EXSC512 - Leadership and Culture in High Performance Settings

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Unit rationale, description and aim

To achieve success and longevity in the industry, professionals working in high performance sport must have an appreciation of its particular cultures as well as the professional standards required. This unit will introduce perspectives of culture and leadership in the high performance sport environment, with the aim to develop in students an understanding of the relationship between culture and values to that of the behaviour of individuals and the organisation. Leadership styles frequently used in professional settings will be addressed, including their place in communication in one-to-one relationships to that of multi-team leadership. Strategies for effective communication and conflict management in the high performance sport organisation will be addressed. An emphasis will be placed on professionals as socially responsible leaders, who exercise concern for the wellbeing of their clients, colleagues and the community, within appropriate standards of ethical practice.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - demonstrate knowledge of the multidisciplinary culture and leadership frameworks in high performance sport organisations (GA 1, GA 2, GA 7, GA 10) 

LO2 - display appropriate standards of ethical conduct in professional practice, including relevant  national and international ethical and code of conduct frameworks (GA 3) 

LO3 - use a range of strategies for communication and management with individuals and groups in specialist and non-specialist settings (e.g. athletes; coaching staff; support staff; managers; stakeholders) (GA 1, GA 2, GA 3, GA 6) 

LO4 - differentiate between moral reasoning and non-moral reasoning in sport (GA 4) 

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity 

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society 

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Topics will include: 

• organisational culture in high performance sport 
• principles and theories of professional leadership  
• leadership theories, models and styles 
• neuroleadership principles 
• ‘Brain Based’ coaching in the workplace 
• ethics, responsibility and codes of conduct  
• moral reasoning in sport 
• professionalism and governance in sport 
• communication for leadership 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Learning and teaching strategies include active learning, case-based learning, cooperative learning, web-based learning, and reflective/critical thinking activities, delivered over 12 weeks. This range of strategies will provide students with appropriate access to required knowledge and understanding of unit content, and opportunities for development of skills. These strategies will allow students to meet the aim, learning outcomes and graduate attributes of the unit, as well as professional practice standards. Learning and teaching strategies will reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively within group discussion activities.  

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to best enable students to demonstrate unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, standards-based assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements. A range of assessment strategies are used including: a discussion task to assess the understanding and application of unit learnings; a reflective essay to assess knowledge and understanding of unit content; and an ethics essay to assess critical thinking, application of unit learnings and communication of argument.  

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Walker, S. (2017). The captain class. New York, USA: Penguin Books (available online as an eBook and in ACU Bookshop)  

Cassidy T, Jones R and Potrac P (2015) Understanding sports coaching: The social, cultural and pedagogical foundations of coaching practice. (3rd ed) London: Routledge. (available as an eBook)  

Dubrin AJ (2015) Leadership: Research findings practice and skills. (8th ed.). Boston: Houghton and Mifflin.  

Kotter J P (2012) Leading change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press  

Morgan W J (ed) (2018) Ethics in sport (3rd ed) Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics  

Lumpkin A (2011) Practical ethics in sport management. Jefferson: McFarland & Co. (is also an eBook available in Kindle)  

Rock D (2009) Your brain at work: Strategies for overcoming distraction, regaining focus and working smarter all day long. New York, USA: Harper Business  

Rock D & Ringleb A H (2013) Handbook of neuroleadership. California: Createspace Independent Pub  

Rock D & Page L J (2009) Coaching with the brain in mind: Foundations for practice. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons  

Simon R L (2016) The ethics of sport: What everyone needs to know. New York: Oxford University Press (available as an eBook)  

Sinek S (2011) Start with why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action. USA: Portfolio Penguin