NBS-7123X Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management Coursework Brief |Semester 2 UAE

Description: What is this module about?

This module aspires to provide students with knowledge on the significance of entrepreneurship within the economy, a research-led understanding of factors that affect the entrepreneurial process and small business management functions respectively. These key themes are evaluated within the confounds of the entrepreneurial context, echoing recent research suggestions to examine entrepreneurship in context.

Learning Objectives: What will you learn? (subject-specific and transferable skills)

The module is organised in three thematic units, divided in 16x2 hour lectures. Each taught session provides students with the theoretical underpinnings necessary for applying key learnings in practice. Practical application is provided via select case study analysis and critical appreciation of theoretical frameworks associated with the entrepreneurial process. Please review accompanying learning materials (book chapters, academic publications and videos) before attending each class.

1. Entrepreneurship theory: this unit provides an overview of the foundational theory associated with entrepreneurial activity, the importance of small firms, and the role of public policy.
2. Functions of Small Enterprises: embracing a resource-based perspective, this unit explores the resource acquisition process in small firms and
debates the importance of key small firm functions such as marketing, access to finance,e and entrepreneurship with a social or environmental
aim, concluding with a critical analysis of business growth as a key strategic objective.
3. Entrepreneurial process: this unit is explored with the introduction of key concepts such as opportunity recognition, the business mode,l and the lean start-up perspective.

Learning outcomes?: What will you be able to do by the end of the module?

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the context for entrepreneurship and small business activity.
2. Reason and explain the role of entrepreneurship within modern economies.
3. Show critical awareness of the external and internal influences on small business management, growth, success and failure.
4. Show critical appreciation of the entrepreneurial process in different contexts such as high technology, social impact, family, ethnic minority
and creative enterprises.
5. Demonstrate understanding of financial, legal, marketing, networking and strategic functions of small businesses.
6. Demonstrate awareness of different forms of enterprise formation such as franchising, university spin-offs and corporate entrepreneurship.
7. Explain and justify proposed courses of strategic action.

Coursework 1 – Individual Assignment:

Each student is invited to explore entrepreneurship theory and information discussed in lectures 1-5. The individual assignment gives students the opportunity to conduct research and present arguments in 4,000 words. The individual essay accounts for 80% of the overall mark. References should contain at least 25 items from both prescribed and self-identified sources. All references should be cited in the essay. Remember to include the cover page on the essay and case study outlining name and registration number, title, word-count, date of submission, course title.

Topic

Entrepreneurship is the process of creating new economic activity (Davidsson et al, 2006) in a variety of enterprise settings, providing economic and social value. You are requested to prepare an essay that identifies and critically discusses the nature and unique characteristics of the entrepreneurial process under a given enterprise setting. For the purposes of this assignment, your unit of analysis is the firm not the individual. The essay covers materials presented in lectures 1-5. Please choose ONE (1) Corporate Entrepreneurship Project to propose. Examples discussed in class are not allowed. 

Corporate Entrepreneurship (CE) is important for inducing innovation, revitalising organisations and enhancing productivity (Zahra, 2015). It is also a source of new knowledge that allows companies to create capabilities to enter new markets and achieve growth.
1. Business Overview: utilise suitable secondary evidence to provide a comprehensive overview of the business you are going to evaluate (e.g. team, main services or products).
2. Corporate Entrepreneurship Project overview: leverage appropriate secondary evidence and depict a summary of the CE Project you are proposing to the business.
3. Content of Entrepreneurship: with the support of valid and reputable academic evidence, critically discuss the content of entrepreneurship (nature and characteristics of Corporate Entrepreneurship as it pertains to your chosen project).
4. Corporate Innovation Process: employ both academic and secondary evidence to critically examine the corporate innovation process of your selected project by applying the Corporate Innovation Canvas.
5. Managerial recommendations: propose meaningful managerial recommendations to aid the firm in enhancing its entrepreneurial dynamics and corporate project success.

Your essay should make use of the following structure. Indicative word count per section is also provided:

Executive Summary 
Table of Contents 
1. Introduction 
1.1. Business Overview
1.2. Corporate Entrepreneurship Project overview
2. The content of Entrepreneurship 
2.1. Nature of enterprise activity
2.2. Characteristics of enterprise activity
3. The Corporate Innovation Process 
3.1. Big Innovation Goals
3.2.Intrapreneurial and Entrepreneurial Investments
3.3.Disruptors, Catalysts, assets and capabilities
3.4.Customer segments and jobs-to-be-done
3.5.Innovation Investment Charters
3.6.Innovation Metrics
4. Recommendations 

Coursework 2 – Group Presentation Assignment:

The group presentation accounts for 20% of the overall module mark. The narrated presentation slides must be uploaded on blackboard. The group presentation requires research to be carried out on the following questions:

Topic

Select a high-growth start-up and research changes in business activity over the last 5 years. 

- How far have changes in business activity occurred as a result of entrepreneurial processes?
- Analyse the growth process of the company under investigation.
- Provide recommendations that would potentially make the company more entrepreneurial and dynamic.

The results of your group research should be narrated in your presentation and each presentation should not be over 10 minutes in total. All group members are expected to contribute to the presentation. Groups of 8 students will be created during the assessment clinic session. You are expected to search out relevant readings, identify the key issues, research them and debate possible conclusions and recommendations. There are many possible sources of information on companies, particularly in newspaper and magazine data bases, some books and articles, Wikipedia and the website of the company or published lists of best performing businesses (e.g. Insider Scottish Elite, EDP Top 50, The Sunday Times Rich List etc.). Important sources are annual reports which are often available online (e.g. FAME database). In the case of some companies, they may go back several years. Groups should avoid studying the same company. The work may seem challenging for the group presentation, but you have up to eight people on your team to do it.