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2026/2027  KAN-CINTO4001U  Innovation in a Digital World

English Title
Innovation in a Digital World

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory (also offered as elective)
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for Digitalisation, Technology and Communication
Programme MSc in Business Administration and Information Systems
Course coordinator
  • Ben Eaton - Department of Digitalisation (DIGI)
Main academic disciplines
  • Information technology
  • Innovation
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 19-01-2026

Relevant links
Learning objectives
  • Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and frameworks concerning digital innovation and innovation strategy
  • Knowledge and understanding concerning the relationship between innovation and information systems, at organizational and societal levels
  • Ability to identify key challenges of digital innovation in a global economy
  • Ability to analyze and critique cases concerning digital innovation in business and public sector, using appropriate course frameworks
  • Ability to discuss theoretical issues of digital innovation
  • Critical evaluation of state-of-the-art theory concerning digital innovation and innovation strategy
Course prerequisites
Basic understanding about business and strategy
Basic understanding about digital technology
Examination
Innovation in a Digital World:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Active participation

The completion of this course is based on active student participation in class. The course will be considered as passed if the students participation - based on an overall assessment - in the class activities fulfill the learning objectives of the course. The individual student’s participation is assessed by the teacher.
The student must participate in Assignment(s), Presentation(s)
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Grading scale Pass / Fail
Examiner(s) Assessed solely by the teacher
Exam period Winter
Make-up exam/re-exam Written sit-in exam
Assignment type: Written assignment
Duration: 3 hours
Aids:Open book: all written and electronic aids, including internet access
Description of activities
Assignment(s): Individual: At the end of the eight exercise sessions, reflection questions will be available in Canvas that can only be answered if the student is physically present in class. The questions must be answered individually, and at least six of these reflection question responses must be approved by the teacher.

Group: After seven of the exercise sessions, groups (of five students) will be asked to upload the output of their group activities for the session. At least five of these outputs must be approved by the teacher. Feedback will be provided on these outputs.
Presentation(s): In the final two lecture sessions, groups (of five students) will present the combined synthesis of their group work, consisting of ten PowerPoint slides.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

Digitalization is disrupting whole industries, changing the nature of our work and the way we live our lives. At the heart of this is digitality, or the characteristics of digital technology, which profoundly change our capacity for innovation. The ambition of this course is to help us understand why this is the case, the changing role of traditional innovation theory in the context of digitality, and the importance of new digitally-focused theory in explaining innovation. The course broadly divides into three areas, which consider 1) digital innovation at the level of an industry; 2) the formulation of digital innovation strategy at the level of the company; 3) the implementation of digital innovation strategy at the level of the company. The course aims to help students advance their careers by enabling them understand, critique, and positively influence organisational digital innovation strategy.

 

The course will consist of ten sessions employing a blended approach to learning. Some aspects will be online, and other aspects will be carried out physically in class. Learning will consist of lectures, exercises, and workshops. The first 8 sessions will be split into two equal parts. The first part consists of a two-hour pre-recorded online lecture. The second part consists of an in person three hour workshop for teams of 5 students to work on group exercises, when all parties will be physically present. The final 2 sessions will be used for teams to present, in person, a synthesis of their group exercise work.

 

In the 10 lectures, a combination of pre-recorded online lecture-mode instruction and case exercises will be used to enable students to identify and describe characteristics, concepts, theoretical frameworks, and principles of digital innovation and innovation strategy.

 

In the 8 in-person workshops, students will work in teams of 5, engaging in exercises concerning digital innovation in case studies of Danish and international organisations. The group exercises enable students to develop knowledge and skills in describing opportunities, challenges, and consequences for digital innovation in organisations.
Research-based teaching
CBS’ programmes and teaching are research-based. The following types of research-based knowledge and research-like activities are included in this course:
Research-based knowledge
  • Classic and basic theory
  • Teacher’s own research
  • Models
Research-like activities
  • Data collection
  • Analysis
  • Discussion, critical reflection, modelling
  • Students conduct independent research-like activities under supervision
Description of the teaching methods
The first part consists of a two-hour pre-recorded online lecture. The second part consists of an in person three hour workshop for teams of 5 students to work on group exercises, when all parties will be physically present. The final 2 sessions will be used for teams to present, in person, a synthesis of their group exercise work.

