evaluation of different approaches to leadership and decision making in organisational settings and to help students understand the determinants of leadership and decision-making effectiveness and leadership development.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

COJUHARENCO Irina (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Leadership theory


• Decision-making theory


• Ethical leadership


• Evidence-based practice


• Negotiation


• Leadership development

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

n/a

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate advanced critical and conceptual understanding of leadership and decision making, as well as develop practical and self-reflective skills relevant to their professional careers.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Coursework

Formative assessment

Verbal feedback from peers and the module team at the end of class activities and in specially designated discussion classes, as well as during writing lab sessions to support the preparation of the final assignment (coursework).

 

Feedback

In writing and verbal feedback from peers and the module team based on in-class activities and during the writing lab.

Module aims

• Develop awareness and understanding of concepts, theories and processes of leadership effectiveness in organisations
• Develop awareness and understanding of concepts, theories and processes of decision-making in organisations
• Develop awareness of own leadership style and decision-making effectiveness and the ability to analyse critically the leadership and decision-making of others

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to enable students to develop a practical and critical theoretical perspective on leadership and decision-making in organisations.
 
The learning and teaching methods include live and/or on-demand:

Lectures/lecturettes

Individual self-reflection exercises and activities

Debates and other small-group activities

Analyses of case studies

Guest lecturers/interviews with practitioners

Writing labs

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM361

Other information

Digital Capabilities

Students are provided with opportunities to engage with module content, groupwork and assignments using technologies that enable both face-to-face, remote and hybrid collaboration and learning.

Global and cultural intelligence

Students are encouraged to have a voice in the classroom and as part of digital discussion platforms; listen to, debate and seek common ground in diverse perspectives on leadership and decision-making from a range of countries, cultures and environments represented in the classroom.

Resourcefulness and resilience

Students are encouraged to attempt novel roles that require visioning, problem-solving, relationship-building and facilitation skills valued by employers, and respond positively to challenges, difficulties and setbacks of their learning journey.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.