BUSMBA 770 : Managing Entrepreneurial Growth Project

Business and Economics

2022 Quarter One (1222) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Provides a practical opportunity for participants to work with a New Zealand or international business in an advisory capacity to develop strategic recommendations for growth locally and internationally. Develops a hands-on multi-disciplinary approach to recognising, assessing, and marketing entrepreneurial opportunities for new products and services. An overseas fieldtrip is required to complete the course.

Course Overview

The course offers students a capstone experience and the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills gained in previous MBA courses. Participants will undertake a consulting project to assist a client organisation in addressing a growth-related project in local or international contexts. The projects are ongoing, meaning that client companies are currently addressing those. Thus, student teams are expected to interact with the client organisation on a regular basis to a) negotiate the scope of the work; b) conduct secondary and/or primary research to understand the issues involved c) develop and propose solutions to the issues, and d) recommend pathways to implement potential solutions.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: BUSMBA 760 and 90 points from BUSMBA 701-753

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Investigate highly unstructured and uncertain management-related problem(s) from the perspective of management theories, and formulate strategic recommendations that rely on robust research and systematic analysis. (Capability 1, 2 and 3)
  2. Design appropriate strategic course of action at the corporate, business unit, and functional levels to provide pathways for sustainable local or international growth, given the complex and dynamic environments. (Capability 1, 2 and 3)
  3. Communicate research findings, insights, and proposed solutions clearly and succinctly in both oral and written formats. (Capability 3, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
  4. Evaluate and reflect on own contribution and teamwork while proactively attending to, and learning from, team dynamics (Capability 4.3, 5.1 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Project: Statement of Work 10% Group Coursework
Project: WIP presentations 20% Group & Individual Coursework
Final report and presentation 50% Group & Individual Coursework
Reflections 20% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Project: Statement of Work
Project: WIP presentations
Final report and presentation
Reflections

Students have to achieve an overall minimum of 50% of marks to pass the course.

Workload Expectations

The class sessions will be a mix of mini-lectures, guest lectures, site visits (if possible), team presentations and team check-ins to review progress on projects. Some sessions will provide participants with specific tools to undertake fieldwork and engage with the consulting project. Specific management frameworks will be introduced on an “as needed” basis to aid teams with their projects.

The course requires participants to be proactive in utilising the sessions and to seek feedback and inputs regularly. Most of the sessions will be devoted to teams working through their projects. Wender and Rachel will be available throughout the scheduled class time and will provide regular drop-in sessions (via Zoom) throughout the courses outside of normal class time.


Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities, even if no specific sessions are offered, teams are expected to work through their projects. Lectures will not be available as recordings. The activities for the course are scheduled as a block delivery. 

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.

There is no prescribed textbook for this course. All information and materials for each session will be provided on the Canvas page under Modules for each week. Materials pertaining to the project will not be provided: your team is expected to demonstrate the ability to perform independent work and source relevant and appropriate material. You should, however, be aware of the resources provided by the library (e.g. databases).

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.

Other Information

The project is undertaken as a series of group and individual assignments. Thus all group project-related assignments will have embedded transparent mechanisms to ensure individual contributions are assessed and the workload has been shared equitably. In addition to these mechanisms, we will run two teammates peer review sessions (in weeks 6 and 10) to ensure that individuals that are not contributing to their team’s work will not receive the same grades as the rest of the group (40% of group marks are attributed to individual performance).  

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework 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. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

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 course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, 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 students may be asked to submit 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. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 09/06/2022 12:42 p.m.