OLA2014 Leadership

    • Course code
      OLA2014
    • Number of credits
      7,5
    • Teaching semester
      2025 Autumn
    • Language of instruction
      English
    • Campus
      Lillehammer
    • Required prerequisite knowledge

      No special requirements.

Course content

Leadership is essential and linked to the success or failure of most organizations. Leadership skills are important to have because a good leader may bring out the best abilities in his/her team members and guide them to work together in achieving a shared goal. A good leader is also organized and keeps the team on track and focused, and is prepared to make important decisions. This course provides students with a theoretical and practical link between management and leadership work and practice. The student will gain insight into leadership processes at differing levels in organizations, how they relate to and are embedded in organizations and society, and how leadership impacts organizational structures, interactions, and policies. The course provides a solid theoretical foundation to lead in both public and private sector organizations. Overall, it will give the student a varied look at the complex phenomenon that leadership poses.

Main Subjects

  • Evolution of leadership theories and practice
  • Emerging leadership styles such as empowering leadership, responsible leadership, value-based leadership, and dyadic leadership behaviors
  • Contemporary issues in leadership, such as virtual leadership
  • Developing leadership skills
  • Leadership in teams and decision groups 
  • Cross-cultural leadership and diversity

Learning Outcome

Upon passing the course, students have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

Students

  • have foundational knowledge of past and emerging theories and research within leadership
  • have specialised insight into core characteristics of leadership behaviours
  • have insights into leadership in contemporary organisations, private, public and not-for-profit
Skills

Students

  • can apply relevant theory, models and concepts to practical problems and challenges related to leadership in different settings
  • can apply relevant forms of expression, discuss concepts, theories and perspectives on leadership
General competence

Students

  • can communicate key subject matters such as theories and issues in leadership and leadership development in different organizational settings
  • can plan and implement various leadership work tasks based on understanding leadership and leadership behaviors
Teaching and working methods
  • Lectures
  • Case studies
  • Discussions
  • Reading groups
  • Written assignment
Required coursework

Individual or group written assignment of 2000 words +/- 10 %, graded pass or fail. This must be passed before the student can sit for the final exam.

Assessments
Form of assessmentGrading scaleGroupingDuration of assessmentSupport materialsProportionComment
Written examination with invigilation
ECTS - A-F
4 Hour(s)
  • No support materials
100
The exam can be answered in Norwegian for students who started their studies in 2022 or 2023.
Professional overlap
NameCreditsDateComment
OLA2010 Ledelse og arbeidsmiljø
Faculty
Inland School of Business and Social Sciences
Department
Department of Organisation, Leadership and Management
Area of study
Økonomisk-administrativ utdanning
Programme of study
Bachelor of Organization and Management
Course level
Intermediate course, level II (200-LN)