Leadership and Change Management (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

H-5

Content scheduling

This course is intended primarily for students in the MBA in Business Management (Group YBINBK25) and secondarily for others if there are enough places available.

The detailed execution plan of the course can be found in ITSLEARNING -system.

The contact teaching days:
1 st day: On Thursday 25.9.2025, between 9-16.00 in the classroom: ???
2 nd day: On Friday 24.10.2025, between 9-16.00, in the classroom ???

Objective

After completing the course, the student:
-understands the difference between management and leadership
-knows the key theories of leadership and can implement this knowledge in his/her work as a leader
-understands individual differences and is able to take this into account when leading people
-knows when leadership is not needed
-can lead individuals and teams effectively and ethically
-knows the key change management theories and models and can implement them in practice as a change manager and leader
-is able to lead himself/herself
-knows his/her own development needs as a leader and has made the plan how to develop himself/herself as a leader

Content

-Management and leadership
-Leadership theories
-Substitutes of leadership
-Ethical leadership
-Thomas International Test
-How to lead in practice individuals and teams
-Key change management theories
-Own development needs as a leader

Materials

This course is based on the following materials:
* Free/Optional surveys/tests, like Thomas International Self Assessment or Thomas HPTI Test
* Text book: Leadership in Organizations (Gary Yukl)(4 th or newer edition) eBook at Turku University of Applied Sciences Library
* Materials (Copies of Articles) delivered by teacher during the contact days
* Materials in ITSLEARNING -system:
- Lectures of Keijo Varis, etc.
- Videos
- Copies of Articles and Book Chapters

Teaching methods

Multi-Form (lectures, videos, individual and group assignments)

Exam schedules

No tests; three (3) written group and individual home assignments. Read more information from ITSLEARNING -system.

No other way to complete the course.

Pedagogic approaches and sustainable development

Multi-Form (lectures, videos, individual and group assignments).
Among the dimensions of sustainability, this course focuses on the social responsibility of management, ethics and staff well-being, so that everyone can retire in good health at the end of their careers. The assumption is that well-being at work contributes to organisational productivity and efficiency.

Completion alternatives

No tests; three (3) written group and individual home assignments. Read more information from ITSLEARNING -system.

No other way to complete the course.

Student workload

No pre-assignment. Two (2) written group assignments and one (1) written individual home assignment. Read more information from ITSLEARNING -system.

The scope is 5 cr= 135 hours student´s work: Contact teaching days=16 hours and own reading+making home assignments=119 hours

Evaluation methods and criteria

Evaluation:
The grading of the course is 1-5 and is based on the mean of the grades of all home assignments:
- All home assignments must be approved (minimum grade is Done/Approved or 1)
- The grading is based on the theoretical and practical content of the assignments.
- More detailed information on the grading can be found in the execution plan in ITSLEARNING -system and will be explained at the beginning of the first contact teaching day.

To pass the course, students must attend at least one contact teaching day.

The use of AI in learning tasks is forbidden, as the course is based on a core set of learning materials, which can be found in the ITSLEARNING repository. Feeding it into the AI is prohibited

Failed (0)

A student (s) did not return all the learning tasks. The returned answers to the learning tasks do not correspond to the assignments, and are too general, and do not correspond to the theories/issues covered in the course.

The student has not participated in any contact teaching days.

The use of AI in learning tasks is forbidden, as the course is based on a core set of learning materials, which can be found in the ITSLEARNING repository. Feeding it into the AI is prohibited.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

A student(s) has/have returned all learning tasks. The answers returned to the learning tasks correspond to the assignments, but are rather general/ superficial, and only to some extent correspond to the theories/questions covered in the course and only contain superficial discussion/reflection on personal experiences/ situations in own organisations.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

A student(s) has/have returned all learning tasks. The answers returned to the learning tasks correspond to the assignment and are in-depth and correspond comprehensively to the theories/questions covered in the course and include a comprehensive/deep discussion/reflection on personal experiences/situations in their own organisations.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

A student(s) has/have returned all the learning tasks. The answers returned to the learning tasks are relevant and in-depth to the assignment and correspond very well/comprehensively to the theories/questions covered in the course and include a comprehensive/deep discussion/reflection on personal experiences/situations in own organisations. In addition, the answers to the learning tasks also include theories and perspectives that are relevant to the task but not covered in the contact teaching or ITSLEARNINGI learning material. In other words, the student(s) has (have) engaged in in-depth and extensive self-study in addition to the learning material provided, without abandoning the learning material provided in the course.

Further information

Email: keijo.varis@turkuamk.fi