Course coordinator
Dr Russell Manfield
Please email the course coordinator in the first instance with any enquiries.
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Business School
Entrepreneurship is commonly regarded as the pursuit of opportunity beyond the resources apparently to hand. With this maxim in mind, we explore the theory and practice of starting then growing new ventures, where opportunities exist but the pathways to unleash promising outcomes are uncertain. Knowledge and skill development is built by identifying and developing a new business idea within the class, through adaptive execution to generate information by building and testing business hypotheses so to navigate uncertainties. These skills are then used to analyse conditions across various entrepreneurial firms. Topics include the process of entrepreneurial logic, designing business models for value capture and delivery, framing competitive strategy, determining assumptions-based finance needs, understanding different innovation types and managing growth to build stronger ventures.
The primary purpose of this course is to excite students seeking an entrepreneurial, discovery-driven pathway for their careers - to challenge themselves to experience new ventures with uncertain outcomes, to determine how to form their own new venture and to manage innovation within an existing organisation or to simply understand more about the entrepreneurial mindset. We will gain first-hand experience of leveraging opportunities and expanding our own personal entrepreneurial attributes through authentic, experiential learning.
The course draws on current insights in the field of entrepreneurship to provide a framework for understanding how to build entrepreneurial ventures. Topics include opportunity formation, generating information & learning through assumption setting and testing, designing business models for delivering and capturing value, analysing capabilities across various innovation types, framing competitive advantage, building entrepreneurial strategy, financing new ventures and managing growth so to build strong, sustaining ventures. The course aims to provide theoretical insight and practical knowledge about the new venture creation process under conditions of uncertainty. Classes draw on a mix of seminars, case analyses and class discussions as well as incorporating a team-based business opportunity project where you test & develop your own personal entrepreneurial mindset while exploring & analysing new venture trajectories.
This course is challenging, developing our awareness and practice across two streams. One stream involves team work to create prospective new ventures, some of which may go on to evolve within the unique UQ ventures eco-system. The other stream is individual development, where analytical skills are tested by applying theory to live cases that culminate in a final case study.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course is offered to postgraduate students wishing to gain, or refresh, a grounding in the principles of entrepreneurship. While no pre-requisite courses are set, it is assumed students have an interest in, or aspiration to form, a new venture, either from start-up or within a corporate innovation or family business context. Students with previous experience in establishing or working within new firms, at any stage of their development, will be welcome to contribute their observations and learning to the class for analysis and to enrich the context of theory and research covered in our practice-oriented sessions together.ﾠ
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
MEBS7116 or TIMS3302
Restrictions
Quota: Minimum of 15 enrolments
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Russell Manfield
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Please note: Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email business.mytimetable@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email account with the following details:
- Full Name
- Student ID
- Course Code
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to provideﾠstudents with an understanding of the foundational principles of entrepreneurship and the contexts in which these principles can be applied. Students areﾠexposedﾠto the latest thinking on startups and creatingﾠnew ventures. On conclusion of the course students should have a greater awareness of what it takes to launch a new venture and their suitability for this endeavor.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Articulate the foundational knowledge in the area of entrepreneurship
LO2.
Develop, evaluate and communicate actionable business opportunities as part of a startup team
LO3.
Create viable and innovative Business Models
LO4.
Critically analyse knowledge creation in the startup process
LO5.
Practice real-time entrepreneurial leadership to craft ideas & test impacts
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation |
Presentations | Pitch, Video and Autopsy
|
40% |
16/08/2024 - 18/10/2024 |
| Essay/ Critique |
Analysis | Across 4 case topics
|
20% |
23/08/2024 - 18/10/2024 |
| Essay/ Critique | Exam Case | Emerging opportunities | 40% |
End of Semester Exam Period 2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024
Complete 3 questions once case is released |
Assessment details
Presentations | Pitch, Video and Autopsy
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
16/08/2024 - 18/10/2024
- Other conditions
- Peer assessed, Peer assessment factor.
Task description
The presentation arc covers three rounds for a new venture idea that you will develop in your teams: a facilitated pitch delivered in real-time to your peers (deliver in week 4), a video articulating your venture growth strategy (upload in week 8) and an autopsy appraising your reflection on the opportunity and the conditions where it might grow in the future (upload in week 12).
Each team presents 3 times - pitch, video & autopsy - each student moderates each presentation of 3 other teams, as allocated by RiPPLE
Each team round will be moderated by peers while the quality of your moderations will be marked across each presentation.
