Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management

 

Full details of coursework:

One 3,000-word individual assignment (100%)

Select an organisation you believe to be an example of a corporate entrepreneurship success story or failure.  Using the diagnostic framework of entrepreneurial practices, Mosey et al, (2017, p120), conduct an evaluation of the corporate entrepreneurship performance of this organisation over the last 5 years (approx. 2000 words). Within this section you should:

• Give an overview of the innovative performance of the firm over the last 5 years.
• If the firm is multi national or multi divisional, justify a focus upon one country and / or division.
• Present a diagnosis of the entrepreneurial practices for that 5-year period by addressing the following areas:
• Explain whether existing capabilities can deliver appropriate types of innovation
• Explain how the organisation is structured for entrepreneurship
• Explain how people are recruited and rewarded for entrepreneurship
• Explain how innovation challenges are identified
• Explain how entrepreneurship is practised with external stakeholders
• Explain how the organisation manages uncertainty and failure
• Explain how the organisation reconciles exploratory and exploitative learning

Building upon your diagnosis, design a corporate entrepreneurship change programme for this organisation (approx. 1000 words). This should:

• Consider the one or two areas where your organisation’s practices have historically underperformed and explain how these practices could be improved, removed or performed in a different way.
• Be written for a senior manager from that firm to act upon.
• Build upon relevant sources of evidence such as the result of your diagnostic, approaches used by comparator firms and research from empirical journal articles and reputable online sources.

Reports that gain higher marks will:

• Convince the reader to act.
• Provide evidence of reading around the topic and show a good understanding of the key concepts
• Include relevant theory and evidence and reference sources accurately.
• Critically discuss different viewpoints with arguments carefully developed and clearly expounded
• Show originality of thought
• Have good structure and clear presentation

Coursework Submission Requirements:

• A maximum word count will be set by the module convenor and must be adhered to. The penalty for exceeding this limit is a five mark deduction.
• The actual word count of the assignment must be stated by the student on the first page (cover sheet) of the assignment.
• The overall word count does include citations and quotations.
• The overall word count does not include the references or bibliography at the end of the coursework.
• The word count does not include figures and tables.
• For this module Appendices are not included in the overall word count. 
• Students should prepare and submit their coursework assessments in the following format:

Module Aims

This module develops an understanding of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) and an appreciation of how larger firms can be designed to be more entrepreneurial, flexible and innovative.  The module aims are as follows:

• To develop an understanding of the relationship between entrepreneurial practices and innovative outcomes within organisations.
• To enable students to diagnose shortfalls in entrepreneurial practices and recommend changes in practice to support innovations in product, process or business model.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

This module develops a knowledge and understanding of:

• The dynamic and changing nature of business and the consideration of the future of organisations within the global business environment, including the management of risk

• The development of appropriate policies and strategies within a changing environment to meet stakeholder interests

• The need for individuals and organisations to manage responsibly and sustainably and behave ethically in relation to social, cultural, economic and environmental issues

• The different approaches for segmentation, targeting, positioning, generating sales and the need for innovation in product and service design

• The design, development of organisations, including cross-cultural issues, change, diversity and values

• The development of strategic priorities to deliver business at speed in an environment where digital technology has reshaped traditional revenue and business models

• Taking innovative business ideas to create new products, services or organisations including the identification of Intellectual Property and appreciation of its value

Intellectual skills

This module develops:

• The ability to analyse facts and circumstances to determine the cause of a problem and identifying and selecting appropriate solutions

• The ability to analyse and evaluate a range of business data, sources of information and appropriate methodologies, which includes the need for strong digital literacy, and to use that research for evidence-based decision-making

• Conceptual and critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and evaluation

Professional practical skills

This module develops:

• Self-analysis and awareness/sensitivity to diversity in terms of people and cultures. This includes a continuing appetite for development.

• Commercial acumen based on an awareness of the key drivers for business success, causes of failure and the importance of providing customer satisfaction and building customer loyalty

• The ability to act entrepreneurially to generate, develop and communicate ideas, manage and exploit intellectual property, gain support and deliver successful outcomes

Transferable (key) skills

This module develops:

• Communication and listening including the ability to produce clear, structured business communications in a variety of media

• Articulating and effectively explaining information