Application 1 - Analysis and Synthesis of Prior Research
Your presentation should present an analysis and synthesis of prior research and will begin the interaction with your colleagues. You will prepare an academic paper of 7-9 pages in APA format. This analysis will be an open-ended introduction to explaining how unconventional leadership can be modeled and implemented in occupational settings. Your goal, as the presenter, should be to persuade your discussants that the approach(es) you have analyzed and synthesized are a sound means for challenging conventional leadership methods. You should acknowledge that there are other models, or means to study leaders and their use of unconventional leadership methods, but you should strive to be as persuasive as possible that the specific concepts and operationalizations you have reviewed are exciting research avenues and that they are potentially breakthrough areas in the understanding of how unconventional leadership contributes to organizational effectiveness.
Your paper and presentation should contain the following elements:
An incorporation and analysis of at least five of the Required Resources from this pair of weeks
The incorporation and analysis of five additional resources from the Walden Library
An identification of principal schools of thought, tendencies in the academic literature, or commonalities that define the academic scholarship regarding your topic
An evaluation of the main concepts with a focus on their application to management practice and their impact on positive social change
Direct evidence of addressing the Learning Outcomes from this pair of weeks.
In addition to the above elements, the Group Leader(s) for this week will focus thematically on:
What Wright (2010) means by "real utopias."
What, according to Wright, is the "fundamental problem" of a theory of transformation then summarize and evaluate the four components of his theory of transformation.
At least one example of how each of the major domains¯state, social, and economic¯developed mechanisms of social empowerment that might be usefully introduced in an organization with which you are familiar.
What leadership strategies make the act of leadership consistent with the values of positive social change that the widespread involvement of empowered individuals represents.
Resources
Wright, E. O. (2010). Envisioning real utopias. London, England: Verso.
This book explores social theory and provides alternatives to the current capitalist structure of the world today.
Optional Resources
Text
•Abrams, J. (2008). Companies we keep: Employee ownership and the business of community and place. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green.
•Hawken, P. (2007). Blessed unrest: How the largest social movement in history is restoring grace, justice, and beauty to the world. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
•Semler, R. (1993). Maverick: The success story behind the world's most unusual workplace. New York, NY: Warner Books.
•Spanno, C. (Ed.). (2008). Real utopia: Participatory society for the 21st century. Oakland, CA: AK Press.