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2015/2016  BA-BHAAV5006U  Innovation Management

English Title
Innovation Management

Course information

Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn, Third Quarter
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Max. participants 90
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Anders Paarup Nielsen - MPP
Contact information: https:/​/​e-campus.dk/​studium/​student-hub/​aabningstider-og-kontaktinformation
Main academic disciplines
  • Innovation
  • Management
Last updated on 17-03-2015
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors: During the course students are expected to develop the ability to critically analyze and discuss different theoretical models, approaches and concepts in connection with innovation management within established firms. Students should also know how to apply models, approaches and concepts when analyzing problems and challenges involved in managing the innovation process within established companies. Students should furthermore develop an ability to reflect on the theoretical and methodological challenges associated with a multi-disciplinary field such as innovation management.

Furthermore, the aim of the course is to enable the students to understand, analyze and improve innovation management processes and innovation management in established companies. The students should also be able to discuss and reflect on the theories, models and concepts from the course. This reflection should focus on two different issues. Firstly the students should be able to reflect on the applicability and practical value of the concepts, theories and models. Secondly, the students should also be able to identify and discuss the possible connections and synergies between the different theories, models, and concepts.

The high grade (12) in the exam will be characterized by fulfillment of the following criteria:
  • The student demonstrates a high level of command of the syllabus
  • The student Is able to apply theories, models, and concepts from the syllabus in a systematic and thorough manner when analyzing and discussing problems and cases within innovation management
  • The student is able to analyze a problem or case from the field of innovation management using multiple perspectives and theoretical contributions
  • The student is able to analyze a case or problem in a comprehensive manner by combining different theories, concepts and model from syllabus
  • The student is able to discuss and reflect on the applicability and practical value of innovation management theories, models, and concepts in a structured and comprehensive manner
Course prerequisites
No specific requirements – however the students are required to have basic knowledge of organizational theory
Examination
4 hour written sit-in exam:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Written sit-in exam
Individual or group exam Individual
Assignment type Written assignment
Duration 4 hours
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Autumn and Spring
Aids allowed to bring to the exam Limited aids, see the list below:
  • Written sit-in-exam on CBS' computers
  • Books and compendia brought by the examinee
  • Allowed dictionaries
  • Notes in paper format brought by the examinee
  • Access to personal drive (S-drive) on CBS' network
  • USB key to upload your notes before the exam
  • Access to all information on CBSLearn
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
If the number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination warrants that it may most appropriately be held as an oral examination, the programme office will inform the students that the make-up examination/re-take examination will be held as an oral examination instead.
Course content and structure

During the course students will be introduced to a number of models and approaches to innovation management within established companies. The course will primarily focus on key challenges involved in managing innovation within established firms (also called Intrapreneurship or Corporate Entrepreneurship).

 

Throughout the course special emphasis will be given to four core challenges in innovation management. Firstly, attention will be given to the managerial challenges involved in applying the contingency perspective when practicing innovation management. The contingency perspective implies that there is no one best way to manage innovation as the optimal management approach will depend particular situation faced by the company. Secondly, the course will also focus on the management of radical or disruptive innovations within the firm. Here the firm is faced by a situation characterized by high levels of uncertainty and complexity as the company attempt to enter new markets or deploy new technologies. Thirdly, the course will also focus value creation. Innovation is not just about creating new technologies, but also about creating customer value. This challenge also relates to the development of successful business models. Fourthly, the course will address the managerial challenges involved in balancing incremental and radical innovation in the organization.

 

The course will include topics such as:

  • Managing the innovation process
  • Different types of innovation and their implications for businesses
  • Managing radical and disruptive innovation
  • Value and Business model innovation
  • Technologies for innovation
  • Innovation in a globalized and networked world
  • Innovation for the "Bottom of the Pyramid" markets
  • Innovation in Services
  • Co-Creation and user-driven innvation

 

Each of these topics will shed light on different aspects of and challenges involved in managing innovation.
 

This course will complement the mandatory BSc courses by addressing two different issues.Firstly, the course will focus on the concrete managerial tasks, processes, and challenges in connection with the management of innovation within the established firm – adopting a firm level perspective on the management of innovation. Secondly, the course will in some situations seek to challenge and discuss the dominant rational and analytical management models being taught in many mandatory BSc courses. The management of innovation will in some situations require that the rational methods for analysis are supplemented by other means in order to deal with the high levels of uncertainty characterising the earliest phases in the life-cycle of an innovation. Finally, the course will also incorporate discussions and reflections on the methodological challenges and problems involved in studying innovation management. During the course it will be attempted to encourage discussion of the foundations of innovation management as a scientific discipline which draw on and combine insights from many different scientific disciplines.

Teaching methods
The primary teaching method is based on lectures combined with and followed by guided classroom discussions, group and case discussions. Cases will be used throughout the course. Furthermore, the course will, if possible, include a few guest speakers with practical experiences in managing innovation.
Expected literature

The literature-base of the course will consist of a mix between selected chapters from books and textbooks on innovation management as well as scientific papers.
 

Examples of texts in the curriculum can be found the list below. The list does not represent the complete curriculum for the course:

 

Selected chapters from:

Christensen, C.M., Anthony, S.D. & Roth, E.A (2004). Seeing What’s Next – Using the Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change, Harvard Business School Press.

Dodgson, M., Gann, D. & Salter, A. (2005). Think, Play, Do; Technology, Innovation, and Organization, Oxford University Press.

Hargadon, A. (2003): How Breakthroughs Happen; The Surprising Truth About How Companies Innovate, Harvard Business School Press

Tidd, Joe, John Bessant and Keith Pavitt (2009): Managing innovation, integrating technological, market and organizational change, 4. ed. John Wiley and Sons Ltd, Chichester

Van de Ven. A.H., Polley, D.E., Garud, R. & Venkataraman, S. (1999): The Innovation Journey, Oxford University Press

Examples of Scientific papers:

Christensen, C.M.; Kaufman, S.P. & Shih, W.C. (2008): Innovation Killers: How Financial Tools Destroy Your Capacity to Do New Things, Harvard Business Review, January 2008, pp. 98-105

Kim, W.C. & Mauborgne, R. (2005); Blue Ocean Strategy: From Theory to Practice, California Management Review, Spring 2005, Vol. 47.No.3. pp 105-121.
 

Last updated on 17-03-2015