Leading and Managing Change G (9802.1)

This unit discusses the difference between management and leadership. It evaluates the qualities of leadership required during a period of significant change where business as usual is no longer possible and government is expected to innovate by example. The unit covers the internal management of organisations and the products or services generated in the public sector. Sound judgement is required to lead large, complex, public sector organisations in conditions that include unpredictable elements. Themes in this unit include negotiating the organisation's task environment, understanding and managing risks, structuring work processes, mainstreaming innovation cultures and processes, and delivering complex national programs. It aims to support managers to become leaders and be more reflective about their practices, seeing themselves as part of a broader system. The unit promotes greater efficacy, system-thinking, and contextual awareness in public sector managers.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Understand the foundational concepts and models associated with leadership and change management in public administration;
2. Articulate the emerging policy challenges to government, across different portfolios, and the role of leadership therein;
3. Analyse the tensions between competing approaches to public management in the context of incremental and radical changes to governing structures;
4. Critically evaluate the nature of leadership and its relationship to policy outcomes across a range of substantive policy areas; and
5. Demonstrate these competencies in a project, incorporating original research on dimensions of leadership and change in public administration.

Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology

Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.