Main Content
Syllabus
ENGR 501: Engineering Leadership for Corporate Innovation
Traditional and contemporary leadership theory is analyzed to determine effective strategies for leading projects and innovation within an engineering context. (3 credits)
Overview | Objectives | Course Structure | Materials | Library Resources | Technical Requirements | Course Requirements and Grading | Course Schedule | Academic Integrity | Accomodating Disabilities | Additional Policies
Overview
This course focuses on concepts and theory related to the study of leadership in an engineering context. Traditional and contemporary leadership theory will be analyzed to determine effective strategies for leading technical projects and innovation. Based on current literature and research into effective engineering leadership, students will focus on understanding concepts related to: technical communication, optimization of engineering teams, and diffusion of innovation. Financial concepts and Lean Sigma practices will be assessed for effective engineering leadership decision-making.
Specific topics addressed related to the engineering leadership concepts include leadership in organizations, communications in the workplace, customer focus in organizations, financial knowledge, workforce focus in organizations, and operational excellence.
Course Objectives
The overall objective for this course is to provide theoretical understanding and practice of leadership and innovation in technical contexts within the global engineering business environment.
- Distinguish leadership theory relevant to an engineering context,
- Recognize commonalities of leaders in successful organizations,
- Explain concepts of innovation and strategies for leading innovation within a corporate context,
- Identify the importance of self-awareness in leading innovative teams,
- Recognize the ethical implications of leading innovation,
- Explore operational processes and their impact on innovation, and
- Analyze a corporation for innovative cultures.
Course Structure
- Lesson 1–5: Leadership and innovation within the engineering context
- Lesson 6–7: Identifying innovative companies and strategic thinking and planning
- Lesson 8–11: Self-awareness and leading innovative engineering teams to include: emotional intelligence, communication, negotiation & conflict, cognitive styles, and ethics and values
- Lesson 12–14: Financial and Operational impacts on leading innovation
- Lesson 15: Writing analytical reports
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Requirements
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| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements and Grading
| Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 93–100 |
| A- | 90–92.9 |
| B+ | 87–89.9 |
| B | 83–86.9 |
| B- | 80–82.9 |
| C+ | 77–79.9 |
| C | 70–76.9 |
| D | 60–69.9 |
| F | Below 60.0 |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Assignments
| Assignment (number of assignments) | Total |
|---|---|
| Reading Quizzes (13) | 65 |
| Journal Entries (30) | 130 |
| Discussion Posts (13) | 130 |
| Papers (4) | 200 |
| Major Project—Company Review (8) | 225 |
| Final Project Report | 250 |
| Total | 1,000 |
**ALL activities are due by 11:59 pm North American Eastern Time, on the Sunday of the week they are assigned unless otherwise noted.
Following are details and grading procedures of each type of assignment.
The course assignments are assigned weekly throughout this course and may require extra reading to complete that is not assigned at the beginning of the lesson. Be sure to complete the assignments as you come upon them, rather than waiting until the end. It's important to begin your lessons EARLY in the week (Monday) in order to support dialog in the discussion forums. Be sure to check back to add comments and read your classmates' posts throughout the week.
All assignments MUST be submitted no later than their respective Due Date/Time in the Course Schedule. No exceptions. Computer problems are not an acceptable excuse. This course requires work and discipline. It is important to allow sufficient time to complete all assignments on time; do not wait until the last minute to complete the assignments.
You should ask for help when you need it. If you have questions, concerns or need clarifications about the course syllabus, material, assignments, etc., it is important that they communicate them to the instructor immediately.
Reading Quiz (65 Points Possible)
Lessons 1–13 include lesson content and other assigned reading. You will be required to complete a quiz covering the reading assignments.
Journal Entries (130 points possible)
Throughout each lesson there will be journal entry requirements to assist in your comprehension and reflection of the concepts. Use the journal feature associated in canvas to reflect on the questions in the content. Your grade will be based on your completion of each journal entry related to the specific section of content and includes your honest reflection and showing an understanding of the concepts. Journal posts do not need to be lengthy, but should concisely show a reflection of the question.
Discussion Posts (130 points possible)
Lessons 1–13 include required discussion posts based on the reading assignments. Your initial post reflecting on the question is due by Thursday at 11:59 pm ET of each week, with two responses to your peers’ posts due by Sunday of each week at 11:59 pm ET.
Papers (200 points possible)
There are four papers aligned with the content in this course and are designed to help you reflect and synthesize the information you are learning from the course. Additional descriptions are found in the course lesson assignment links.
- Leadership & Innovation Case Study
- Read Dr. Vicere’s article: Strategic Imperative for Executive Development
- Pay special attention and note the different descriptions for the stages of strategic leadership
- Read the Sony/Apple Case
- Analyze Sony vs. Apple’s strategic leadership direction and strategy
- Describe which stages of leadership you think impacted the situation in each company and why
- After reading these two items, write a paper summarizing your analysis of the strategic leadership direction of Sony vs. Apple and the stages of leadership that impacted the situation based on Vicere's Strategic Imperative for Executive Development article.
