Overview
This assignment is designed to be a thought-provoking exercise while researching and writing on a foundational approach in moral philosophy: virtuous leadership. Successful completion of this assignment will depend on your ability to follow instructions and to apply rigor to your work.
The primary goal of this assignment is to advance your own understanding and intentions with regard to virtuous leadership in your personal and professional life. For this assignment, the research question is, “How do the ancient writings on virtue ethics apply in the contemporary world?” In doing so, you will practice searching for and finding scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals, via the University library. Reading those articles, you will gain experience in reviewing them, critically thinking about the perspectives they offer. You are to refine your own perspectives on the topic and then express your perspectives in an academic paper of your own. At the same time, you will improve your confidence and ability in applying APA style in the overall format of the paper and in citing references.
Instructions
Getting Started:
Research. The first step is to find the two articles needed for this assignment. They are:
- Plato on Virtuous Leadership: An Ancient Model for Modern Business by author David C. Bauman, published in the July 2018 issue of Business Ethics Quarterly. It is available via the University library, in the Business Source Premier database.
- The Virtues of Golf, (Course) Management, and the Common Good by Stephen J. Laumakis, published in the Fall 2018 issue of Journal of Markets & Morality. It is available via the University library, in the ABI/INFORM Collection database.
(Note: While these articles may be available via other sources, a critical aspect of this assignment is to retrieve them from the University library.)
1. From the University Library Home Page, click on “LIBRARY CENTRAL.” When the search page appears, click on “Advanced Search.” (Hint: It’s in small, blue text, next to the orange “Search” button.)
2. Select drop-downs for author and title, and enter the search terms for the article.
3. Click on Search. Find the appropriate article in the results and click on “View It.” Then select the appropriate database.
4. Open the link to the article.
5. The full text should appear and be available for you to read. Download it as a PDF.
6. Be sure to take advantage of the “Cite” link for a recommended APA style reference, complete with the DOI or the Retrieved from data.
7. Read the articles, making notes of the key points to use in your literature review and analysis.
8. Using proper APA format and an academic writing style, write a four-page paper (not including the references page), using the following guidelines:
The paper is to have four sections with the following headings:
Literature Review
Discussion
Conclusions
References
9. Suggestion/Recommendation: Write your literature review while the articles are fresh in your mind. In your own words, craft a cogent summary of the key points in the articles. This section should be about one-and-a-half pages.
10. Compose. The following outline is one approach to composing your paper:
- Begin with an opening paragraph that introduces the research question and provides a roadmap of where the paper will go. This should be about one-half page.
- Literature Review. In your own words, cogently summarize the key points and conclusions of the two articles. Then, point out the aspects on which the two articles converge and diverge.
- Discussion. Consistent with your literature review, identify how the key points in the two articles apply to the demands of contemporary leadership. Cite examples where you have witnessed virtuous and non-virtuous leadership and their effects. This should be about two pages.
- Conclusion. Offer your response to the research question and explain your reasoning. Conclude with your assessment of those aspects of virtuous leadership that fit your own leadership style.
11. The final section of the paper, the references, is to provide a properly formatted reference entry for each article. Include the “Retrieved from” information to show that the article was retrieved from the University library. In accordance with proper APA style, “Start the reference list on a new page, center the title “References,” and alphabetize the entries. Do not underline or italicize the title. Double-space all entries. Every source mentioned in the paper should have an entry.” (See the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) APA Sample Paper.)
12. Use in-text citations to give credit for the sources of the work.
13. Use at least one short quotation from each of the articles, and properly cite them.
General APA Guidelines
All written assignments are to be formatted in accordance with the American Psychological Association (APA) 6th edition style and format. Your paper should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5″ x 11″), with one-inch margins on all sides. You are to use 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Include a page header at the top of every page. Assistance with APA style and format is available on the University Library website. Additionally, the Purdue OWL is an excellent on-line resource.
Grading Structure
10% On time
10% Format & APA Style
10% Composition and Grammar
20% Literature Review
20% Discussion
20% Conclusions
10% References
100%