Students are expected to take an active part in the development of workshops in order to capture the most current trends and developments in the area. Developing, in groups, suitable exercises and content for one workshop is required for course completion.
Feedback during the teaching period
Students will be working with their case exercises throughout the course and will get feedback on their work during and after the workshop sessions.

Specific questions will be addressed during time set aside during class, and at the office hours.
Student workload
Preparation for class 124 hours
Lectures 28 hours
Exercises 24 hours
Preparation for class presentation 30 hours
Total hours 206 hours
Expected literature

The literature can be changed before the semester starts. Students are advised to find the final literature on Canvas before they buy the books.

  • Baldwin, C.Y. and Clark, K.B. 2000. Design rules: The power of modularity (Vol. 1). MIT press.
  • Baldwin, C.Y. and Clark, K.B., 1997. Managing in an age of modularity. Harvard business review, 75(5), pp.84-93
  • Cusumano, M.A., Yoffie, D.B. and Gawer, A., 2019. The Business of Platforms: Strategy in the Age of Digital Competition, Innovation, and Power. HarperCollins Publishers.
  • Drnevich , P.L. and Croson, D.C. 2013. Information Technology and Business-Level Strategy:  Towards an Integrated Theoretical Perspective. MIS Quarterly, 37(2)
  • Eaton, B., 2016. The Dynamics of Digital Platform Innovation: Apple's Strategy to Control Modular and Architectural Innovation in iOS. 49th Hawaii International Conference on (pp. 1287-1296). IEEE.
  • Eaton, B.D., Elaluf-Calderwood, S.M. and Sørensen, C., 2010. A methodology for analysing business model dynamics for mobile services using control points and triggers. 14th International Conference on Intelligence in Next Generation Networks (pp. 1-8). IEEE.
  • Hanseth, O. and Lyytinen, K., 2010. Design theory for dynamic complexity in information infrastructures: the case of building internet. Journal of information technology, 25(1), pp.1-19.
  • Henfridsson, O. and Bygstad, B., 2013. The generative mechanisms of digital infrastructure evolution. MIS quarterly, pp.907-931.
  • Henfridsson, O., Nandhakumar, J., Scarbrough, H. and Panourgias, N., 2018. Recombination in the open-ended value landscape of digital innovation. Information and Organization, 28(2), pp.89-100.
  • Schiling, M.A., 2018. Strategic management of technological innovation. McGraw-Hill Education; 6th edition
  • Tidd, J. and Bessant, J.R., 2005. Managing innovation: integrating technological, market and organizational change. John Wiley & Sons; 3rd edition
  • Tilson, D., Lyytinen, K. and Sørensen, C., 2010. Research commentary—Digital infrastructures: The missing IS research agenda. Information systems research, 21(4), pp.748-759.
  • Ulrich, K., 1995. The role of product architecture in the manufacturing firm. Research policy, 24(3), pp.419-440.
  • Yoo, Y., Henfridsson, O. and Lyytinen, K., 2010. Research commentary—the new organizing logic of digital innovation: an agenda for information systems research. Information systems research, 21(4), pp.724-735.
  • Yoo, Youngjin & Lyytinen, Kalle & Boland, Richard. (2010). The Next Wave of Digital Innovation: Opportunities and Challenges: A Report on the Research Workshop 'Digital Challenges in Innovation Research'. SSRN Electronic Journal. 10.2139/ssrn.1622170.
  • Zittrain, J.L., 2006. The generative internet. Harvard Law Review, pp.1974-2040.

 
Last updated on 19-01-2026