RECENT ASSIGNMENT

Assessment 1: Report: Corporate Entrepreneurship (Individual) – 2000 words 40%

Option A: Students working in an organisation can develop an innovation strategy for the business – (2000 words)
The focus of this individual assessment is to be on corporate entrepreneurship and innovation – looking at how established organisations approach and manage innovation. Students undertaking this assessment using their own workplaces need to adhere to the appropriate permissions and protocols. See the section on ‘Further
Course Information Assignment protocols – collection and use of data.’
Students MUST comply with the protocol regarding seeking ‘permission from your employer prior to commencing the assignment.’ You will need to obtain information about your organisation for this purpose as you will need to undertake some research about aspects of the organisation.
This option allows students to undertake an assignment that may have the potential to be implemented in the actual workplace. (Note though that the implementation is not part of this assessment.) Resources that are useful include but are not restricted to:
The core text for some of the principles relating to opportunity recognition, entrepreneurial leadership, and aspects of the planning process; readings about innovation and corporate entrepreneurship; Your own research and reading specific to your industry and organisation.

Core areas likely to be relevant to cover:
Brief background information and analysis of your organisation, industry, environment, contextual factors;
The case for change and innovation - the ideas, opportunities, (see core text difference between an idea and a feasible opportunity) and evidence of need for innovation;
The innovation itself – what type/why/when/who;
The organisational elements (culture; structure; processes; policies, to name some) that are impacted and involved. For example, it may be that the main issues preventing innovation from occurring (which your research uncovers) lead you to develop a strategy that focuses on the organisation needing to develop a clearer vision, a more active learning and development regime for management and employees; some new
structures that enable the innovation process to be established may be needed. It will be very important to focus on some specific organisational elements, rather than cover too many areas at a superficial level;
The people – leadership; enabling and blocking or inhibiting factors and how to deal with them. (See core text regarding entrepreneurial attributes. Knowledge of MBTI and other self-assessment instruments is useful here too.
The role of power and influence i.e. capacity to influence change, be an innovation champion.
What is the capacity of the organisation to achieve and sustain change and innovation?
Strategy for implementation of the plan.
Format: Report - Executive summary, introduction, body of report (i.e. we are likely to see headings that you develop), recommendations, conclusion, and of course references list (Harvard) and if relevant, Appendices.
Option B: Students write a research paper with a critical analysis of real life cases of ‘corporate entrepreneurship’ - (2000 words)
Format: academic essay.
Essay to allow students to explore the concept of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation based upon readings and research undertaken specifically within and for this course.
This option allows those individuals who enjoy work of a more conceptual, theoretical and academic nature to complete an original essay exploring in more depth the ideas arising out of their own research.
Students choosing this option plan their paper by constructing a question, or posing a line of enquiry to follow.

Here is an example:

‘What are some of the barriers to corporate entrepreneurship being sustained in an organisation, and what kinds of strategies help to overcome those barriers?’

'Creative thinking is correlated with innovation, especially the ideas generation stage of the innovation process. This essay seeks to explore and analyse the nature of creative thinking. A number of strategies are offered, that
leaders may find helpful in their efforts to build a more creative and innovative enterprise.’

The essay needs to be based on critical analysis of research demonstrating depth and breadth of understanding of key concepts regarding innovation and corporate entrepreneurship. Furthermore, students need to provide examples and reflect on real life cases of innovative practices and corporate entrepreneurship. At least two real life examples of corporate entrepreneurship need to be discussed in this essay.