The Entrepreneurial and Intrapreneurial Process: Starting Successful New Ventures

Module description

This module aims to explore the concepts of entrepreneurship related to new enterprise formation. The new enterprise may be in the form of a business start-up or within an existing organisation.  The module centres on the development of individual ideas by you and applying them to the entrepreneurial process in order to create a tangible new venture. The module will give you an insight into the processes and systems important in business model generation (from idea creation through to implementation), and into improving the probability of success. The module will also give you a pragmatic insight into the processes required to conceive, research, write and pitch a credible plan in order to gain the necessary resources to launch a new enterprise.

Internationalisation: The module focuses on principles and process elements which are transferable internationally, although non-UK students will also gain insight into the challenges facing UK start-ups.  You will be able to develop a business plan for an overseas market if desired

External Engagement: Workshops will include significant input from entrepreneurs and small business specialists.

Employability: You will be able to assess whether or not the entrepreneurial route is an appropriate career choice and, if it is, to embark with greater confidence on the process of converting an idea into commercial or social reality.

Sustainability: As part of the One Planet MBA, the module assumes the creation of businesses which support a resource-constrained world, and you will also have the option of working on a social enterprise if desired. 

Ethics and Corporate Responsibility: This module will examine the role of ethics as part of new venture creation.

Research in Teaching: This module will draw on research articles in the first instance; use the module leader’s research expertise in the areas of discussion; and engage you in independent research to compare pragmatic experience with academic theory.

Full module specification

Module aims

By the end of this module you should have a critical understanding of the entrepreneurial process, and the requirements for the launch and development of a successful new venture in the form of a start-up or a new venture within an existing organisation. This module provides an ideal opportunity to develop, refine and test a new venture idea of your choice, and complete the business model design process ready for launch.

ILO: Module-specific skills

• 1. explain how to create a new business or venture model (from idea creation through to implementation).
• 2. explain the challenges of establishing a new enterprise.
• 3. evaluate what makes for a good opportunity for new venture creation.
• 4. balance the perspectives and interests of those parties who might finance a new enterprise.
• 5. develop a credible and informed business plan for a start-up enterprise.
• 6. apply entrepreneurial theory to solve real-life problems.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

• 7. explain the nature of the components of the entrepreneurial process.
• 8. reflect on role of the entrepreneur in new venture creation.
• 9. critically evaluate the research literature on entrepreneurship.

ILO: Personal and key skills

• 10. create, develop, and execute entrepreneurial initiatives.
• 11. articulate a promising idea or proposal for a new venture to a professional audience.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

The above reassessment is applicable for those students who fail the module, If students are granted a deferral for a component, reassessment will be in that component alone.

Syllabus plan

Module introduction; starting small ventures and the entrepreneurial process overview.

• The role of the entrepreneur in entrepreneurship.
• Opportunity recognition: existence, recognition and exploitation.
• Assessment of opportunities.
• Resources and entrepreneurship.
• New venture model generation.
• New enterprise planning. 
• What makes a great enterprise plan? 
• Venture success: pre-start up factors and post start-up factors.
• Intellectual property.
• Sources of finance: debt finance and equity finance; aligning resources, customers and opportunity; creating high impact enterprises. 

Social enterprise: the development of enterprises underpinned by social equity and sustainability How to pitch a new enterprise idea.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Sarasvathy S., Dew N., and Witbank R., Ohlsson A-V. (2011) Effectual Entrepreneurship, Routledge.

Blank S., and Dorf B. (2012) The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company.

Bygrave, W and Zacharakis, A (2014) Entrepreneurship (3rd ed.)  John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-58289-3. 

Burns, P (2013) Corporate Entrepreneurship (3rd Ed), Palgrave. ISBN 978-0-230-304034-1

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Origin date

21/04/2015

Last revision date

24/06/2016