Critical Review of Power and Modern Leadership Practices

Academic Analysis

A critical review of Power and Modern Leadership Practices using practical examples from business (2,000 words excluding appendices) & including your self-reflective piece (500 words) Demonstrate an understanding of the role of Power, Influence and Ethics on modern leadership practices 
 
For this assessment you are required to explore the role of Power, Politics and Conflict in relation to what happens in real organisations. This is an individual piece of 1,500 words in which you will demonstrate your understanding and application of the concepts of Power, Politics, ethics and Conflict as well as your self reflection.

Using relevant academic theory studied on the module you must critique how power, politics, ethics and conflict are used by the leader you critique in your video,  in business and how theory can help shed light on solutions.You can either write your review as an essay, which should be clearly structured, or else divide it into sections, with titles, headings and subheadings as appropriate - shown below: You must use a specific case study or several business examples as well as academic referencing for the material studied on the module to develop your critical review. The main aim is to demonstrate your understanding of the theory how you link Theory to Practice – How can you use your real-life organisational examples or a case study to demonstrate how the theory on Power, Politics and Conflict is reflected in real business life?
 
1. Introduction (approx 250 words). You need to state the aims and objectives of your critical review. Introduce the key concepts, ideas, theories, theorists you will use in relation to power, politics and conflict. Identify which real-life examples you will use from industry to apply the theory to.
 
2. Academic Analysis (approx 1000 words), where you briefly evaluate all of the three concepts ( see below) we have studied in relation to practical business cases and examples e.g. Apple/ Samsung
 
•    Power – Discuss the concept of Power in leadership and business. Drawing on the leader you used in your video as well as  texts/ case examples used in the module apply the key concepts to show your understanding e.g. Machiavelli, French and Raven’s 6 Bases of Power, power in negotiation
 
•    Politics – what is meant by organisational politics? How could you reference the theory? and what role does organisational politics play in the real-life organisational example(s) you have chosen?
 
•    Conflict – What is the nature of the conflict? How was it created and what impact does it have on the outcome for the organisation?
 
•    Use relevant Harvard Business Referencing
 
•    Linking Theory to Practice – How can you use your real-life organisational examples to demonstrate how the theory on Power, Politics and Conflict is reflected in real business life?
 
Bring together the ideas and theories you discuss in relation to the real-life business examples. State how you have achieved the aims and objectives of your review. You should identify the core the issues in relation to Power, Politics and Conflict. Write how the assignment has helped you understand the theory and how this is applied in a business setting.

AND INCLUDE
 
LO3: Identify their own leadership traits, style, skills e.g. negotiation, communication, and behaviours and create a leadership self-reflective piece to demonstrate their new understanding and evidence how they might apply this in their future career leadership roles.
         
This part of your portfolio is an opportunity for you to put yourself centre stage and explore your learning on the module. You will reflect on what you have learned and evaluate how your engagement with the theory/ models/ questionnaires can support your professional, academic and personal development. Using actual examples, you will consider what has specifically challenged and broadened your thinking. It is an opportunity for creative, individual expression and to evidence how you will use this new learning to support you in your future career and job roles.
 
To conduct your self-reflection ask and answer:
 
What have I learned - specifically?
How has that impacted or influenced me?
How have I changed – my Thinking? my skills? my approach? my behaviour?
How can I use this new self-awareness and new knowledge to develop my leadership skills and approaches in the workplace?
 
You should consider the following 3 core areas:
 
Self-Reflective Statement (approximately 500 words)
 
a.    Academic – what specific areas of academic learning have impacted you most? How and why? What do you now know about your leadership traits and skills – and what will you do differently? - how will this help you in the workplace? How do you view your use of power in your job/ potential job? What articles, cases or youtube clips developed or challenged your thinking and learning?
b.    Practice – what new skills, tools and techniques have you learned? e. g. critical analysis? Academic writing skills? Presentation skills? Research? Collaboration? Negotiation? How will this help you in your career?

c.    Personal – what have you learned about you in relation to what you have studied on the module? e.g. knowledge, skills, abilities, increased confidence, type of leader, understanding power? Your negotiation skills? How could you use your learning to support you in your job/ career better or get a promotion e.g. how might you use ‘power’ in your job and career differently now? How are you developing into an ethical leader?