Dissertation in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management Studies (Applied) - MAN00180M

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Professional requirements

N/A

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Summer Semester 2025-26

Module aims

This module aims to provide students with a practical focus on an entrepreneurial or innovation based challenge. It emphasises the identification, development and execution of an entrepreneurial, intrapreneurial or innovation-based opportunity, work-based project, business or social-based challenge, or policy intervention. The module utilises internal and external stakeholder relationships to help enrich the breadth of available entrepreneurial challenges available to students, for example network and employer relationships will be leveraged so that students may decide to work on a live issue or project. Students may spend time within the module liaising with stakeholders or gathering work or case based evidence to inform the entrepreneurial or innovation based challenge that they choose to pursue. The students will produce an applied report that can take the form of a business or project plan, a business case or a consultancy report for an employer or important stakeholder.

Module learning outcomes

Students successfully taking this module will be able to: - Demonstrate innovation and creativity in developing a viable business model, policy initiative or management intervention. - Be able to identify an entrepreneurial or innovation based challenge in a managerial setting and support their choice with sources, identifying relevant data and information to analyse the selected case. - Critically evaluate and apply theoretical and methodological approaches in ways which augment understanding of the chosen business model, policy initiative or management intervention. - Synthesise secondary information (e.g., archival data, synthesis of academic insights from literature reviews, or both) to provide a recommendation and apply critical thinking to reach justifiable conclusions linked to entrepreneurial and innovation based challenges. - Produce a report, communicating complex information and well-evidenced arguments effectively to appropriate stakeholders, whilst also demonstrating an understanding of the limitations of the report and pose impetus for future work. - Demonstrate depth of knowledge, expertise and critical understanding of their chosen topic area - Demonstrate and reflect upon resilience and self-organisation to meet internal as well as external deadlines.

Module content

The report will require students to (a) present the entrepreneurial or innovation based challenge or scenario and explain why they chose to focus on it, (b) explain the contemporary issues linked to the entrepreneurial or innovation based challenge, (c) to define data sources and obtain data for their internal and external analysis, (d) to link practical frameworks and theory with practice, (e) provide recommendations linked to the entrepreneurial or innovation based challenge, and (f) produce a professional output linked to the identified challenge or scenario. The module will require students to collect secondary (not primary) data from multiple data sources, to use existing databases when needed, and to apply critical thinking to articulate justifiable recommendations or to develop a compelling case.

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Module feedback

Feedback will be given in accordance with the University Policy on feedback in the Guide to Assessment as well as in line with the School policy.

Indicative reading

Bessant, J.R., Tidd, J. Innovation and entrepreneurship. Wiley. Burns, P. New Venture Creation. Palgrave. Desouza, K (2011) Intrapreneurship. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Gambles, I. (2009) Making the business case. Farnham, England: Gower Hitchcock, D. E. and Willard, Marsha L. The business guide to sustainability¿: practical strategies and tools for organizations. London¿: Routledge. Koester, E. Green Entrepreneur Handbook The Guide to Building and Growing a Green and Clean Business, CRC Press. Barringer, B.R. and Ireland, R.D. Entrepreneurship – Successfully Launching New Ventures. Global Edition. Pearson. Stutely, R The Definitive Business Plan – The fast track to intelligent planning for executives and entrepreneurs. Pearson/Financial Times Publishing. Tidd, Joseph, Strategic innovation management. Williams, K. Brilliant Business Plan – What to know and do to make the perfect plan. Pearson. Williams, S. The Financial Times Guide to Business Startup. FT Pearson.