Organizational Leadership & Human Dynamics

2. Course Description

This course explores the human side of business. It moves from the Individual (Personality, EQ) to the Group (High-Performance Teams, Conflict) and finally to the System (Culture, Change). The focus is on developing "Social Intelligence"—the ability to influence, negotiate, and lead diverse teams in a digital, hybrid workplace.

3. Course Objectives (Learning Goals)

1. To increase self-awareness regarding personality traits, biases, and leadership style.
2. To master the art of building and sustaining high-performance teams using Psychological Safety.
3. To apply negotiation and conflict resolution strategies in complex business scenarios.
4. To understand organizational culture and lead change effectively.

4. Course Outcomes (COs)

Mapped to Bloom’s Taxonomy and Taxila’s Program Outcomes.

CO Code	Course Outcome Description	Bloom's Level	Primary PO Mapping
CO1	Explain frameworks of personality (Big 5, MBTI), motivation, and group dynamics.	Understand (L2)	PO3 (Leadership)
CO2	Apply Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and motivation theories to resolve workplace conflicts.	Apply (L3)	PO3 (Leadership)
CO3	Analyze team failures and cultural misalignments to diagnose organizational problems.	Analyze (L4)	PO2 (Critical Thinking)
CO4	Evaluate leadership styles and influence tactics suitable for different situations (Situational Leadership).	Evaluate (L5)	PO7 (Ethics)
CO5	Design a change management plan or a team charter for a high-performance unit.	Create (L6)	PO5 (Entrepreneurship)

 

5. CO-PO Articulation Matrix

Correlation: 3 (High), 2 (Medium), 1 (Low)

CO Code	PO1 (Mgmt/ Tech)	PO2 (Crit. Think)	PO3 (Lead/ Team)	PO4 (Comm.)	PO5 (Entrep.)	PO6 (Global/ ESG)	PO7 (Ethics)	PO8 (Life Learn)
CO1	2	1	3	2	-	1	-	2
CO2	1	2	3	3	1	-	2	2
CO3	1	3	3	1	2	1	-	-
CO4	2	2	3	2	1	2	3	-
CO5	1	2	3	2	3	-	-	3
AVG	1.4	2.0	3.0	2.0	1.4	1.0	1.7	1.8

 

6. Assessment Scheme 

 

Component	Marks	Description	Mapped CO
Simulation	20	Taxila Lab Simulations:   • Sim 1 (7 Marks): The Survival Game (Team Decision Making).   • Sim 2 (7 Marks): The Negotiation Lab.   • Sim 3 (6 Marks): The Change Agent.	CO2, CO3
Case Study	10	"The Toxic Leader": Analysis of a leadership failure case (e.g., Uber under Kalanick or WeWork).	CO3, CO4
Presentation	10	"Role Play Challenge": Teams act out a conflict scenario and present their resolution strategy (Session 14).	CO2, CO4
Mid Term	10	Written exam covering Module 1 (Individual Behavior & Motivation).	CO1
Project	10	"The Leader's Interview": Interview a senior corporate leader about a crisis they managed; map it to theory.	CO4
Class Participation	10	Participation in class discussions and activities.	All
End Term	30	Comprehensive written exam covering all modules.	All
Total	100

 

7. Detailed Syllabus & Session Plan

 

Module 1: The Individual in the Organization (Sessions 1-5)

• Session 1: Leadership & Self-Awareness

Topic: The "Johari Window", Big 5 Personality Traits, MBTI.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Robbins, Chapter 5 ("Personality and Values").

Pedagogy: Self-Assessment Test (MBTI/Big 5).

• Session 2: Perception & Decision Making

Topic: Cognitive Biases (Confirmation Bias, Halo Effect) and their impact on hiring/appraisals.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Case: Carter Racing (HBS) - A decision-making trap.

Pedagogy: Case Discussion (Carter Racing).

• Session 3: Emotions & Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Topic: Goleman’s Framework (Self-awareness, Empathy, Social Skills). EQ > IQ.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Robbins, Chapter 4 ("Emotions and Moods").

Pedagogy: Video Analysis (Watch "Invictus" leadership clip).

• Session 4: Motivation in the Modern Workplace

Topic: Maslow to Pink (Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose). Intrinsic vs Extrinsic.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Case: SAS Institute: A Different Approach to Work (HBS).

Pedagogy: Case Discussion.

• Session 5: Taxila Lab Simulation 1

Topic: "The Survival Game": Teams must rank items to survive a crash (e.g., Moon or Desert). Tests individual vs. group decision quality.

