• 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 theories, models, and concepts
• The student is able to analyze a case or problem in a comprehensive manner by combining different theories, concepts and models
• 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

The course focuses on managing innovation in established firms. During the course students will be introduced to a number of models and concepts to innovation management within established firms.

Throughout the course special emphasis will be given to five core managerial 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 established 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. This typically implies that the company has to abandon existing routines, competencies, and dominant logics in order to learn new. 

Thirdly, the course will also focus value creation and the development of new and innovative business models. Innovation is not just about creating new technologies and products, but also about creating customer value and innovative business models. This challenge also relates to the development of successful business models.

Fourthly, the course will address the managerial challenges involved in balancing different types of innovation within the firm (for example: disruptive versus sustaining innovation or radical versus incrementatal incremental innovation) in the organization.

Lastly, the course will investigate innovation from a process perspective – in connection herewith recognizing that the innovation process cannot be expected to be a linear and sequential process. As such, the innovation process is considered a learning process. 

The course will include topics such as:

• Managing the innovation process
• Different types of innovation and their implications for the innovation process
• Managing disruptive and radical innovation
• Managing business model innovation
• Use of technologies in the innovation process
• Managing Innovation in a globalized and networked world
• Developing innovations for "Bottom of the Pyramid" markets
• Managing Innovation in Services and the Public Sector
• Characteristics of the innovative organization
• Engaging users and customers in the innovation process

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

This course will complement the mandatory BSc courses by addressing two different issues.

• 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.
• 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 characterizing the earliest phases in the life-cycle of an innovation. 

The literature-base of the course will consist of a mix between selected chapters from books and textbooks on innovation management as well as conceptual scientific papers. The book chapters are assembled in a compendium and the scientific papers can be downloaded from the library. 
 

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:

Osterwalder, A. & Pigneur, Y (2010): Business Model Innovation, John Viley & Sons

Schilling, M.A. (2014): Strategic Management of Technological Innovation, 4th International Edition

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:

Zott, C. & Amit, R. (2010):  Business Model Design: An Activity System Perspective, Long Range Planning, Vol. 43 Iss 2–3

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.