- Read Dr. Vicere’s article: Strategic Imperative for Executive Development
- Leadership, Innovation, and Engineering
- Consider all of the information from lesson 1-5. Think about what you have learned about engineering leadership and innovation management through these lessons AND what you have experienced through your own work in the engineering field. Write an academic paper that addresses the following:
- What leadership theories and styles do you think are appropriate for engineering leaders to understand and apply?
- Summarize at least three theories/styles and write why these theories apply to engineering leadership.
- For each theory or style you choose, show why this style may be appropriate for leading engineers and the innovation process.
- Include references
- Consider all of the information from lesson 1-5. Think about what you have learned about engineering leadership and innovation management through these lessons AND what you have experienced through your own work in the engineering field. Write an academic paper that addresses the following:
- Self-Awareness
- You read Textbook 1, completed the assessment, reviewed EI lessons based on your scores and looked at your EI strategies through the book’s resources. Through this, you have developed the self-awareness of behaviors around emotional learning. This paper is designed to help you walk through the other four elements of emotional learning. In this paper, work through the four elements of emotional learning by writing about:
- Self-awareness: What did you learn from your EI assessment? What was surprising? What areas do you need to work on?
- Motivation to change: Talk with someone you trust and who will give you honest feedback about your EI assessment results. Build more self-awareness based on the conversation and write about your motivation to change. What did you learn from both the assessment and the conversation that is a motivator of change for you.
- Repeated Practice, modeling & feedback: Based on the resources from this class and the recommendations in Textbook 1, what practices are you going to implement to begin developing your mental muscles for emotional intelligence. Create a ‘workout’ plan to build this muscle. What are you going to do? Why? Who are you going to ask for feedback on improvement? How often? What are some specific, measurable goals you would like to achieve? Do you have a mentor, are you going to review websites, watch videos to help with modeling.
- Support: Remember in the Janice case from this lesson, she found a mentor and a coach to help and support her through this development. Who will these people be for you? Why?
- The deliverable should be a written report that outlines the four elements above and your plan for the rest of the semester to build on your EI.
- You read Textbook 1, completed the assessment, reviewed EI lessons based on your scores and looked at your EI strategies through the book’s resources. Through this, you have developed the self-awareness of behaviors around emotional learning. This paper is designed to help you walk through the other four elements of emotional learning. In this paper, work through the four elements of emotional learning by writing about:
- Structured Self-Reflection of Values
- Utilize the Structured Self-Reflection guide and the Branson model description in the last section of this lesson to reflect on your own values that may drive your ethical decision-maker as a leader. Complete the structured self-reflection worksheet and in a paper discuss the following:
- Summarize your findings based on the reflection activity
- List your preferred values and behaviors associated with those values
- Discuss which ethical framework you may lean towards due to the values “unearthed” through the self-reflection
- Consider an ethical dilemma you have faced in the past (leave out names—companies or personal) and discuss how you can see how your values shaped your decision in that situation.
- Knowing what you now know about yourself, would you have still made the same decision? Why or why not?
- Utilize the Structured Self-Reflection guide and the Branson model description in the last section of this lesson to reflect on your own values that may drive your ethical decision-maker as a leader. Complete the structured self-reflection worksheet and in a paper discuss the following:
Major Project (225 points possible)
The major project for this class will result in a final consulting report on a company regarding engineering leadership and innovation management strategies and processes. You will pick one publicly traded company and spend each week analyzing and researching elements of engineering leadership and corporate innovation that will culminate in the final report. There are 8 parts to this assignment. Additional descriptions are found in the course lesson assignment link.
Final Project (250 points possible)
Your final report for this class is a comprehensive analytical report providing information as to the status of your company's “innovativeness” and recommendations for the company to improve its ability to perform as an innovative company. The report must include the sections of an analytical report and an incorporation of the lessons learned throughout this course as applied to evidence for recommendations or facts based on the analysis of your findings and observations.
Your report must include a SWOT analysis, benchmarking with other organizations, and charts or graphs to support findings and observations. This should meet professional quality standards for analytical reporting.
Course Schedule
The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated assignments.
| Lesson | Assigned Readings | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson 1 |
Required Readings
Optional Reading
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| Lesson 2 |
Required Reading
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| Lesson 3 |
Required Readings
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| Lesson 4 |
Required Readings
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| Lesson 5 |
Required Reading
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| Lesson 6 |
Required Readings
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| Lesson 7 |
Required Readings
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| Lesson 8 |
Required Readings
The following reading is a Course Reserve and is available via the Library Resources link in the Course Navigation Menu.
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| Lesson 9 |
Required Readings
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| Lesson 10 |
Required Readings
The following readings are Course Reserves and are available via the Library Resources link in the Course Navigation Menu.
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| Lesson 11 |
Required Readings
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| Lesson 12 |
Required Readings
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| Lesson 13 |
Required Readings
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| Lesson 14 |
Required Readings
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| Lesson 15 |
Required Readings
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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.
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Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
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In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Military
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
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Student Conduct and Responsibilities
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- Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
- Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
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Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
- Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
- Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
- Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
- Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
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For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
- Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
- Penn State Values.
Counseling and Psychological Services
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- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Reporting Bias
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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you directly in a timely manner of any changes.