Undergraduate Course: Introduction to Entrepreneurship (BUST08023)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course is NOT available to students who are studying Business as part of their degree programme. This course introduces you to the theory and practice of entrepreneurship. It focuses specifically on how and why some innovations are successfully commercialized, with particular emphasis on the role of the innovator-entrepreneur, with specific reference to science-driven innovation relevant to your programmes of study. |
| Course description |
Entrepreneurship has become one of the most powerful and influential forces of change in the world. Technological innovation driven by scientific research has led to radical social and economic changes. Companies like Apple, Facebook, Genentech, and Cisco, all derive their success in part due to the innovative application of novel technology. But advanced technology alone is not sufficient to guarantee either user adoption or commercial success. Many ideas and technologies are abandoned or ignored despite presenting apparently significant advantages over incumbent systems.
This course introduces students to the theory and practice of entrepreneurship. It focuses specifically on how and why some innovations are successfully commercialized, with particular emphasis on the role of the innovator-entrepreneur, with specific reference to science-driven innovation relevant to students programmes of study.
This course teaches some of the generic and transferable skills required to become an entrepreneur, and raises the student's awareness of the legal, business, managerial, creative, analytical and interpersonal skills relevant to setting up and running an innovative organization.
Because of the online course format, the course lectures are available online at any time. Students are strongly encouraged to watch the course presentations on the weekly course schedule. Students who fall behind the lectures or any other course content may find it difficult to get caught up again.
The course covers ten (10) topics associated with entrepreneurship:
1. Entrepreneurial motivation
2. Entrepreneurial characteristics
3. Contexts of entrepreneurial activity
4. Opportunity recognition
5. Opportunity assessment
6. Acquiring resources
7. Business models
8. Entrepreneurial activities
9. Leadership and social entrepreneurship
10. Exits and outcomes
A fundamental outcome of entrepreneurship is the creation of new value, usually through the creation of new products and services which may lead to the creation of a new business entity. The objective of this course is to demonstrate and understand that exploiting a new opportunity is a process that can be planned, resourced, and managed. To start a successful business, an entrepreneur must exercise motivation as well as enterprising and managerial skills. He or she requires access to resources to grow the business; not just investment but social resources as well. Overall success is not just related to the nature of market opportunities but to the entrepreneurial and managerial motivations and skills of the entrepreneur.
Student Learning Experience
The course centres on three objectives:
1. Facilitating student identification and exploration of entrepreneurial opportunities,
2. Supporting student development of knowledge and skill related to success in entrepreneurial activity
3. Encouraging student self-evaluation with regard to entrepreneurial interest, intent, and capabilities.
This course utilizes multiple learning modes, including: independent reading, primary research, lecture, group discussion, case studies, and exposure to practice. Students who participate in and engage with every mode are most likely to gain the most learning from the course. Preparation for every lecture session is essential, as students are expected to be active participants in their own and others learning experience.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Online Activities 20,
Formative Assessment Hours 3,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Revision Session Hours 48,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
0 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Unmarked assessments - REQUIRED
All students must submit four (4) written responses to questions linked to course videos and other resources. The submissions should be 100-200 words.
Although the assessments are not marked and do not count towards the total course mark, students will receive short written feedback from the course lecturer or teaching assistants. Completion of all four unmarked assessments is mandatory to complete the course. Note that penalties for late submissions may be applied to the student's final course mark.
Group Coursework
Opportunity video (5%) 2-3 minutes in length
Opportunity evaluation written report (35%) 1000 words including peer evaluation
Examination 60%.
Students will sit an examination covering key course concepts and the application of theory to real-world contexts including novel opportunities and organisations. The exam will include multiple choice questions and short response questions. Although the examination will primarily focus on the demonstration of learning from the assigned textbooks, questions may address information, content, skills, and tools based on any course content, including the supplementary readings, entrepreneurial journey videos, Stanford e-corner videos, and e-club speaker events/videos.
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| Feedback |
Unmarked assessments - brief written feedback via online communication
Group video - mark and brief feedback
Group assessment - mark and feedback
Examination - Marks and Generic Feedback:
Your examination marks will be posted on Learn (together with generic feedback and examination statistics) as soon as possible after the Boards of Examiners¿ meeting (normally early-mid June). During the summer months (i.e. mid/end June - end August), you may come into the UG Office (Room 1.11, Business School, 29 Buccleuch Place) to look at your examination scripts. Note Non-Honours students are permitted to take examination scripts away with them from the UG Office.
