5 credits

Successful public sector organizations require high-caliber leaders who are accountable to multiple constituencies. A rapidly accelerating rate of change and blurring of organizational boundaries contribute to the need for leaders who are equipped to meet the challenge. Students taking this course explore the theoretical underpinnings of leadership and the important role of the leader in organizational change. By exploring leadership theory, current research, and practice within an area of public administration or nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations, students demonstrate their understanding of leadership in organizations that are increasingly complex in nature. Ethical dimensions, boundary-spanning functions, and how leaders influence positive social change are key factors of this course. Students draw on historical and current events, as well as their personal experiences, to examine the demands of leadership.