PROBLEM SOLVING AND INNOVATION THINKING - 2025/6

Module Overview

What does it mean to be creative and, more importantly, how can creativity be translated into something tangible that offers both uniqueness and value? Creativity is a key driver of innovation, and business success is increasingly tied to the organisation’s ability to solve problems creatively, and also find unoccupied space for new products and services. With problem solving and ideation at its core, this module will introduce students to the value of creativity for organisations and its leaders. Students will be immersed in a team based simulated entrepreneurial environment, where theory from the module can be effectively put to practise. During this intense entrepreneurial journey, students will work from problem to solution, developing a sense of their own creativity along the way.  Students will learn to work effectively in diverse teams; define problems effectively; generate a large number of creative ideas to solve their chosen problem; identify opportunities for genuine value creation; synthesise and select the ideal solution to their chosen problem; develop this solution into a viable business opportunity; pitch this business opportunity to a panel of investors. At the conclusion of this experience, students will have developed and refined a key set of transferable entrepreneurial skills, which will enhance performance, decision making and leadership in any type of organisation. 

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

MAHON Christopher (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Introduction to economic theories of entrepreneurship


• Introduction to creativity theory and its application to business


• Engagement with the principles of creative problem solving. including problem definition and ideation


• Introduction to opportunity recognition theory


• Application of the Business Model Canvas


• Principles of idea evaluation and selection


• A team based simulated entrepreneurial environment


• A team based assessed investment pitch

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Alternative assessment: Alternative assessment for Group Coursework is Individual essay  

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.

The assessment strategy is summative and formative and aligns with the learning outcomes. There are two pieces of summative assessment. The group presentation (accounting for 30% of weighting) and an individual reflective (accounting for 70% of weighting) addressing the approach, results, and learnings from the module.


Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
 

• A 15 minute group presentation

 

• An individual reflective report

Prior to both assignments, a detailed outline of expectations and proposed structure for the assessment will be provided to students, and class time will be spent discussing the assignment and feedback process. After the first assignment students will receive generic feedback which explains what students did well and did less well overall.

Formative assessment and feedback

There is no formal formative assessment on this module.  However, students will be encouraged to contribute to discussion and debate in class, and those that participate will receive feedback during the module such as verbal feedback from the lecturer on inputs to class discussions and debates.

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. In order to gain high marks in the assignments, students will have to read widely which means going beyond lecture notes and recommended texts. 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.   

Module aims

• to evaluate and apply entrepreneurship and creativity theory from a variety of perspectives
• to develop and deploy entrepreneurial skills in a team-based simulated entrepreneurial environment
• to create and pitch a business idea to real entrepreneurs and investors

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

This module places a simulated entrepreneurial environment at the centre of learning. Students will have the opportunity to apply theory from the module to this practical exercise. Students will work in teams to identify, define and solve a problem of their choice, using theory and models such as Lean Startup principles and Business Model / Lean Canvas to develop a novel business idea. The simulated entrepreneurial environment will also feature rigorous challenge and mentoring from the module leader as well as innovation experts and visiting investors and entrepreneurs. Students will also learn how to pitch for investment, and develop key soft skills.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures, seminars, class discussions and debates.


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


• Multimedia resources e.g. video content (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 

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 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: MANM380

Other information

Sustainability:  The module features a creative problem solving exercise, and students are required to explore the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals for problems to solve in groups.  Teams go on to develop and pitch a business idea that creates clear social and / or environment value to a panel of investors.

Global and Cultural Intelligence: Student cohorts on the MBA are incredibly diverse culturally, and as a result the group activity requires that students develop an awareness, appreciation and understanding of culture.  The group based problem solving activity also encourages problem exploration on a global level, via the UN17SDGs.

Digital Capabilities: Students use a variety of digital tools during the module, include Miro (an ideation application), PowerPoint, and Excel.

Employability: The module develops the entrepreneurial skill set, and a well developed and deployed set of entrepreneurial skills enhances employability (Roberts, 2002).

Resourcefulness and Resilience: The simulated entrepreneurial environment embedded in the module is designed to encourage creative problem solving in a group setting.  Student groups must create something from nothing, under conditions of uncertainty and stress.  Student groups are also encouraged to try new things and to ‘fast fail’ and apply learning from each ‘mistake’ as they iterate toward a superior solution to their chosen problem.

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 2025/6 academic year.