THE DIGITAL ECONOMY - 2026/7

Module Overview

In this module, you will explore how the digital economy is transforming the way organisations create, deliver and capture value. You will engage with digital platforms and digital business models as distinctive organisational forms that underpin many of today's most influential industries, from retail and music to travel, finance and entrepreneurship. 

Through lectures, case discussions and activities, you will examine how digital technologies have evolved, how digital platforms are designed and governed, and how they enable economic activity at scale through data, networks and participation. While social media platforms are used as illustrative examples, the focus is on understanding the wider digital economy and the strategic, economic and societal implications of digitalisation. 

By engaging with real-world cases and practical exercises, you will develop the ability to analyse digital business models, assess opportunities for innovation, and critically evaluate the risks and ethical challenges associated with digital platforms and new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, including issues of privacy, power and sustainability. You will apply key concepts to design and evaluate digital platform strategies, preparing you to operate effectively in digitally enabled entrepreneurial and organisational contexts.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

ADDO Atta (SBS)

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 includes: 

• The emergence and evolution of the digital economy, including how digital technologies and platforms have developed and reshaped economic activity and organisational practices. 
• Digital platforms as organisational and economic forms, including platform architectures, multisided markets, network effects and the role of users in value creation. 
• Digital business models and value creation, examining how organisations create, deliver and capture value in digitally enabled markets. 
• Social media platforms as one form of digital platform, used as illustrative cases within the wider digital economy alongside examples from other digitally enabled sectors. 
• Data, analytics and algorithmic processes in the digital economy, and their influence on innovation, decision-making and competitive dynamics. 
• Organisational, strategic and entrepreneurial implications of digitalisation, including digital transformation and industry change. 
• Governance, regulation and ethical considerations in the digital economy, including issues of platform power, data privacy, risk and societal impact. 
• Applied engagement with digital economy contexts through case-based learning and collaborative activities, supporting the development of analytical and practical skills.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Not applicable

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the module learning outcomes in relation to the digital economy and digital platforms. 

The summative assessment for this module consists of: 

• Individual poster (addresses learning outcomes 1, 3, 4 and 5) 
• Individual report (addresses learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 5) 

Opportunities for formative feedback are also embedded within seminars, where assessment requirements and expectations are discussed and clarified.

Students will receive feedback on their submitted assessments following the release of marks. General feedback on each assessment, including feedback on individual sections, will be provided to the whole class. Opportunities for formative feedback are also embedded within seminars, where assessment requirements and expectations are discussed and clarified.

Module aims

• To enable students to develop a critical understanding of the digital economy and how digital platforms and technologies shape contemporary organisations, markets and industries.
• To equip students with the conceptual tools to analyse digital business models, value creation and innovation across a range of digitally enabled sectors.
• To support students in critically evaluating the opportunities, risks and ethical challenges associated with digital platforms and new technologies, including issues of governance, data, privacy and sustainability, in entrepreneurial and organisational contexts.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The module is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and guided independent study. 

• Lectures introduce key concepts, frameworks and debates related to the digital economy, providing students with the theoretical foundations needed to understand digital platforms, business models and digitally enabled innovation. 
• Seminars support active learning through discussion, case-based analysis and collaborative activities, enabling students to apply concepts to real-world digital economy contexts and to critically engage with contemporary issues. 
• Independent study enables students to consolidate their learning through directed reading, case preparation and assessment-related research. 
• Learning activities are designed to develop students' analytical, critical and communication skills relevant to entrepreneurial and organisational contexts.

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: MAN3260

Other information

Surrey Business School is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas: 

Digital Capabilities: the module teaches students about digital platforms as a new organisational form and its implications in the context of social media and the digital economy. This builds capabilities for understanding and operating in the digital economy. 

Employability:  the module is an excellent preparation for students who aim to start their own digital business or apply social media and digital platform skills in the context of their employment in an organisation. 

Resourcefulness and Resilience: Through various forms of feedback on the module, students can develop their resourcefulness, which can help with their adaptability and resilience in future roles.

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 2026/7 academic year.