Innovation and Market Entry

Module Provider: Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:5
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Module version for: 2016/7

Summary module description:
Why does good technology so often fail? Entrepreneurs with innovative products often find market entry and acceptance problematic. This module takes students through the innovation process, how entrepreneurs then identify and exploit new, profitable opportunities, use tools and develop innovative strategies.

Aims:
The module aims to introduce students to the problems and potential solutions facing entrepreneurs wanting to bring their innovative products to market.
Assessable learning outcomes:
By the end of the module students will be able to:
- Describe the innovative process and understand innovation strategy
- Identify and quantify with justification profitable opportunities;
- Select and apply relevant market making tools.

Additional outcomes:
The module is an opportunity for students to develop their presentation skills and their ability to work in groups. Students are encouraged to develop additional IT and quantitative skills by use of relevant web resources and communication techniques.
Outline content:
- What is innovation and why does it matter?
- Innovation Strategy
- Entrepreneurial opportunity identification
- Leadership and Organisation of Innovation
- Sources of innovation and search strategies
- Developing new products and services
- ICT and e-leadership as an innovation tool
- Resource leveraging and new product co-creation with end-users
- Exploiting open innovation and Knowledge spillovers

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
Lectures including discussion of cases
Tutorials: group work

Contact hours:
Lectures 20
Seminars 4
Guided independent study 176
Total hours by term 200

Sumative Assessment Methods
Written exam 60%
Written assignment including essay 40%

Other information on summative assessment:
In weeks 1 to 9 students are required to work in teams and conduct a research of a company which is relevant for their particular interests. The company will utilize one or two new information and communication technologies embedded into business model. This piece of work will include a group assignment and an individual reflective component (worth 40%).

Formative assessment methods:
- work which provides opportunities to improve performance (e.g. through feedback provided) but which does not necessarily always contribute towards the overall module mark.

Length of examination:
Two hours

Requirements for a pass:
A minimum mark of 40%

Reassessment arrangements:
By examination only, in May/June.