Pre-Class Prep: Review "Group Decision Making" concepts in Robbins.

Pedagogy: Simulation Lab (Taxila Lab Sim 1).

Module 2: Group Dynamics & High-Performance Teams (Sessions 6-10)

• Session 6: Foundations of Group Behavior

Topic: Stages of Group Development (Tuckman), Norms, Status, Groupthink.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Case: The Army Crew Team (HBS).

Pedagogy: Case Discussion.

• Session 7: Building High-Performance Teams

Topic: Psychological Safety (Google’s Project Aristotle), Trust, Virtual Teams.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Robbins, Chapter 10 ("Understanding Work Teams").

Pedagogy: Workshop ("The Marshmallow Challenge").

• Session 8: Power & Politics

Topic: Sources of Power, Influence Tactics, Managing Office Politics ethics.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Case: Donna Dubinsky at Apple Computer (HBS).

Pedagogy: Case Discussion.

• Session 9: Conflict & Negotiation

Topic: Distributive vs. Integrative Negotiation (BATNA, ZOPA).

Pre-Class Prep: Read Robbins, Chapter 14 ("Conflict and Negotiation").

Pedagogy: Lecture & Concept Check.

• Session 10: Taxila Lab Simulation 2

Topic: "The Negotiation Lab": A role-play negotiation between Union and Management.

Pre-Class Prep: Review BATNA/ZOPA concepts.

Pedagogy: Simulation Lab (Taxila Lab Sim 2).

Module 3: Leadership & Influence (Sessions 11-15)

• Session 11: Trait vs. Behavioral Theories

Topic: Blake Mouton Grid, Transactional Leadership.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Robbins, Chapter 12 ("Leadership").

Pedagogy: Leadership Style Survey.

• Session 12: Situational & Transformational Leadership

Topic: Hersey-Blanchard Model, Charismatic Leadership, Leading with Vision.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Case: Coach Knight: The Will to Win vs Coach K: Leading the Heart (HBS).

Pedagogy: Comparative Case Study (Toxic vs. Transformational).

• Session 13: Ethical Leadership (ESG Focus)

Topic: Servant Leadership, Corporate Social Responsibility, Whistleblowing.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Article: "The Bathsheba Syndrome: The Ethical Failure of Successful Leaders".

Pedagogy: Ethics Debate.

• Session 14: Presentation Assessment (Role Play)

Topic: Presentation Component (10 Marks): Student teams act out a "Conflict Scenario" and demonstrate resolution using theory.

Pre-Class Prep: Rehearse Role Play.

Pedagogy: Assessment Session.

• Session 15: Taxila Lab Simulation 3

Topic: "The Change Agent": Implementing a new software in a resistant organization. Students choose tactics to win over stakeholders.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Kotter’s 8 Steps of Change.

Pedagogy: Simulation Lab (Taxila Lab Sim 3).

Module 4: Organizational System & Culture (Sessions 16-20)

• Session 16: Organizational Culture

Topic: Elements of Culture, Strong vs. Weak Culture, How Culture is Formed.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Case: Zappos.com: Clothing, Customer Service, and Company Culture (HBS).

Pedagogy: Case Discussion.

• Session 17: Leading Change

Topic: Resistance to Change, Lewin’s Model, Kotter’s 8 Steps.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Robbins, Chapter 18 ("Organizational Change").

Pedagogy: Lecture.

• Session 18: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

Topic: Managing diverse teams, Unconscious Bias training.

Pre-Class Prep: Read Article: "Diversity is Useless without Inclusivity" (HBR).

Pedagogy: Workshop.

• Session 19: The Future of Work

Topic: Gig Economy, Remote Leadership, AI in HR.

Pre-Class Prep: Research "Hybrid Work Challenges".

Pedagogy: Open Forum Discussion.

• Session 20: Course Wrap-Up & Project Review

Topic: Review of key concepts + Feedback on Projects.

Pre-Class Prep: Submit "The Leader's Interview" Project.

Pedagogy: Review & Feedback.

 

8. Textbooks & Resources

1. Mandatory Textbook: Organizational Behavior by Stephen P. Robbins, Timothy A. Judge, and Neharika Vohra (Pearson).
2. Case Studies: Harvard Business School (HBS) & IIM Ahmedabad cases (as listed).
3. Lab Resources:

Taxila Lab Sim 1: The Survival Game.

Taxila Lab Sim 2: The Negotiation Lab.

Taxila Lab Sim 3: The Change Agent.