ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE DIGITAL ECONOMY - 2021/2

Module Overview

This module is designed to help you understand how to identify and assess new venture opportunities in either a start-up or a corporate environment, particularly in the digital economy. It uses tools, such as opportunity recognition, business modeling, and open innovation frameworks to understand how entrepreneurial innovation has shaped existing products/services and its potential for future innovation.

In the course of this examination it also considers how entrepreneurial innovation can be encouraged and, importantly, how it can be squandered or lost. A range of different business models are considered alongside processes and prospects for innovative development. Students are encouraged to research and critically evaluate designated emerging-growth companies in the Digital Economy using Entrepreneurial theory and the business model framework to develop systematic plans to scale the business. 

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

SEARS Jim (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• 
  The nature of entrepreneurship and innovation
  


• 
  Business models: frameworks for development and evaluation
  


• 
  Methods for developing creative and innovatory thinking
  


• 
  Business models: environment and context
  


• 
  Open innovation
  


• 
  Cases and examples of successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurial innovation
  


• 
  Practical digital skill development
  

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

If a student fails the module i.e. receives an overall mark below 50% taking account of both assessments, the student will redo any assessment with a mark below 50% on an individual basis taking into account the feedback received; for the group project written assignment, students will improve on the written assignment on an individual basis; for the group presentation, students will redo assessment on individual basis as written report (1500 words). If a student cannot participate in a group assignments for any reason, then the student will complete the assignment on an individual basis with an alternative assessment of a written report;  for the group project written assignment, the student will complete it on an individual basis; for the group presentation, students will complete it on individual basis as written report (1500 words).

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their learning and meeting of the modules’ learning outcomes in terms of the key skills of critical discussion, debate,and  argumentation as well as personal reflection and practical application

The assessment strategy is summative and formative and aligns with the learning outcomes. The assessment has been designed to allow students to bring together the theory taught throughout the module and apply it to real-life case studies. There are two pieces of summative assessment: i) the evaluation of the entrepreneurial journey of a designated company including business ideation, business modeling and strategies for growth based on the digital economy (accounting for 70% of assessment weighting), and ii) a group presentation to object to demonstrate and to reflect on the student understanding of Entrepreneurship theory (accounting for 30% of assessment weighting).

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of two pieces:

• 
  A written group project report (3000 words), conducted in small teams, which evaluates the ‘entrepreneurial potential’ of a designated company and the resulting implications for business models. This project will use a standard (but flexible) analytical format (such as the ‘business model canvas’) and will offer students a choice of products/services. The use of this small team approach is necessary because innovative ideas rely on dialogue and challenge and is reflective of how an entrepreneurial team works.
  


• 
  A group presentation (10 slides max) will allows student to explore a given topic in Entrepreneurship and apply it to a case study to critically examine how theory works in practice; this will be delivered during the tutorial.
  

In order to gain high marks in the assignments, students will have to read widely which means going beyond lecture notes and recommended texts and critically apply their knowledge in evaluations and reflections of the different topics; key skills will also need to be applied. Marks will be returned to students within 3 weeks of submission.

 

Formative assessment and feedback

Prior to the assignments, class time will be spent discussing the assignment and feedback process.  Students will receive feedback and support throughout the module, such as verbal feedback from the lecturer on inputs to class discussions, presentations, and debates and during pre-arranged meetings with the course teacher(s).

In other to advance their written group project, the students will have to give a formative presentation about their group work, which will be reviewed during the module lectures, with verbal feedback and/or written comments provided to give substantive mid–term corrections and guidance.  Student groups are then expected to improve upon their formative presentations for written project submission.

In addition to class-based sessions, students will be encouraged to learn via independent study and directed learning and to prepare for both weekly classroom sessions and the assignments. Students will be expected to actively participate in class and draw upon their own experiences, reflections and reading/preparation where appropriate.

A list of texts will be provided but the expectation is that this represents a starting point for reading and not an exhaustive list. Students will be encouraged to do their own additional research and preparation on module topics, such as those pertinent to their assignments to receive high marks in the summative work.

Module aims

• To equip students with an appreciation of innovatory practice and its determinants within an entrepreneurial and digital context
• To enable students to identify their own potential as innovators
• To provide the theoretical understanding and practical insights necessary to realise this potential

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Combine lectures, group discussion and workshop activities, including guest speakers and site visits (if feasible). In addition to literature and research studies, the module will deploy case studies and examples of innovatory practices. Students will be given formative feedback on a presentation on their designated company to support the application of key topics.

 

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures, seminars, class discussions and debates (33 hours).


• Cases and practical examples (to comprise part of the above contact teaching sessions) 


• Multimedia resources e.g. audio podcasts (used both in class and as part of guided study/class preparation)


• SurreyLearn VLE (used to support learning and teaching and communication with students)


• Support materials


• Reading and class preparation via directed learning and independent study


• Individual work


• Group discussions and debates


• Designated external resources to support skill development where deemed appropriate;

 

In addition, those on 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/or 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: MANM104

Programmes this module appears in

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 2021/2 academic year.