EM 676: Effective Leadership
Course Syllabus
Instructor Information
Instructor: Dr. William Harrington, PhD, PE, MBA
Email: william.harrington@louisville.edu
Phone: 502-338-0665 (text message or call)
Instructor Availability
I am available primarily by email. Please use your University of Louisville email account and
be sure to put EM 676-50 as the first characters in the subject. I aim to respond to emails
within 24 hours of receipt, except on weekends and holidays. You may also text me during
the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST on Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. If you
would like to have a phone conversation, I hold virtual office hours each Friday from 4:00
p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST. It is helpful to email or text me ahead of your call, and I can be
available at other times by making an appointment.
Course Information
Course Description
In this course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the leadership skills and
practices required to advance the mission of an organization. Emphasis will be placed on
establishing strategic direction with supporting tactics, enhancing the organization's problemsolving capabilities, fostering an environment of reliable change implementation, and
communicating with impact. The following topics will be included: Mission and Vision
Statements, Corporate Values, Sourcing Decisions, Performance Improvement Systems,
Change Management, and Leadership Styles.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Differentiate various leadership styles and when each is most suitable
2. Defend why leaders need to be emotionally intelligent and communicate well
3. Create a well-structured statement of Mission, Vision, and Values
4. Identify various considerations when managing change
5. Describe the Hoshin Kanri process to managing change
6. Discuss key attributes of a successful performance improvement system
7. Determine factors to consider when making decisions, especially sourcing decisions
8. Describe reasons for acquisitions and potential challenges, especially with culture
Prerequisites
Admission to the M.Eng in Engineering Management degree program or permission of the
instructor.
Required Texts
Title: Principles of Management
Author: Undisclosed by publisher (University of Minnesota)
ISBN: 978-1-946135-18-6
We will review selected chapters from the text above, which is available without fee at the
University of Minnesota Libraries website. It is also available in the Get Started section of the
Blackboard course. This work, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
There are also number of journal papers and other materials to read each week. These
materials are all posted on Blackboard in the Course Content/Schedule section.
Other Required Materials
Given that this is an online course, students will need to regular access to an internetconnected device. Some course assignments may require the use of Microsoft Office
products (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
Course Grading
Your course grade will be distributed equally along the following categories:
1. Discussion Board Participation (30%): Since this is an online course, participation
will be largely exhibited through discussion board postings. Each week, a topical
question will be posed, and students are expected to answer it using a 100 to 300word response that demonstrates comprehension of the material covered. Each
student also needs to respond to at least two other students’ postings with 100 to
300-word responses.
2. Lectures (5%): Each module contains an interactive lecture discussing key topics.
Students are expected to complete each lecture to supplement the module readings.
3. Assignments (35%): Assignments will focus largely on comprehension of subject
matter covered for each week and will be short answer. Students are encouraged to
collaborate with each other on assignments.
4. Final Project (30%): The final project instructions will be posted on Blackboard.
Students are encouraged to form into groups of 2-3 students and develop their
project work throughout the term. If a student has a question that the group is unable
/ unwilling to adequately address, then please contact the instructor for guidance.
Course grades will be assigned using the following scale. The instructor has the discretion to
apply +/- grading.
Percentage Range
Letter Grade
90-100%
80-89.9%
70-79.9%
60-69.9%
<60%
A
B
C
D
F
Grading Criteria
Work in this course will be graded based on the following criteria to receive full credit. Points
will be deducted to the extent that these criteria are not met.

Technical Accuracy: Statements must be accurate.

Proper Interpretation: Discussion on the meaning of concepts or other materials
presented in the course must demonstrate proper comprehension.

Relevant Substance: Work must only include content that supports the answer
provided.

Brevity of Discussion: Discussion must be direct and stated in as few words as
possible to reasonably convey the meaning intended.

Proper Grammar: All writing in assignments and discussion board postings shall be
grammatically correct and professional. Any abbreviation is to be clarified in
parentheses at first use. Do not use abbreviations common in texting (e.g., LOL).