Continuing students will also be given the opportunity to review their examination scripts early in the new academic year in Semester 1 (i.e. in October).
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify and discuss entrepreneurial contexts.
- Identify and discuss entrepreneurial characteristics, and reflect on their own interest in entrepreneurial activity.
- Identify and critically evaluate an opportunity, research basic aspects of the opportunity and market, and present a simple plan for its exploitation.
- Prepare a written opportunity assessment.
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Reading List
Required Textbooks
George G. and Bock AJ. 2008. Inventing Entrepreneurs. Prentice-Hall Pearson.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001NOMIX4
Mullins J. 2010. The New Business Road Test. Prentice-Hall FT.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00F0NIYPA
Ries, Eric The Lean Startup Portfolio Penguin.
Supplementary Textbook Readings provided under Fair Use policy (see course program for required status)
Allen, 2012. New Venture Creation. Cengage. Chapter 2.
Bessant and Tidd 2011. Innovation and Entrepreneurship (2nd). Wiley, ch 2
Bhide, A. (1999). Developing Start-up Strategies 8. The Entrepreneurial Venture: Readings Selected, 121.
Blundell & Lockett, 2011. Exploring Entrepreneurship, Oxford, Ch 3
Burns, P. 2008. Corporate Entrepreneurship. Chapters 8
Burns. 2011. Entrepreneurship and Small Business. Palgrave. Chapter 2.
Kuratko, Morris, Covin, 2011. Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Cengage Southwestern, ch 15
Rae, 2007. Entrepreneurship. Chapter 5.
Supplementary Readings provided under Fair Use policy and/or available online (see course program for required status):
Osterwalder 2011. Business Model Generation, Wiley, ch 1 Available online at: www.businessmodelgeneration.com
Supplementary Journal Articles and Popular Media provided under Fair Use policy and/or available via University's electronic library (see course program for required status)
Bhide, A. (1994) How Entrepreneurs Craft Strategies That Work. Harvard Business Review, 72(2): 150-161.
Garvin DA, Levesque LC. (2006) Meeting the challenge of corporate entrepreneurship. Harvard Business Review, 84(10):102-12. [Available on Course Website]
Gilbert 2010. Beating the Odds When You Launch a New Venture. Harvard Business Review.
Kawasaki, G. 2000. The Top 10 Lies of Entrepreneurs. Harvard Business Review.
Leonard, D., & Rayport, J. F. (1997). Spark innovation through empathic design. Harvard business review, 75, 102-115.
Porter and Kramer. 2011 (Jan-Feb). Creating Shared Value. Harvard Business Review.
Useem (2010). Adaptive Leadership. Harvard Business Review.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Cognitive Skills:
Students participating in the course should improve:
- Scholarship and desk research skills;
- Assimilation, communication and presentation of critical evaluations of relevant sources of information; and
- The application of entrepreneurial concepts to real world organizations and opportunities.
Subject Specific Skills:
After completing this course, students should be able to:
- Reflect upon frameworks and concepts underpinning entrepreneurship;
- Understand the relationship between entrepreneurship and value creation and the unique role of the entrepreneurial manager in driving innovation and growth;
- Work both independently and in a team-based environment to assess an opportunity and propose ways it could be exploited
- Employ a theoretical framework in analyzing a new business venture opportunity
- Cooperate in team environments
Although not required or assessed, students will have the opportunity to:
- Build interpersonal skills in networking and negotiations
- Develop their professional writing and communication skills
- Develop team-based leadership skills
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| Special Arrangements |
This course is NOT available to students who are studying Business as part of their degree programme.
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| Additional Class Delivery Information |
The course is delivered as the online format. There are no physical lectures. The course lectures are available online at any time. Students are strongly encouraged to watch the course presentations on the weekly course schedule. Students will engage in a face-to-face group project. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Fumi Kitagawa
Tel: (0131 6)50 8068
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Anne Cunningham
Tel: (0131 6)50 3827
Email: |
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