Unit Outline
BMA614
Leadership, Process and Capability
Semester 1, 2026
Toby Newstead
Tasmanian School of Business & Economics (TSBE)
Tasmanian School of Business and Economics
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B
Unit Coordinator
Toby Newstead
Email: Toby.Newstead@utas.edu.au
What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
 
The development of organisational capability via formal and informal leadership is often diminished due to ineffective processes or misaligned culture. Leaders therefore must be cognisant of how processual tools at their disposal can generate appropriate responses to internal and external challenges. As part of a suite of units examining leadership and the central function of organisational capability development the premise of this unit rests heavily on how process and informal leadership contributes to well-functioning organisations and how improvements can be made to leverage capability. The unit encourages you to think broadly about the role of diversity and culture in supporting informal leadership.
Intended Learning Outcomes
As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1.
Identify and critically appraise organisational processes that support, promote or generate organisational capability in organisations.
2.
Integrate diverse views on the role of organisational culture and informal leadership in enabling organisational capability.
3.
Critically analyse the nexus between formal and informal leadership and the development of organisational capability in diverse organisational contexts.
4.
Communicate well reasoned arguments utilising an academic writing style and appropriate referencing.
Alterations as a result of student feedback
 
 
 
How will I be Assessed?
 
For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.
Assessment schedule
ASSESSMENT TASK #
ASSESSMENT TASK NAME
DATE DUE
WEIGHT
LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:
Portfolio
Week 5
20 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:
Report & Reflection
Week 9
40 %
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:
Team Case Analysis
Week 13
40 %
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
 
Assessment details
Assessment Task 1: Portfolio
Task Description:
The purpose of this assessment is to focus your attention on 'seeing' leadership, organisational processes, and capability.
To complete this assessment, you will need to contribute posts to a shared class pebblepad. In each post, you need to include a picture, link, meme, infographic, news story, or the like and explain - in no more than 140 characters (like a Twitter post!) - how you have captured an enactment of leadership, organisational process, and/or capability.
You also need to interact with and respond to your classmates' posts.
Task Length:
Please see MyLO for details
Due Date:
Week 5
Weight:
20 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Collate and critically appraise artifacts illustrating organisational processes that support or hinder organisational capability
LO1
2
Evaluate the ways in which culture and/or informal leadership is related to the organisational processes
LO2
3
Using evidence from the literature, generate recommendations to improve organisational capability with a focus on the nexus between formal and informal leadership
LO3
 
Assessment Task 2: Report & Reflection
Task Description:
The purpose of this assessment is to consider real-world organisational challenges and develop recommendations by drawing on academic theory.

To complete this assessment, you will identify key challenges facing organisations and develop recommendations to address them. You will also engage in debate with your peers and practice critical reflection to refine your analysis and recommendations.
Task Length:
Please see MyLO for details
Due Date:
Week 9
Weight:
40 %
 
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Communicate well-reasoned arguments supported with quality research, use APA7 to reference sources
LO4
2
Generate a coherent argument regarding the strategic importance of the key challenges under scrutiny in relation to organisational capability
LO1
3
Articulate research-informed responses to the challenge that account for the role of culture and informal leadership in enabling organisational capability
LO2
4
Analyse the nexus of formal and informal leadership in relation to the identified challenge in the specified context
LO3
 
Assessment Task 3: Team Case Analysis
Task Description:
For this assessment, you will work in teams to conduct a case analysis and produce a multi-media presentation conveying your analysis and recommendations. This assessment also includes an individual reflective component.
Task Length:
Please see MyLO for details
Due Date:
Week 13
Weight:
40 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Drawing on relevant theory, critically appraise the ways in which organisational processes support or inhibit the development of capabilities relevant to the context in which the organisation operates
LO2
2
With specific focus on the interaction between formal and informal leadership discuss the interplay of organisational culture, context, and capability.
LO3
3
Develop and and communicate convincing, research-informed recommendations to support the improvement of organisational capability
LO1
4
Construct and communicate well-reasoned arguments drawing on quality research; use APA7 to reference sources
LO4
 
 
 
How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.
Submission of assignments
Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see
Important Guidelines & Support.
Requests for extensions
If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.
 
A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.
 
The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.
Late penalties
Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.
Review of results and appeals
You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.