School of Management, Unit Catalogue 2011/12 |
|
 Credits:
| 6 |
| Level:
| Honours (FHEQ level 6) |
| Period: |
Semester 1 |
| Assessment:
| CW 40%, EX 60% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| |
| Description:
| Aims: This unit is design for those students who are either considering their own future as an entrepreneur or those who wish to learn about the opportunities and limitations that entrepreneurs face. The unit is positioned as an open-conversation which will enable the student to develop their perspectives on innovation and entrepreneurship, and critically assess their own development needs. It is expected that sessions will include a number of external speakers (e.g. local business networks, capital providers, and entrepreneurs themselves). Teaching activities will be focused around individual and group exercises to challenge assumptions and progress practical thinking on "how to develop and succeed as an entrepreneur"? The style of teaching will be predominantly based in case studies supported by relevant and practically applicable theoretical studies. Our aim is to create an atmosphere on the unit similar to a business development centre with participatory conversations rather than formal lectures. Students selecting this unit will be expected to exhibit a high degree of participation, conduct applicable research, and to leverage their existing knowledge from other courses (such as: marketing, market analysis, project management etc.). Coursework assessment will comprise of an individual portfolio, framed around the student's choice of existing cases (or their own hypothetical business ideas). The portfolio will be comprised of a number of short reflective commentaries focusing on key elements of business development plans and highlighting future personal development goals (e.g. competencies and experience). Examination will test the student's ability to apply learning from the unit to practical scenarios which entrepreneurs may face and to demonstrate considered evaluation of actions with reference to real-life and theoretical evidence. Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate: * An ability to clearly articulate and communicate key aspects of business design and planning. * An appreciation of management competencies required for entrepreneurship. * Critical evaluation of existing business models (indicating both the strengths, weakness, and areas for improvement). * Practical application of theoretical frameworks to business issues. * Ability to distil lessons from cases studies of existing entrepreneurial successes and failures. * Consideration of business resource demands and practical means to overcome obstacles to business formation and growth. * Critically assess their own ideas, plans, and personal capabilities. Skills: Subject specific skills: * Consider critical aspects of business operation and management functions * Appreciate steps in the creation, evaluation and development of commercial ideas * Challenge and practically apply existing analyses and research literature * Critically evaluate and derive lessons learned from case study evidence * Conduct individual and collaborative research into business and management issues Intellectual skills * Critical thinking, analysis and synthesis skills, including the ability to identify assumptions, evaluation statements in terms of evidence, to detect false logic or reasoning, to identify implicit values, and to define terms adequately and to generalise appropriately. * The ability to create, evaluate and access a range of options, together with capacity to apply ideas and knowledge to a range of business situation. * Problem solving and decision-making skills. Transferable skills * Reflective, adaptive and collaborative learning skills. * Effective self-management skills in terms of time, motivation, planning and implementing. * Interpersonal skills for effective listening, negotiating, persuasion and presentation. Content: The unit content is expected to be framed in a number of conversations around entrepreneurship: * What are the challenges of establishing and managing your own business, whatt constitutes success or failure? * What is the typical lifecycle of business start-up? How do they evolve? What is the exit plan? * What qualities and competencies do successful entrepreneurs need? * How do entrepreneurs access necessary resources such as capital? * What role do business networks, government bodies, and other parties play in stimulating or supporting business innovation? * How have innovations evolved as responses to market, environmental or social issues, and resource constraints? Due to the participatory nature of the unit, students on the unit will partially determine the content of some sessions based upon their specific needs, interests and concerns. |
| Programme availability: |
MN30473 is Optional on the following programmes:School of Management
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