Summary module description:
The module is aimed at students who want to enhance their innovation skills by setting up their new ventures or by developing innovative ideas in existing companies. The module brings together insights, concepts and managerial tools from the field of entrepreneurship and innovation studies.
Aims:
We develop theoretical and practical understanding of the function of entrepreneurship and the nature of the innovation process from idea to changing products, processes, teams, organizations and markets.
Intended learning outcomes:
- Understand the scope and context of strategic change and innovation.
- Understand how to develop and implement strategic innovation within an organisation.
Assessable learning outcomes:
- Business modeling
- New market strategies, changing customer demands and trend analysis
- Set a clear agenda and gain support from key stakeholders
- Undertake research and critically analyse and integrate complex information
- Innovation
- The impact of disruptive technologies (mechanisms that challenge traditional business methods and practices)
- Drivers of change and new ways of working across
infrastructure, processes, people and culture, and sustainability
- Initiate and lead change in the organisation
- Create an environment for innovation and creativity, establishing the value of ideas and change initiatives and drive continuous improvement
- Manage partnerships, people and resources effectively and measure outcomes
- Act as needed as Sponsor, championing projects and transformation of services across organisational boundari
es
Additional outcomes:
The module is an opportunity for students to develop their presentation skills and their ability to work in groups in order to support development of new products and brining change in organization (innovation strategies, team management, resource management, growth strategy) (B8.2). Student will develop competitive strategies and entrepreneurialismand will learn to challenge strategies and operations in terms of ethics, responsibility, sustainability, resource allocation and business continuity/risk management.
Outline content:
(If naming individual staff, a caveat is required ‘the staffing of modules is correct at the time of writing/publication’):
- Understanding innovation
- Establishing and forecasting innovation strategy
- Lead users as Innovators. Lean innovation
- Design thinking
- Open innovation
- Knowledge management and Financing
- Social innovation
Global context:
The course uses the synergised approach to entrepreneurship and innovation strategy adopted by Henley Business School, University of Reading and Kelley Business School, Indiana University Bloomington.
Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
The module will consist of face to face sessions (7 hours x 2) and distant learning via blackboard (7 hours x 6). During this time the main topics on the syllabus are covered. Students’ contributions to discussions during these sessions are welcomed in order to promote knowledge exchange of relevant work experiences.
Face to face sessions will incorporate group work exercise and case studies. Face to face sessions will also include familiarising students with Big
data software. Face to face sessions end with question and answer session and online sessions will have a blackboard forum.
Students are expected to read key references and to do a significant amount of independent research using the Internet, journals, and academic references.
The contact hours are a guide and the terms taught will vary depending on the start date of the cohort.
Summative Assessment Methods:
| Method |
Percentage |
| Report |
60 |
| Oral assessment and presentation |
40 |
Summative assessment- Examinations:
Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:
The summative assessment will be composed of a group project which involves a poster that will be presented (40%) and an individual written assignment of 2,500 word count (60%). A -10% to + 20% word count tolerance margin applies.
GROUP PROJECT: BUSINESS INNOVATION CHALLENGE
The group project has a practical objective, to develop an original business case using design thinking method. The group will need to present it by using a poster. You will work in a team of 4-5 students. The team composition will be randomly selected.
The poster (what should be in it?)
The general objective of the poster is to show and prove the value of your idea by identifying and solving the problems of (a) technical feasibility (b) market desirability and (c) financial viability. More specifically the purpose of the poster is to:
• Describe the idea and tests its merits using empathy and design thinking approach: what is the problem and how are you going to solve it? Is the idea feasible, viable, desirable?
• Identify your customer segment and design the validation test
• Present the poster
Please use Kuratko (2019) textbook which are relevant for each specific objective. You can also integrate with other manuals (e.g. Osterwalder and Pigneur, 2010).
Poster format
A3 or A2 or flipchart paper
Poster assessment
The quality of the poster will be assessed on the basis on:
(a) quality of content - depth and breadth of information and evidence provided to illustrate your
innovative idea and to prove that your business case is solid against the three criteria of (a)
feasibility (b) desirability and (c) viability. Avoid overload of information
that is not relevant for the objectives above stated. It is important to demonstrate that you have
collected relevant and sufficient evidence to support your case.
(d) quality of delivery - how clearly and effectively the poster communicates a meaning in view of the two objectives, of illustrating and proving your business case (e.g. use of tables, graphs etc).
Poster fair
Teams will present their posters in the end of the workshop (2). The objective is to illustrate briefly the idea and the business model in the form of an “elevator pitch” and to answer possible questions about the project. The presentations is part of the assessment but are important to practice the essential skill of ‘pitching’ an idea to an external audience (for example to potential investors). However, only posters presented during the poster fair will be considered for assessment. Failure to exhibit the poster in the session is considered as failure of this coursework component.
Submission
All posters are to be submitted at the end of the session.
INDIVDUAL ASSESSMENT
Will include a series of multiple choice questions and tests
Assessment
The assessment of the poster presentation will be based on:
(a) the ability to combine in-depth observation of
Penalties for late submission:
The below information applies to students on taught programmes except those on Postgraduate Flexible programmes. Penalties for late submission, and the associated procedures, which apply to Postgraduate Flexible programmes are specified in the policy “Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes”, which can be found here: http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/files/qualitysupport/penaltiesforlatesubmissionPGflexible.pdf
The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:
- where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
- where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.
The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at:
http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/FILES/qualitysupport/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.
Assessment requirements for a pass:
The assignment / project / report must achieve a minimum mark of 50% to achieve a pass.
Reassessment arrangements:
Reassessment by 100% assignment (capped at 50%); to be submitted within 6 weeks of notification of module failure, date dependent on cohort entry and to be advised by the Programme Administrator.
Additional Costs (specified where applicable):
The cost of textbooks and study aids for apprentices are met by the University of Reading as per the Education and Skills Funding Agency Regulations.
Last updated: 20 May 2021
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MODULE DESCRIPTION DOES NOT FORM ANY PART OF A STUDENT'S CONTRACT.