Timely Submission: All work is due on the assigned date by midnight EST (i.e.,
11:59 p.m. EST is the latest submission time allowed). Late work will not be accepted
after solutions have been posted to Blackboard. Students are responsible to contact
the instructor if a circumstance prevents them from submitting the assignment ahead
of the submission deadline. The instructor has the discretion to accept or deny any
request for late submission and a penalty may be assessed for a late submission.
Course Schedule
Module
Reading(s)
Course Objective(s)
Assignment(s)
Module 1
 Ch. 10, 12
 Handout
 Ch. 4
 Handout
 Ch. 6-7
 Handout
 Ch. 13, 15
 Handouts
 Ch. 11
 Handout
 Ch. 8
 Handout
 N/A
CO#1 / CO#2
 Assignment 1
 Discussion Board 1
 Assignment 2
 Discussion Board 2
 Assignment 3
 Discussion Board 3
 Assignment 4
 Discussion Board 4
 Assignment 5
 Discussion Board 5
 Assignment 6
 Discussion Board 6
 Final Project
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Module 6
Module 7
CO#3
CO#4 / CO#5
CO#6
CO#7
CO#8
N/A
This is a tentative schedule, subject to adjustments as the semester progresses. Major
adjustments will be posted in Blackboard.
Course Policies
The following policies apply to the delivery of this course.
Academic Dishonesty
Any student caught cheating or plagiarizing on the paper or exams will be dealt with
according to Speed School of Engineering policy. Cheating and plagiarism are unpleasant
situations for all of us, so please avoid unethical behavior.
Attendance
Attendance will not be taken, as this is an asynchronous distance learning course. However,
timely course participation is required per the course schedule above. Work that is submitted
late may not be graded (i.e., no credit will be granted). If a student cannot meet a due date,
the student may seek approval from the instructor to submit the work due on an established
alternative date. This must be done prior to the standard due date and approval of an
alternative due date for the student is completely at the discretion of the instructor. Solutions
to assignments and quizzes will not be posted until the latest submission due date for any
student has passed.
Course Withdrawal
Should you choose to discontinue enrollment in this course for any reason, please contact
your program advisor as soon as possible. Simply failing to participate will result in a failing
grade, and students are solely responsible for properly withdrawing from courses.
Furthermore, professors are NOT permitted to assign grades of withdrawal (“W”). Drop dates
for withdrawal from this course are listed below.
Refund Percentage
Date
100%
50%
25%
0% (Last Day to Withdraw)
01/10/2025
01/17/2025
01/22/2025
02/06/2025
Incompletes
A student who has not completed a portion of the required course work due to an exceptional
circumstance, but is otherwise passing the course, may solicit the instructor to temporarily
receive a grade of incomplete (“I”). The instructor has the discretion to assign such a grade,
but the student must make the request to the instructor and have a passing grade based on
the quality of the work already submitted for the instructor to even make such a
consideration. In the event that the instructor allows the student to temporarily receive and
incomplete (“I”) grade, then the instructor shall determine the date when all remaining work
must be submitted. This date cannot exceed the end of the following semester as University
of Louisville policy dictates. If the remaining work is not submitted by the due date
established, then the incomplete grade (“I”) will become a failing grade (“F”).
Netiquette
Netiquette refers to the standards by which we can and should communicate with one
another in the online classroom. Despite this course being both online and asynchronous,
the expectations surrounding respectful communication are largely the same. With this in
mind, please consider the following netiquette guidelines when writing and reviewing any
communications with your instructor and/or peers in this course:
1. Respect the privacy of your classmates and what they share in class.
2. Ask classmates for clarification if you find a comment difficult to understand.
3. Avoid sweeping generalizations. Back up your stated opinions with facts and reliable
sources.
4. Understand that we may disagree and that exposure to other people’s opinions is part
of the learning experience.
5. Be respectful of each other. We’re all in this together. Before posting a comment, ask
whether you would be willing to make the same comment to a person’s face.
6. Keep in mind that you are taking a college class. Something that would be
inappropriate in a traditional classroom is also inappropriate in an online classroom.
7. Be aware that typing in all capital letters typically indicates shouting.
8. Be careful with humor and sarcasm. Both can easily be misunderstood.
9. Check your writing for errors by reviewing what you’ve written before submitting it.
