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2018/2019  BA-BHAAV2261U  Business Planning and Development

English Title
Business Planning and Development

Course information

Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration One Quarter
Start time of the course First Quarter
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Toke Reichstein - Department of Strategy and Innovation (SI)
Main academic disciplines
  • Entrepreneurship
Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face teaching
Last updated on 09-02-2018

Relevant links

Learning objectives
  • Identify and formulate the challenges and potential of newly established firms
  • Identify potential realistic stakeholders for a newly established firm
  • Take an active part of planning and developing a firm
  • Enter into a critical discussion of the taught materials and combine these with the purpose of conducting an investigation into a SME
  • Investigate and write/revise a business plan
  • Present a business plan both in written and verbal form based on the students own investigation and reflections
  • Account for and critically evaluate different forms of business models
Course prerequisites
Course prerequisite/​Progression:
This course is the foundation for understanding the fundamental principles of
planning and action among newly established firms. It builds on the principles of
business economics, microeconomics, organizational theory and managerial
economics. The course is complementary with the other two courses in the
minor in entrepreneurship (Entrepreneurial Finance and Entrepreneurial
Strategy). The course is also a more practical orientation of the core courses
taught at the earlier semesters on the bachelor.
Examination
Business Planning and Development:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance.
Individual or group exam Individual oral exam based on written group product
Number of people in the group 2-5
Size of written product Max. 20 pages
Individual: max 10 pages
Group with 2-3 members: 15 pages
Group with 4-5 members: 20 pages
Assignment type Case based assignment
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and second internal examiner
Exam period Autumn
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
If a student participated in writing the written product, but was sick at the time of the oral examination, the re-examination will be based on a resubmission of the original written product.
If a student participated in writing the written product, but did not pass the oral examination, the student can choose either to resubmit the original written product or to write a new, individual written product within a specified time period.
Description of the exam procedure

Oral exam based on written product and a randomly drawn theoretical question from the taught syllabus. 

Course content and structure

 

Course Description:
Entrepreneurship involves among other things development of ideas and the
creation of a new firm. Founders and startup teams often believe that planning
or development beyond the initial paperwork is a waste of time. Planning in such
settings are often ad hoc and something that takes place in the spur of the
moment. Most newly established firms do not even have a formal statement that
expresses their business opportunity. They often cannot account for what makes
the opportunity sustainable/unique, what the firm’s goal is, or how this goal will
be realized. Such reflections unfortunately are only considered once the firm is
need of external capital. Even then such reflections tend to be superficial.
It is possible that action is more important than planning in newly started
firms. The ability to assess a newly started firm critically and formulate formal
plans is nevertheless of the utmost importance. It basically allows the
entrepreneur or the team to present the opportunity, the product, the plan and
the vision in a convincing fashion. This is essential for attracting external funding
both at the early and later stage of development. It also allows the entrepreneur
and the entrepreneurial team to better secure other stakeholders necessary for
developing the firm. The overall goal of this course is to give students the
necessary tools and competences that allow them to write meaningful and useful
business plans. To ensure that students have an understanding for the different
business models and how these fits into the business plan. The goal is to give
students practical and theoretical insights and tools for conducting in-depth
invitations into new businesses and business opportunities and to develop
business plans that are reflective, credible and meaningful.


Course Contents:
The entrepreneurs or the startup team is the focal point of the course. The
course consists of two integrated parts. First, lectures and dialogue about
theoretical and empirical studies giving the students the foundation to
understand business planning. Second, exposure to exercises allowing students
to reflect and discuss details of the taught materials. These exercises are a
combination of hypothetical examples and business plans used to establish new
businesses. The lecturers are organized so that they refer to specific parts of a
business plan. This allows students to focus on a narrowly defined subject and
not creating excess complexity in each lecture. Integration with guest lecturers
allows students to test the taught theory and literature against experience.

Description of the teaching methods
Teaching methods:
The course consists of interactive lectures, guest lectures by Copenhagen School
of Entrepreneurship (CSE), and entrepreneurs presenting their views and
perspectives. The course primarily relies on traditional lectures but is heavily
coupled with examples to illustrate key points and learning objectives.
Specifically with regard to business models and business planning. This
combination ensures an efficient balance between theory and practice.
Feedback during the teaching period
Office hours for feedback
Student workload
Lectures and exercises: 166 hours
Exam: 40 hours
Expected literature


• Barringer, B. R. (2015). Preparing Effective Business Plans – An
entrepreneurial Approach. Pearson Education Limited
• Sahlman, W. (1997), “How to Write a Great Business Plan”, Harvard
Business Review, July-August 1997, pp. 98-108.
• Kirsch, D., Goldfarb, B., & Gera, A. (2009). Form or substance: the role of
business plans in venture capital decision making. Strategic Management
Journal, 30(5), 487-515.
• Delmar, F., & Shane, S. (2003). Does business planning facilitate the
development of new ventures?. Strategic Management Journal, 24(12),
1165-1185.

Last updated on 09-02-2018