A synopsis of the curriculum:
This module aims to enable students to understand the social and economic changes that have raised the status of enterprise, small business and entrepreneurial ventures in the global economy. It examines the diverse nature of entrepreneurs, their characteristics and motivations, as well as the barriers and issues facing entrepreneurs when planning and establishing a new venture.
The indicative topics of the module are:
• Factors that have influenced the growth of the enterprise culture in the UK.
• The role and relevance of SMEs in the UK economy; definitions of SMEs; statistical information; Government policies and initiatives, and support agencies.
• Whether entrepreneurs are born or made; whether enterprise skills can be taught or learned, and whether entrepreneurs differ from business owners and other managers.
• Enterprise and innovation development in organisations.
• Differences in attitudes, objectives, skill requirements and business strategies between small and large firms.
• Surviving the early stages of business development, including failure rates in new and small enterprises and barriers to growth and development.
• The planning process for starting a new venture – including risks and liabilities; problems and pitfalls, and potential profit and success.
• The protection of ideas and intellectual capital.
• Funding a new enterprise, including via 'friends, family and fools', business angels and venture capitalists.
• Enterprise in different contexts, including corporate enterprise, public sector enterprise and social enterprise.
Total contact hours: 21
Private study hours: 129
Total study hours: 150
Main assessment methods:
Group Pitch (20%)
Business Report (3000 words) (80%)
Reassessment methods:
100% coursework
Stokes D. and Wilson N. (2021) Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship. 8th edn. Cengage Learning EMEA.
Burns, P. (2018) New Venture Creation: A Framework for Entrepreneurial Start-ups. Second Edn. Palgrave.
Osterwalder A. and Pigneur Y. (2010) Business Model Generation. A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons.
Mullins J. (2017) The New Business Road Test: What entrepreneurs and executives should do before launching your lean start-up. 5th edn. Pearson.
Dashinsky A. (2020) Generating Product Ideas: Actionable Techniques for Finding New Business Ideas. Independently Published.
See the library reading list for this module (Medway)
The intended subject specific learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
- Create an innovative business venture (enterprise) and apply key areas of a business model to evaluate critically its potential viability and long-term sustainability.
- Understand the barriers to start-up enterprise growth and success and evaluate and apply a range of strategic decisions to maximise the viability of the innovative enterprise.
- Develop a critical awareness of theories underlying the growth and development of enterprises and the stages of the entrepreneurial process.
- Apply theory to practice by leveraging theoretical insights for the development of the innovative enterprise.
The intended generic learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
- Demonstrate initiative and time-management balancing group-working with independent study.
- Enhance problem-solving skills by identifying potential issues with the aim of finding workable solutions.
- Further develop report writing skills.
- Develop the ability to structure and develop appropriate and effective communication, critically and self-critically
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