10. Acronyms (LOL, etc.) and emojis are commonly used online, but they should not be
used in course communications.
These guidelines have been adapted from Lake Superior College’s netiquette guidelines and
are used here under a CC BY 3.0 license.
School Closings
Since this is an asynchronous distance learning course, the cancelling of classes by the
university does not impact the due dates of assignments. However, if Blackboard is
unexpectedly inoperable on a due date, then the work assigned will be due the day
Blackboard resumes operation. This does not apply for planned Blackboard downtime, which
recurs weekly starting Friday at 10:00 p.m. EST and ending on Saturday at 2:00 a.m. EST.
Technology Requirements
Email communications from the instructor will be sent to your official university email
address. General announcements will also be communicated on Blackboard. It is your
responsibility to check your university mailbox and Blackboard on a regular basis.
Be certain that you can log into Blackboard. A fast Internet connection is important when
uploading or downloading documents. If you do not have a fast connection, good options are
to go to a public library’s computer lab (often they have free wireless broadband for your
laptop). If you are in the Louisville area, you can come to campus and use computers in the
library or one of the IT student computer labs.
All assignments are to be submitted electronically in Blackboard in .pdf, .doc, or .docx
formats. Files in another format or corrupt files will not be graded, so please ensure
documents are in an acceptable file format and that they can be opened before submission.
Please use virus scanning software for all digital documents.
You are encouraged to use Microsoft Office products (e.g., Excel and Word) to develop your
work, which can then be pasted into an acceptable file format. Also, Minitab will be required
to complete some assignments and the final project. This software is provided by Speed
School through your technology fee. Visit the Speed Software site to access this software.
Your logon information is the common username and password used for university
applications (e.g., ULink, Blackboard, etc.).
Computer Issues and IT Support
Speed IT staff are available by appointment from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to assist you with
your technology needs. You may schedule an appointment by sending a detailed email
including any relevant error codes and screen snips at SPDHelp@Louisville.edu (preferred)
or 502-852-7620.
Student Responsibilities / College and
University Issues
Student Conduct and Responsibilities
This course will abide by University of Louisville student conduct and responsibilities with
regards to ethics and related issues:
UL Code of Student Conduct
Accessibility & Harrassment-Free Learning
It is important that all learners feel comfortable in their ability to successfully complete this
course. With that in mind, the following policies apply.
Accessibility
The University of Louisville is committed to equal opportunity for all academically qualified
students and does not discriminate based on disability. The mission of the Disability
Resource Center (DRC) is to coordinate services that ensure individuals with disabilities
have equal access to take full advantage of the University's educational, social, and cultural
opportunities. For more information, please visit the Disability Resource Center, Belknap
Campus, Stevenson Hall, Louisville, KY 40292; (502) 852-6938, (502) 852-0924 fax.
No Harrassment Zone!
To assure a safe learning environment and enhance academic freedom of expression, UofL
requests that classroom settings and the course proceedings be harassment-free and nondiscriminating on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, disability and all other
pejorative stereotypes. In this course, we will not challenge each other on a personal level.
We will respect one another, and comments should never demean any course participant or
other individual by critical comments. All online participation for this course will adhere to
these principles. Failure to respect your peers (and others) and engage in constructive, nonhostile discussions may result in your removal from the course at the discretion of the
instructor.
Learning Resources
There are two areas in the course’s Getting Started section, University Resources and
Library Research, that provide additional resources from the University of Louisville to
enhance your learning experience. You are encouraged to familiarize yourself with these
areas on the course so you are aware of what resources are available should you need
them. University Resources contains hyperlinks to writing, testing, helpdesk, and counseling
services to name a few. Library Research contains access to scholarly articles, dissertations,
and other resources you may find useful. The two links below may also be of use:

