ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION: A BUSINESS MODEL APPROACH - 2020/1

Module Overview

Entrepreneurship, with its emphasis on innovation, is seen to be the means by which both businesses and economies achieve sustained competitive advantage. Accordingly, this module introduces the concept of entrepreneurship and shows how it is possible not only to develop personal entrepreneurial capability but how enterprise cultures can be created within start-up businesses and organisations of any size.

 

This module explores the concept and application of Business Modelling to enable entrepreneurial innovation in practice. It introduces the ‘Entrepreneurial Toolbox’, a range of key concepts, models and frameworks to support entrepreneurial ventures.

 

The module is focused on developing knowledge and practical application of Business Modelling to identify, analyse and solve complex problems at different times in an organisation’s lifecycle. Students are encouraged to research existing products/services and, using the business model framework, to develop systematic strategies for entrepreneurial innovation in a chosen field.

 

Finally, students will be supported to create individual presentations to ‘tell the story’ of the innovated business model and share their own recommendations for implementation.

 

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

GUMETA CHAVEZ Humberto (SII DUFE)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative module content:

• Entrepreneurship and innovation theory


• Information sources for analysing Business Models and assessing the current business landscape


• Value-creation, Fit and the Value Proposition Canvas


• The Business Model Canvas


• The Pivot


• Innovating the Value Proposition Canvas and Business Model Canvas


• Testing strategies


• Constructing persuasive recommendations


• Professional presentation of complex information

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Group work: Alternative indivual assignment 1500 words

Assessment Strategy

Assessment consists of one piece of course work that consist of two parts, as follows:

Part One: The Concept for a New Venture

A written group assignment (3000 words), conducted in small teams, which evaluates the ‘innovation potential’ of an existing or proposed product or service and the resulting implications for business models. This project will use a standard (but flexible) analytical format (the ‘business model canvas’) and will offer students a choice of products/services. The use of this small team approach is necessary because innovatory ideas rely on dialogue and challenge.

Part Two: An individual reflection on Entrepreneurship

A written assignment (up to 2000 words), carried out individually, which allows the student to consider an aspect of their own entrepreneurial experiences, characteristic, or potential in light of the theory and examples presented throughout the module. The student is encouraged to explore their personal perspectives on the topic of entrepreneurship, and to deepen their knowledge of the application of the entrepreneurial theory to their own practical circumstances.

Students will receive feedback and support throughout the module during pre-arranged personal discussions with the academics. In addition, their presentations are reviewed during the module, with verbal feedback and written comments provided to give substantive mid – term corrections and guidance.

Module aims

• Explore a range of entrepreneurship and innovation concepts and contextualise application in various business settings
• Provide a range of tools, techniques and methods to support the design, analysis and innovation of sustainable business models
• Evaluate the effectiveness and stability of Business Models, identify appropriate testing and risk management strategies and to communicate recommendations for implementation

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to benefit passive as well as active learners. Apart from catering for the needs of both types of learner, and, therefore, providing  a  teaching and learning strategy that is fairer and does not disadvantage either group, it is intended to promote sound understanding of theory and how it may be applied in practice. Whilst, in Honey and Mumford’s terms, the pragmatist and activist learners are given the opportunity to experience the theorist and reflector learning styles, the theorists and reflectors are able to learn by doing, thereby helping develop  in them the attributes of the activist and pragmatist. This is seen as important in a programme that is intended to educate students “for” entrepreneurship rather than simply educating them “about” it. Hence it carries more weight in the assessment process. 

The teaching and learning methods include   

• interactive lectures  


• guest lectures (role models and subject matter experts)  


• case analyses  


• group projects  


• presentations


• SurreyLearn


• support materials


• reading


• Individual and Group work

In addition the module teaching team are accessible throughout the semester to address and clarify questions. Office hours will be provided. Feedback given will be oral and written on an individual basis and summative.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN3132

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.