Leadership in Engineering Businesses - ELE00184M

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Module summary

This module will take a deeper look at leadership dynamics within engineering businesses with a particular focus on entrepreneurship. It will provide insights that can inform leadership and entrepreneurial practices, organizational strategies, and business success in the engineering industry. For business leaders, strategic thinking and analyzing complex situations to make effective decisions is crucial within organizational culture. This module will explore how leaders manage challenges, foster a positive team culture, identify problems in business operation, generate solutions and implement strategies to overcome barriers to organizational success. Students will get an opportunity in this module to lead and manage a hypothetical business set-up using an online game-based platform to generate a new technology, service or product and advance it to the point of a genuinely workable business plan. This is done by analyzing the competitive environment and the resources required, including finances, for the establishment of a business and developing a marketable product portfolio and sustainable growth plans for the business.

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 2 2025-26

Module aims

Subject content aims:

• Introduce you to the typical skills needed for leadership roles in an organization.
• Explore different leadership styles and their effectiveness in change management and organizational transformation.
• Critically evaluate the relationship between leadership and organizational culture and understand how leadership styles influence employee motivation, performance and retention.
• Explore how leaders can create a culture of innovation, support entrepreneurial initiatives and promote a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Discuss strategies for leading organizational change, operational management and interdisciplinary team to facilitate business success.
• Manage and lead a hypothetical business set-up and develop a product portfolio in a technical market.
• Explore the commercialisation of products within a business set-up and produce a full commercialisation business plan.
• Analyze the competitive environment for business leaders including resources and finance needed for the establishment of a business.
• Explore how leaders can help organizations navigate crises and recover from setbacks.

Graduate skills aims:

• Develop skills in critically evaluating and synthesising new information based on researched information.
• Write concise business reports appropriate for the target audience.
• Gain experience in designing, delivering and defending engaging presentations on advanced topics, appropriate for the target audience.
• Develop general and advanced skills in communication, meetings, networking, consultation, negotiation, interviewing, counselling, performance management, mentoring, managing teams,managing change and taking control.
• Get some understanding on how to manage crisis as a leader and some of the ethical challenges with leadership roles.
• Understand the management process of production and new product development in business.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content learning outcomes

At the successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

• Discuss different leadership styles and how they shape and influence organizational culture.
• Analyze how leaders can effectively manage team dynamics, facilitate collaboration and foster a culture for entrepreneurship.
• Examine leadership role in managing organizational change and transformation.
• Analyze and assess organizational culture and the competitive environment for effective business operation.
• Discuss how leadership practices support diversity initiatives and facilitate an inclusive work environment.
• Discuss how leaders align organizational culture with organization’s mission, vision, values and strategic goals.
• Prepare a full and professional business plan.
• Apply strategies to manage risks and navigate crises inside an organisation.

Graduate skills learning outcomes

After successful completion of this module, you should be able to

• Construct concise business reports and product portfolios that critically evaluate and synthesise new information based on research, appropriate for the target audience.
• Design, deliver and defend persuasive technical presentations based on selected reliable evidence to the target audiences.
• Develop a capacity for analysis and synthesis, and for applying knowledge in practice.
• Plan, lead, and manage teamwork.
• Have the capacity to adapt to new situations.
• Have developed skills in problem solving, leadership, decision making and team working.
• Have developed the ability to communicate with non-experts in the field.
• Have an appreciation for entrepreneurial spirit.
• Have acquired skills in communication, meetings, networking, consultation, negotiation, interviewing, counselling, performance management, mentoring, managing teams, managing change and taking control.
• Use effective decision making and problem-solving techniques in different scenarios.

Module content

• Theories related to Leadership and Organizational Culture
• Case studies of successful Leaders in the engineering industry
• Leadership styles and their effectiveness
• Role of leadership in driving innovation and entrepreneurship within engineering sector
• Forms of business ownership
• Types of organizational culture
• Relationship between leadership and organizational culture
• Assessing organizational culture
• Leadership development programs and practices within engineering businesses
• Cultural alignment and strategy to facilitate employee engagement
• Contract and Employment laws in Business
• Change Leadership and Management in Engineering Businesses
• Strategies for Business Growth
• Risk Assessment, business layout and Health & Safety
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (EDI) Leadership
• Product Portfolio Management
• Crisis Management for leaders
• Business Pitch and Reporting

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Module feedback

Formative Feedback

• Regular workshops allow you to engage with the course material and receive verbal help and feedback.

• Weekly activities/homework will help you to gain feedback on your understanding of the key module material covered in the lectures.

• Emails to the Module Coordinator with Questions / Comments will be answered as soon as possible.

Summative Feedback

You will receive a customised feedback sheet, showing the marks breakdown for each of the key areas being assessed in this module along with a personalised feedback and suggestions for improvement. The School of PET will also endeavour to return all coursework feedback within 20 working days of the submission deadline. The School would normally expect to adhere to the times given, however, it is possible that exceptional circumstances may delay feedback. The School will endeavour to keep such delays to a minimum. Please note that any marks released are subject to ratification by the Board of Examiners and Senate. Meetings at the start/end of each term provide you with an opportunity to discuss and reflect with your supervisor on your overall performance to date.

Indicative reading

TBC