Units

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Sample subject outline - 6 Week Teaching Period - 5 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Entrepreneurship is a desirable behavioural pattern of managers, not only within new and small firms, but also within older and larger firms, and within non-profit organisations that wish to rejuvenate their products, services, or operational processes. Entrepreneurs introduce innovations in products, services, and processes, which in turn serve to raise business productivity, increase employment and social well-being, and enhance global competitiveness.

Aims

The mission of the MBA and associated programs is to provide world class, graduate business education and stimulating real world learning opportunities to develop current and future business leaders and managers to confidently lead in complex environments.
The aim of this particular unit is to equip students with a thorough knowledge of important issues surrounding entrepreneurial management and the establishment of new business ventures.

Objectives

QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning (AoL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools.


Have knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular discipline (KS)

1.1 Well-researched knowledge and critical understanding applied to issues at the forefront of a specialised discipline area
1.2 Ability to select and use effectively a range of tools and technologies to locate and/or generate information appropriate to the disciplinary context

Be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers (CTA)

2.1 Apply logical, critical and creative thinking and judgement to generate appropriate solutions to problems in the disciplinary context

Be professional communicators in an intercultural context (PC)

3.1 Ability to create and present professional documents and/or reports using high levels of analysis/synthesis/evaluation for a range of contexts and audiences
3.2 Ability to orally communicate and justify ideas and information, at a professional level, for a variety of contexts and audiences, including peers and discipline specialists

Be able to work effectively in a Team Environment (TW)

4.1 Operate effectively and with flexibility to achieve common goals in collaborative settings, using a range of skills, including leadership, negotiation, reflection, proactivity and support for team members

Have a Social and Ethical Understanding (SEU)

5.1 Apply knowledge of the ethical, social and cultural dimensions relevant to business situations, including appropriate standards or codes of practice, to provide courses of action

Unit Objectives

On completing this unit, you will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the attitudes, abilities, behaviours and ethics of entrepreneurs, whether in self-employment or as an employee of any organisation. KS1.1 (MBA 1), SEU5.1 (MBA 2), PC3.1 (MBA3)
2. Creatively propose new venture concepts and assess the market opportunity for a new venture idea. KS1.1 (MBA 1), CTA 2.1(MBA 4, 5)
3. Devise strategies to generate and exploit new venture entries and to protect the intellectual property of the new venture idea. KS1.1 (MBA 1), CTA 2.1 (MBA4, MBA 5)
4. Design a business model for a new business venture. KS1.1 (MBA 1), CTA 2.1, (MBA 4, MBA 5)
5. Critically evaluate a business model for a new business venture. (CTA 2.1 (MBA 4); PC3.1 (MBA 3)
The specific course learning goals and unit objectives that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Content

This unit has been designed to provide an introduction to the key concepts of Entrepreneurship. It provides an understanding of the entrepreneurial opportunity and of the entrepreneurial individual, which combine to start the entrepreneurial process. The entrepreneur must then conduct viability screening to ascertain whether the new venture can gain sustainable competitive advantage; risk analysis and risk mitigation to bring the new venture to the point of investor readiness; gain intellectual property protection; and design the business model for the new venture.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit adopts a blended learning approach and as such, includes a variety of teaching and learning approaches.

Three hour face-to-face class sessions are supplemented by the textbook and a range of online materials that are designed to support and extend learning prior to, during and after class sessions. Online materials are available in the unit Blackboard site. Given the importance of the unit Blackboard site to the teaching and learning strategy used in this unit, a computer or tablet device with internet access is strongly recommended for all students.

The principal purpose of the lectures and readings is to build upon the key concepts that were introduced through the Preparation for Class activities and readings. The purpose of the case study work, experiential learning tasks and all assessment tasks is to help the student develop their understanding of the concepts and enable them to be applied within a range of business contexts.

There is an expectation that the student will participate in class sessions, to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss important issues with their instructor and their peers in an informal environment. These sessions also provide students with an opportunity to hone important generic skills that are in high demand in the business.

It is expected that students have completed all Preparation for Class activities and readings identified in the unit Blackboard site prior to coming to class to be able to maximise the learning opportunities of the class sessions.

A variety of learning activities designed to engage students in their learning will be incorporated into the lectures/workshops. Such learning activities may include short lectures, class discussions, debates, role plays, group work, guest speakers, student presentations, simulations, case study analysis, videos, readings, wikis, media/current events reports, web searches, etc.
There is a commitment to critical inquiry and intellectual debate in regard to the material covered. Students are encouraged to relate the theories and research discussed to situations known to them and will be encouraged to share their experiences relating to the topics explored in this unit with the class to enrich the overall learning experience of all students.
Expanding the awareness of Australian management policies and practices into intercultural and international perspectives is fostered within this unit. Typically, students enrolling in this unit have extremely varied backgrounds. There is diversity of professional background and socio-cultural background. Students are reminded that this is to their advantage and they have much to learn from one another. To this end, students are strongly encouraged to be sensitive to cultural, gender-related and international issues.

Assessment

Students will receive a variety of formative feedback throughout this unit.
Informally, feedback will be given verbally in class through class discussions and during the debriefing of learning activities.
Direct feedback will be available to those students who request a private or group consultation session with the lecturer.
Formal feedback will be received on both formative and summative assessment tasks through a Criterion Reference Assessment sheet which will also include written feedback on the assessment task. The Criterion Reference Assessment Sheet will be available in the Blackboard site at the commencement of the unit. Students will receive feedback on their formative assessment task prior to their summative assessment task being submitted.

Assessment name: Essay
Description: Profile of an Entrepreneur
Present a profile of an entrepreneur. Critically assess the entrepreneur's attitudes or abilities or behaviours or ethics (or combination of two or more of these) using one or more theories of entrepreneurship presented in Module 1.
Length/Duration:1000 words
Formative/Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1)
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 4

Assessment name: Report
Description: Critique of Business Model
Students will work in groups to apply the course material from modules 2-5 to a hypothetical new venture case throughout the teaching period, and bring these analyses together to develop a business model for the new venture (Module 6). Each student will prepare an individual final report presenting and critically analysing the Business Model (Module 6) for the group's hypothetical new venture.
Length/Duration:2000 word report plus tables
Formative/Summative: Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 2, 3, 4, 5, and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1)
Weight: 70%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 7

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Prescribed Text
Hisrich, R., Peters, M. and Shepherd, D. (2010) Entrepreneurship, 8th ed, Irwin McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.

Other Recommended References:
Barringer, B.R. & Ireland, R.D. (2012) Entrepreneurship: Successfully launching new ventures, Pearson Prentice Hall, 4th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Timmons, J. (2009). New Venture Creation: entrepreneurship for the 21st century. 8th Ed. McGraw-Hill/Irwin, Boston.

Additional Materials:
Additional Materials are available in the GSN410 Blackboard site.

Unit Costs
There is no out-of-the-ordinary cost associated with this unit. A laptop computer, iPad or other tablet device with wireless access is highly recommended for students undertaking this unit. This will enable students to access online resources.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to view the Emergency video.view the Emergency video. view the Emergency video.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 21-Mar-2013