BUSMBA 728 : Creating Value Through Innovation

Business and Economics

2025 Quarter Two (1254) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Explores contemporary approaches that enhance innovation activities. Expands thinking about design and innovation beyond new products to other sources of value creation. Critically evaluates the role of innovation and design processes in creating new products, services, experiences, and markets. Develops skills to manage a creative approach to problem/opportunity/solution identification and ideation.

Course Overview

Innovating – engaging in processes that create value for users, society, and our planet – is imperative in today’s dynamic environment, where social and material aspects are deeply interwoven. Forward-thinking and responsible managers foster and participate in innovation to drive positive change.

This course provides a hands-on experience of a design-approach to innovation activities, while encouraging reflective evaluations of both the process and outcome. Drawing on academic literature, empirical examples, and students’ work experiences, this course equips MBA participants with creative frameworks and tools necessary to understand innovation across various settings, and to engage in innovation activities in their own specific context.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Evaluate , drawing on practice and theory, important elements of a design-approach to innovation (Capability 3 and 4)
  2. Apply design principles and tools to identify innovation opportunities, test assumptions and iteratively adapt findings (Capability 4 and 5)
  3. Apply design principles and tools to ideate and test solutions, test assumptions and iteratively adapt findings (Capability 4 and 5)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignment 1A - Innovation Portfolio 20% Individual Coursework
Assignment 1B and 2B - Reflections 30% Individual Coursework
Assignment 2A - Innovation Portfolio 40% Individual Coursework
Assignments 3 - Weekly tasks 10% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3
Assignment 1A - Innovation Portfolio
Assignment 1B and 2B - Reflections
Assignment 2A - Innovation Portfolio
Assignments 3 - Weekly tasks

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2hours of online Workshops, 8 hours a week of Workshop preparation and consolidation (including reading, watching content and engaging with online activities), and around 50 hours of work overall on assignments. 

Delivery Mode

Online

Attendance is required at scheduled online activities (weekly 2-hour workshops) 

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

 In response to overwhelmingly positive feedback from students about the importance of understanding and using a design-approach to innovation,  we have developed this new online course for 2024.  

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 14/01/2025 02:34 p.m.