Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Many innovations in business relate to innovations in the logic of value capture and value creation – or business model. Business model innovation is at the heart of recent disruptive changes in many industries. Thus, the ability to understand, develop and articulate business models is a key capability in today’s business world. The Business Model Innovation module takes a practical approach to understanding and designing business models. This module provides a basis for using recent tools and frameworks for business model design and innovation for both start-ups and established organisations, which students apply to case examples and real-life organisations.

The aim of the module is to introduce you to the process of conceptualising and preparing for the launch of an entrepreneurial project or venture. Specific skills that you will develop throughout this module include market research and analysis, sales forecasting, the development of financial statements, and an integrated view of all aspects of the complexities of operations.

Companies are increasingly realising that creating and sustaining a competitive edge requires them to think and act like entrepreneurs. Many companies, therefore, equip selected employees with the space and resources to become intrapreneurs. Other companies see the spawning of corporate spin-offs as an integral part of their strategy. This module is a theory-led and practice-oriented primer on corporate entrepreneurial mindset. It provides useful knowledge for anyone aiming at working (or undertaking research) in the field of corporate innovation and entrepreneurship or aiming at pursuing an entrepreneurial career.

In this module you will learn how to combine creativity and innovation to solve problems, to develop innovations, and to start successful businesses. You will be introduced to design thinking and human centred design approach. Classical and contemporary innovation concepts will also be given to provide a solid foundation for your understanding.

The nature and prevalence of digital technology have significant implications for strategic management theory and practice. Understanding how digital technologies can be used strategically and their limitations in transforming organizations, including their resources and capabilities is therefore of fundamental importance for the strategic management of organizations. This module provides a theoretical basis as well as practical tools and frameworks for developing, implementing and managing digital strategy by using case examples from real-life organisations.

This module consists of two components: research methods and dissertation. The research methods taught component is designed to equip you with the additional research techniques and analytical tools necessary to undertake your dissertation which may be company based. The dissertation component consists of an extended piece of supervised independent research of around 15,000 words on a topic relating to some aspect of your master's programme. You choose your topic in the Lent Term. The focus of the dissertation is normally on issues raised in the core modules but may tackle areas of interest revealed in the optional modules that you wish to investigate in further depth. There is also the opportunity to undertake a company-based project.

This innovative capstone module comprises a set of lectures and workshops and culminates in a simulated full-day ‘Strategy Summit’. The lecture syllabus will deal with advanced topics in strategy practice and process in multi-business and multi-national firms and builds on the diverse modules delivered in Terms 1 and 2.

The Strategy Summit event simulates a corporate strategy process in a real-world multinational, multidivisional firm. The event creates an environment that calls on students to apply ideas developed in lectures and workshops and, importantly, to reflect on what they are doing in the process. Students work in teams, taking on the role of key actors in the process, e.g. top management team, middle managers, division or subsidiary managers, consultants, unions, regulators, shareholders, media actors, etc.

The module provides students with the opportunity to integrate their learning on the programme and to develop a variety of professional and personal capabilities.

Assessment comprises:

• interim group report;
• group presentation/performance at the Summit;
• individual reflective essay.

This module complements the academic content of the programme by helping students develop important career skills such as how to present themselves on the job market and business presentation skills. The ability to present complex data in a clear, concise and convincing way is an important skill for business graduates and in this module we offer students the opportunity to learn and practice presentation in a safe environment.

This module aims to provide a broad overview of qualitative and quantitative approaches as used in management research, together with an understanding of the different research paradigms. This module prepares you for the independent research you will undertake for your final research project.

Most organisations invest vast amounts of resources in defining and redefining their identity. Occasionally, however, organisations lose their sense of identity and purpose. This module seeks to explore the influence of leadership on an organisation’s purpose. Purposes are seen to be focused on an orientation that provides value within the organisation and beyond. Students will be engaged in critically and reflectively examining the purpose and role(s) of values, leadership responsibilities, and stakeholders, sustainability and ethics.