MGT557 ECA

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS:

1. This End-of-Course Assessment paper comprises 5 pages (including the cover page).
2. You are to include the following particulars in your submission: Course Code,Title of the ECA, SUSS PI No., Your Name, and Submission Date.
3. Late submission will be subjected to the marks deduction scheme. Please referto the Student Handbook for details.

IMPORTANT NOTE

ECA Submission Deadline: Saturday, 28 February 2026, 12:00pm

ECA Submission Guidelines

Please follow the submission instructions stated below:

A – What Must Be Submitted

You are required to submit the following item for marking and grading:

A Report

Please verify your submission after you have submitted the above item.

B – Submission Deadline

• The Report is to be submitted by 12 noon on the submission deadline.
• You are allowed multiple submissions till the cut-off date.
• Late submission will be subjected to mark-deduction scheme by the University. Please refer to Section 5.2 Para 2.4 of the Student Handbook.

C – How the Item Should Be Submitted

• The Report: submit online to Canvas via TurnItIn (for plagiarism detection)
• Avoid using a public WiFi connection for submitting large video files. If you are using public wireless (WiFi) connection (e.g. SG Wireless at public areas), you might encounter a break in the connection when sending large files.

D – Additional guidelines on file formatting are given as follows

E – Please be Aware of the Following

Submission in hardcopy or any other means not given in the above guidelines will not be accepted. You do not need to submit any other forms or cover sheets (e.g. form ET3) with your ECA.

You are reminded that electronic transmission is not immediate. The network traffic may be particularly heavy on the date of submission deadline and connections to the system cannot be guaranteed. Hence, you are advised to submit your work early. Canvas will allow you to submit your work late but your work will be subjected to the mark-deduction scheme. You should therefore not jeopardise your course result by submitting your ECA at the last minute.

It is your responsibility to check and ensure that your files are successfully submitted to Canvas.

F – Plagiarism and Collusion

Plagiarism and collusion are forms of cheating and are not acceptable in any form in a student’s work, including this ECA. Plagiarism and collusion are taking work done by others or work done together with others respectively and passing it off as your own. You can avoid plagiarism by giving appropriate references when you use other people’s ideas, words or pictures (including diagrams). Refer to the APA Manual if you need reminding about quoting and referencing. You can avoid collusion by ensuring that your submission is based on your own individual effort.

The electronic submission of your ECA will be screened by plagiarism detection software. For more information about plagiarism and collusion, you should refer to the Student Handbook (Section 5.2.1.3). You are reminded that SUSS takes a tough stance against plagiarism or collusion. Serious cases will normally result in the student being referred to SUSS’s Student Disciplinary Group. For other cases, significant mark penalties or expulsion from the course will be imposed.

G – Use of Generative AI Tools (Allowed)

The use of generative AI tools is allowed for this assignment.

• You are expected to provide proper attribution if you use generative AI tools while completing the assignment, including appropriate and disciplinespecific citation, a table detailing the name of the AI tool used, the approach to using the tool (e.g. what prompts were used), the full output provided by the tool, and which part of the output was adapted for the assignment;
• To take note of section 3, paragraph 3.2 and section 5.2, paragraph 2A.1 (Viva Voce) of the Student Handbook;
• The University has the right to exercise the viva voce option to determine the authorship of a student’s submission should there be reasonable grounds to suspect that the submission may not be fully the student’s own work.
• For more details on academic integrity and guidance on responsible use of generative AI tools in assignments, please refer to the TLC website for more details;
• The University will continue to review the use of generative AI tools based on feedback and in light of developments in AI and related technologies.

(Full marks: 100)

Your Task (100 marks)

Answer all questions in this section.

Strategy consultancy McKinsey emphasizes the value of high-performing teams. In their report “High-performing teams: A timeless leadership topic”, they mention that this is why savvy investors in start-ups often value the quality of the team and the interaction of the founding members more than the idea itself. It’s why 90 percent of investors think the quality of the management team is the single most important nonfinancial factor when evaluating an IPO. And it’s why there is a 1.9 times increased likelihood of having above-median financial performance when the top team is working together toward a common vision. “No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team,” is the way Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn cofounder, sums it up.

Building a team remains as tough as ever. Energetic, ambitious, and capable people are always a plus, but they often represent different functions, products, lines of business, or geographies and can vie for influence, resources, and promotion. Not surprisingly then, top-team performance is a timeless business preoccupation and there are various articles on the secrets of high-performing teams out there.

Your organisation’s CEO recognizes this issue and, knowing that you are currently taking the course Leading the Company of the Future, wants your expertise to conduct a report on the status of (high-performing) teams in your own organization.

Question 1

Start your report with a c. 50 word overview of the organisation, clearly stating the name and nature of the organisation.

Then, look into team issues at hand and do a root cause analysis (as covered in the subject content) of the issues faced by your organization when it comes to (highperforming) teams. Evaluate the decision-making pitfalls and ethical traps you have come across in your organization in this respect.

(15 marks)

Question 2

Now that you analysed at least some of the issues at hand in your own organization, create organisational change, with an understanding of organisational culture and decision-making. Focus on how you can manage change towards better functioning teams and, potentially, a better corporate culture. Select ONE (1) model for managing change covered in the subject content and relate it precisely to your own organisation.

(25 marks)

Question 3

Appraise the “head and heart” of everyday leadership. Select at least TWO (2) leadership concepts covered in the subject content that, according to you, would be the most helpful to effect changes when it comes to (high-performing) teams in your own organisation. Discuss in detail why you feel these two leadership concepts should be picked and support each with at least one practical example.

(30 marks)

Question 4

Recommend strategies and practices for leading in a future-forward manner. Apply motivational theories to engage employees and enhance performance. Evaluate how employees in your organisation could react and which concepts of motivation covered in the subject content (choose at least TWO (2)) could be helpful to keep the (highperforming) teams motivated and engaged. Justify your points.

(30 marks)

            —– END OF ECA PAPER