In addition, you will each assess the members of your team in completing each round to generate a peer assessment factor that will then be applied to your team score to yield an individual score for each presentation.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Each presentation across pitch, video & autopsy to be uploaded to Blackboard as well as creating a team resource in RiPPLE for each.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Any late submission, if granted, must allow for the class to moderate your work prior to the due date for each prsentation
Analysis | Across 4 case topics
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
23/08/2024 - 18/10/2024
- Other conditions
- Peer assessed.
- Learning outcomes
- L04
Task description
Generate a resource using the entrepreneurial theory thta aligns with the case topic. Your peers will moderate your topic exploration shown in the resource you produce.
Create 1 resource, moderate 3 others for each of 4 topics.
Each topic requires the creation of 1 resource and the moderation of 3 other resources.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Use the RiPPLE link provided in Blackboard>Assessment for each case topic
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Each case topic allows you to test your thinking about a particular framework as applied to a case setting and to share that thinking with others in the class. Each student will also be able to moderate the resources of others, so to learn from each other. Because of the progress through the learning activities, extensions or deferrals are not possible.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
RiPPLE link will not be available once due time/date has passed
Exam Case | Emerging opportunities
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024
Complete 3 questions once case is released
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04
Task description
A case study assignment that builds on your online resource/moderations sets to apply your analystical thinking skills. The case study provides a range of resources and allows access to online and text resources during the period from release to due date. The case study is to be individually undertaken, without reference to other students in the class or any commercial resources other than provided, in the spirit of demonstrating your own entrepreneurial growth strategy-building skills.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Submit on Blackboard link provided via Turnitin
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Any extensions must first be approved by the BEL faculty before being applied to this final case study.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Any extensions must first be approved by the BEL faculty before being applied to this final case study.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 46 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Grades will be allocated according to University-wide standards of criterion-based assessment.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Sustainable Development Goals
This course integrates the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) throughout course learning activities.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 |
Seminar |
S1 | New Ventures Introduce entrepreneurship, a history of entrepreneurial thought and its place in today's economy. Opportunity discovery & creation. Projects to develop. Assessment timelines. Student team formation. Learning outcomes: L01 |
Week 2 |
Seminar |
S2 | Discovery-driven Planning Developing assumptions to bring new products & services to market. Crafting an idea canvas. Exploring a DDP case. Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
Week 3 |
Seminar |
S3 | Business Models Shaping business models and exposing underlying growth drivers of value. Building a business model canvas. Dissecting business models to distil growth pathways Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 4 |
Workshop |
S4 | Present growth pitch Deliver class presentation in your teams, showing how business model enables growth |
Week 5 |
Seminar |
S5 | Entrepreneurial Strategy Entrepreneurial strategy frameworks: forming opportunity to gain competitive advantage & growth. Framing topics of inquiry. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Week 6 |
Seminar |
S6 | Lean Startup Appriaches Tools to interpret key attributes of proposed or existing firms, to understand underlying value and to frame strategic capability-growth actions |
Week 7 |
Seminar |
S7 | Business Building Strategies for new ventures using discovery-driven growth; to leverage into expanded operations & new markets Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Week 8 |
Seminar |
S8 | Entrepreneurial Analyses Customer discovery & validation. Building experiments to frame a problem and test a solution then apply to team projects. Interpret how lean approaches can unlock growth opportunities Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Week 9 |
Seminar |
S9 | Disruptive Innovation Exploring hypergrowth using chasm theory as a mechanism to predict technological dispersion so to pre-empt destructive growth forces |
Mid Sem break |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
In-semester break Conduct further validation of your business ventures in your teams |
Week 10 |
Seminar |
S10 | Entrepreneurial Hypergrowth Exploring NPV and reverse financials as tools to interpret growth assumptions to accommodate uncertainty in finance models. Apply finance models to prospective ventures to interpret capital needs & long-term value potential |
Week 11 |
Seminar |
S11 | Leadership & Emergent Growth How technological & business model innovations can exploit asymmetric forces, for startups to displace resource-rich incumbents, or yield incremental improvements in product or service deliveries. Examine how innovations disrupt incumbents by crafting new market dynamics for 'good enough' products & services that substitute or complement current offerings Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
Week 12 |
Seminar |
S12 | Entrepreneurial Finance Drivers for design-led growth strategies and how to organise for emergent growth paths in entrepreneurial ventures. Organising new venture using 2 different frameworks with distinct philosophies Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
Week 13 |
Seminar |
S13 | Navigating Uncertainty Review key components of entrepreneurship theory & practice, pursuing opportunities beyond resources to hand. Reflecting on the journey through the course, discuss the team autopsy & preparing for the final case study assignment released & due during examination period. |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.