Entrepreneurship and Leadership
#BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
5 ETCS | 135 hours
Language of instruction
English
Teacher(s)
Cristian Burr Raty
Tampere University of Applied Sciences
Matt Bromley
University of Derby
Students allowed to take modules at home institution
Yes
Mode of teaching
Places
20 – 30
Implementation time
6 March – 3 May 2023
weekly live sessions
Timetable
Wednesday 12 AM – 3 PM (Zoom, Miro, Digicampus)
Final Exam: 17 May 2023, 24 May 2023
Course information and Implementation information
Objectives
The Entrepreneurship and Leadership Workshop course is a theoretical-practical course, aimed at students developing knowledge, skills and abilities that enable them to devise and develop entrepreneurial projects, acquire tools that facilitate autonomous management of their projects based on methodologies for agile development. The subject is methodologically based on teamwork and collaboration, the development of projects with field validation, as well as work sessions.
The course collaborates in the deepening and exercise of the following competencies in students which contribute to the graduation profile:
- Teamwork and Autonomy;
- Problem solving and decision making;
- Analysis, critical and ethical thinking;
- Creative thinking and innovation;
- Global vision, direction and leadership;
- Flexibility and adaptation to the environment.
Expected learning outcomes for the course
Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to be able to:
- Apply qualitative and quantitative user analysis and ethnographic study tools.
- Identify and define a target market and relevant user segments.
- Identify and validate specific problems that present business opportunities.
- Devise and develop creative value propositions that significantly impact a group of relevant users through concrete and technically viable solutions.
- Develop prototyping, POC or MVP and validation processes based on agile development.
- Propose business and distribution models capable of capturing value consistent with the solution and target market.
- Plan and structure a plan for launching and operating the enterprise.
- Systematize teamwork efficiently, autonomously and collaboratively.
- Autonomously develop complex decision-making processes.
- Build a global, critical and ethical vision to develop entrepreneurial projects.
Contents
Team building unit
- Team building and Identity
- Definition of roles, commitments, and team structure
- Team learning contract
Unit I: Problem identification
- Study and analysis of contexts and thematic areas.
- Study and analysis of relevant users.
- Definition of segments and target market.
- Problem validation, analysis and understanding.
- Pitch presentation
Unit II: Value Proposition
- Definition of value proposition based on user study.
- Conceptuel solution proposal.
- Concept validation. Concept POC / MVP.
- Validation of solution proposal with users.
- Pitch presentation.
Unit III: Business Model.
- Definition and validation of business proposal with Business model canvas.
- Market fit planning.
- Functional prototype and validation
- Pitch presentation
Teaching methods
The course is facilitated in virtual synchronous sessions (10 sessions, 3 hours each) between Coach and students in workshop format. Content is co-created and produced amongst coach and students. Students are expected to work asynchronously individually and with their team to prepare, develop learning sessions, read and write and work on their team projects.
The work methodology for this course is based on the coach – student – team relationship, this implies that the teacher assumes a guidance role in the students, rather than a managerial or lecture role, emphasizing the autonomous development of learning processes by the students. In the workshop, the students define the themes of their projects along with some relevant content for their correct development, promoting active, autonomous, and dynamic participation throughout the learning process.
The students are organized into work teams, which develop an entrepreneurship and social innovation project during the semester, with these teams autonomously develop the ability to manage, solve problems and make decisions in uncertain environments. In a complementary way and with the aim of incorporating theoretical content into the process, each team organizes a learning session during the semester (Learning session) incorporating relevant and pertinent complementary content to the course for the projects.
Additionally, and along the same lines, individual reading and writing assignments are considered, which allow discussion and critical thinking to be encouraged along with strengthening the theoretical dimension of the workshop.
Course material (including recommended or required reading) Recommended reading:
- The Lean Start-up – Eric Reis
- Business Model Generation – Alexander Osterwalder
- Start With Why – Simon Sinek
- The Startup Owner´s Manual: The step-by-step Guide for Building a Great Company – Steve Blank
- Zero to One – Peter Thiel
- The Four Steps to the Epiphany – Steve Blank
- Value Proposition Design – Alexander Osterwalder
Assessment methods and criteria
| 1 | Team |
Project – Pitch and Documentation |
35 % |
| 2 |
Learning Sessions – Content and Activity |
25 % | |
| 3 | Individual |
Read and Write – Essay |
20 % |
| 4 |
Self-Evaluation and Participation – Forms and Feedback sessions |
20 % |
The Workshop considers in general terms two types of evaluations:
1.- Team:
Consider evaluations by stages of progress of the entrepreneurship project, and effective realization of Learning Session. Each activity contemplates qualifications which are weighted according to levels of relevance.
2.- Individuals:
Considers individual qualification in a first stage of research and presentation and identification of opportunities, additionally for the development of reading and writing exercises, allowing the evaluation of reflection, critical thinking, and content integration capacities in each student. In addition, an individual rating generated by a cross-evaluation of the student and the team members on their performance in the Workshop is contemplated.
Evaluation
Evaluation scale
Evaluation criteria will be created for the different deliverables and will consider a scale of 0 to 5:
0: None Delivered
1: Fail
2: Satisfactory
3: Good
4: Excellent
5: Outstanding
Descriptive criteria will be supplied to students prior to due dates.
International Connections
The course is offered within the Erasmus funded VERSATILE project. The course is open to second, third- and fourth-year students at the participating universities.
- Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
- University of Derby (UK)
- Rhine Waal University of Applied Sciences (Germany)
- Masaryk University (Czech Republic)