Units

---

Sample subject outline - 6 Week Teaching Period - 5 2013

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

Rationale

Establishing a new venture can be hard enough. Realizing its full potential can be even harder. Study after study shows that the vast majority of new entrepreneurial ventures fail prior to reaching maturity despite the potential of the new product or service and the passion, commitment and hard work of the business founders. It is a huge loss for business stakeholders and society alike when promising young ventures fail to realise their growth potential or if they go astray when trying to do so.

This unit has been included in the MBA program to provide students with the opportunity to learn about the strategic and organisational challenges associated with each phase of new venture growth cycle and to develop a suite of tools and techniques that can employ to manage the growth and transition of their own entrepreneurial ventures.

This unit has been positioned in the latter part of the program. Exploring how to manage the growth and transition of a new venture requires students to have a broad multidisciplinary, 'big picture' view of businesses and how they operate. This unit builds upon the learning in GSN410 Entrepreneurship and complements the other units in the Entrepreneurial and Innovation elective pathway.

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 help students to recognise and manage the strategic and organisational challenges associated with the growth phases of entrepreneurial ventures.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Postgraduate)

The 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

The specific course learning goals that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Unit Objectives

Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Outline the key factors why new entrepreneurial ventures fail to reach maturity. KS 1.1 (MBA 1)
2. Analyse a new business venture to identify the strategic and organisational challenges and risks likely to impact on the growth and transition of the venture. CTA 2.1(MBA 4), PC 3.1 (MBA 3)
3. Create a plan for managing the growth and transition of a new venture. KS 1.1 (MBA 1, 7, 8), CTA 2.1 (MBA 4, 5)
4. Recommend strategies for sustaining and fostering the entrepreneurial capacity of a business venture in the maturity phase. CTA 2.1(MBA 4), PC 3.1 (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

- Phases of new venture growth
- Challenges of early growth
- Managing transitions
- Challenges of rapid growth
- Geographic and International expansion
- Being entrepreneurial in maturity, exit and harvest phases.

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 unit 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: Interview with an Entrepreneur
You are required to set up and conduct an interview with an entrepreneur who has experienced new business growth. The purpose of the interview is to gain insights into the challenges faced and the lessons learned during the growth of their new venture. After the interview, you are required to write an article for a fictitious entrepreneurial eMagazine that links the experiences of the entrepreneur with the GSN430 unit material and draws upon the academic literature.
Length/Duration: 2500 words
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 2 and AOL goals: CTA 2.1, PC 3.1
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 4

Assessment name: Report
Description: Preparation of a Growth and Transition Plan
You are required to analyse a new venture case study or an entrepreneurial venture and to prepare a growth and transition plan to take the business to the next phase of its development. In this report, you are expected to identify the key strategic and organisational challenges and risks that lies ahead for the organisation and make a series of key recommendations for managing this process and mitigating the risk associated with growth.
Length/Duration: 2500 words
Formative or Summative: Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 4 and AOL goals: KS 1.1, CTA 2.1, PC 3.1
Weight: 60%
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:

NIL

Other Resources

GSN431 Blackboard site

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures 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.

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