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2022/2023  BA-BHAAV2261U  Business Planning and Development (Online)

English Title
Business Planning and Development (Online)

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
  • Online teaching
Last updated on 11-02-2022

Relevant links
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors. The course has multiple aims. Attending students are expected to develop competences that give them the ability to:
  • 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
  • Demonstrate ability to investigate and write/revise a business plan
  • Present (parts of) a business plan based on the students own investigation and reflections
  • Account for and critically evaluate different forms of business models
  • Reflect on the potential for business model innovation
Course prerequisites
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 Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Size of written product Max. 15 pages
Assignment type Essay
Duration 72 hours to prepare
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Autumn
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Same procedure as with the ordinary exam with a different case and possible subjects.
Description of the exam procedure

The essay should consist of a theoretical part applied to a case. The case and potential subjects of the hand-in will be announced at the end of the course.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

 

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
The course consists of interactive lectures and guest lecturers 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

Sylllabus:

Session 1: Importance of business plans and their role(s)

Readings:

  • Barringer, B. R. (2015). Preparing Effective Business Plans – An entrepreneurial Approach. Pearson Education Limited, Chapter 1-2
  • Sahlman, W. A. (1996). Some thoughts on business plans. Harvard Business School Publ.
  • Delmar, F., & Shane, S. (2003). Does business planning facilitate the development of new ventures?. Strategic Management Journal, 24(12), 1165-1185.

 

Further Readings:

  • Shane, S., & Delmar, F. (2004). Planning for the market: business planning before marketing and the continuation of organizing efforts. Journal of Business Venturing, 19(6), 767-785.
  • Karlsson, T., & Honig, B. (2009). Judging a business by its cover: An institutional perspective on new ventures and the business plan. Journal of Business Venturing, 24(1), 27-45.
  • Zott, C., & Amit, R. (2007). Business model design and the performance of entrepreneurial firms. Organization Science, 18(2), 181-199.

 

Session 2: Industry, market and technology analysis

Readings:

  • Barringer, B. R. (2015). Preparing Effective Business Plans – An entrepreneurial Approach. Pearson Education Limited, Chapter 5-6
  • Slater, S. F., & Olson, E. M. (2002). A fresh look at industry and market analysis. Business Horizons, 45(1), 15-22.                            

 

 

Session 3: Marketing and team analysis

Readings:

  • Barringer, B. R. (2015). Preparing Effective Business Plans – An entrepreneurial Approach. Pearson Education Limited, Chapter 7-8
  • CASE: Jean, M. (2014). Sweet Leaf Bath Co. Ivey Publishing

 

Further Readings:

  • Beckman, C. M. (2006). The influence of founding team company affiliations on firm behavior. Academy of Management Journal, 49(4), 741-758.
  • Beckman, C. M., Burton, M. D., & O'Reilly, C. (2007). Early teams: The impact of team demography on VC financing and going public. Journal of Business Venturing, 22(2), 147-173.

 

 

Session 4: Operations and Product Development

Readings:

  • Barringer, B. R. (2015). Preparing Effective Business Plans – An entrepreneurial Approach. Pearson Education Limited, Chapter 9

 

 

Session 5: Guest Lecture

  • TBA

 

 

Session 6: Finance and financial projections

Readings:

  • Barringer, B. R. (2015). Preparing Effective Business Plans – An entrepreneurial Approach. Pearson Education Limited, Chapter 10
  • CASE: Hart, M., Roberts, M. J., & Stevens, J. D. (2005). Zipcar: refining the business model. Harvard Business School Pub.

 

 

Session 7: Business models

Readings:

  • Zott, C., Amit, R., & Massa, L. (2011). The business model: recent developments and future research. Journal of management, 37(4), 1019-1042.
  • Magretta, J. (2002). Why business models matter. Harvard Business Review, May 2002, 86-92
  • Shafer, S. M., Smith, H. J., & Linder, J. C. (2005). The power of business models. Business horizons, 48(3), 199-207.
  • Casadesus-Masanell, R., & Ricart, J. E. (2007). Competing through business models. Handbook of Research on Competitive Strategy.

 

 

Session 8: Business model innovation

Readings:

  • Zott, C., & Amit, R. (2008). The fit between product market strategy and business model: implications for firm performance. Strategic Management Journal, 29(1), 1-26.
  • St. Gallen Business Model Navigator - working paper (2016).

 

 

Session 9: Guest lecture (exam cases)

  • TBA

 

 

Session 10: Review, wrap-up and exam presentation

Last updated on 11-02-2022