Tips for Success in Courses

Blackboard Student Orientation
Title IX/Clery Act Notification
Sexual misconduct (including sexual harassment, sexual assault, and any other consensual
behavior of a sexual nature) and sex discrimination violate University policies. Students
experiencing such behavior may obtain confidential support from the PEACC Program (8522663), Counseling Center (852-6585), and Campus Health Services (852-6479). To report
sexual misconduct or sex discrimination, contact the Dean of Students (852-5787) or
University of Louisville Police (852-6111).
Disclosure to University faculty or instructors of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating
violence, or sex discrimination occurring on campus, in a University-sponsored program, or
involving a campus visitor or University student or employee (whether current or former) is
not confidential under Title IX. Faculty and instructors must forward such reports, including
names and circumstances, to the University’s Title IX officer. For more information, review
the Sexual Misconduct Resource Guide by clicking the link below.
Title IX Sexual Misconduct Brochure
Academic Calendar & University Holidays
The Academic and holiday calendars for the university are available at the links below.
University Academic Calendar
University Holiday Calendar
University Policies & Procedures
Please click the link below to review University policies & procedures.
University Policies & Procedures
Frequently Asked Questions:
How much time should I allow for taking this course?
This course follows an accelerated schedule as it is covered in a half-semester term. In a full
semester term, a three semester-hour course would have about 2.5 hours per week of
lecture time. For every hour in a classroom, a well-prepared student will likely spend two
hours studying and working on assignments. Therefore, about 7.5 hours would be spent per
week on all forms of coursework and studying. Applying this logic, I recommend students
budget 15 hours per week in total for this course as it is covered in a half-semester term.
Some weeks may require more time, while others may require less, and the exact time
required will vary by student. However, putting 15 hours a week into this course should be
sufficient for most students to earn a respectable grade.
How will the instructor communicate with students?
General communications to the entire class will be delivered with an announcement on
Blackboard, which will trigger an email to each student’s louisville.edu address. For private
communications, I will send an email to your louisville.edu address and I will not use any
other address. It is important that students check their Louisville email frequently, either
directly or by forward to a personal account.
What is the best way to communicate with the instructor?
If you have a question that is not urgent and if others from the class can benefit from having
it answered, then please submit the question in the General Course Discussion forum on the
discussion board in Blackboard. Please state “Question on (subject matter)” in the thread.
However, if your question is not suitable for others in the class or if there is a greater sense
of urgency with the response, then email or text me. As stated on the first page of this
syllabus, a phone conversation can be accommodated, just email or text me to make that
arrangement (responses will be within 24 hours except for holidays or weekends).
What if I have a question about an assignment and the instructor does not answer
before the time the assignment is due?
As stated, I will respond to questions submitted by email or text within 24 hours, excluding
holidays and weekends. Therefore, I strongly encourage students to engage in assignments
and discussion boards early in the week of the assignment. This will allow ample time for
questions to be identified by students and for me to address those questions in a timely
manner.
How do I submit assignments?
I will only grade assignments that are submitted through Blackboard using the file formats
that can be viewed in Microsoft® Word (.doc or .docx) or Adobe (.pdf). I encourage students
to develop their work electronically, but I will allow quantitative problems to be hand-written. If
any work is hand-written for an assignment, then scan the work and submit it as a .pdf file.
Please remember, if I am unable to find your work in the appropriate Blackboard assignment
folder or if I am unable to open your file, then you will receive a zero for that assignment.
What if I don’t use Microsoft® Windows?
As stated, I must be able to open your file for you to receive a grade for the assignment, and
any assignment with a file I cannot open will receive a zero grade. Therefore, whatever
operating system you use, be sure to verify that you can produce work in an acceptable file
format (.doc, .docx, or .pdf).
What happens if an unforeseen event prevents me from submitting work on time?
I am unable to have a rule that covers every situation that may affect your ability to submit an
assignment or discussion board post. If you do experience a setback (e.g., power outage,
Blackboard system downtime, etc.) then document it and bring it to my attention as soon as
possible. I have the discretion to accept or reject any excuse, but my intention is not to
penalize somebody for a substantial setback. For example, 30 minutes of a power outage on
a day before the assignment in question was due would NOT be a legitimate excuse.