SM9413 - Introduction to Entrepreneurship

You will learn through seminars, workshops, independent learning, and work-related projects. The variety of approaches will improve your knowledge and understanding by introducing you to mainstream academic theory of entrepreneurship. The seminars and workshops will help you to test the value and limitations of a range of theoretical constructs, as well as giving you a chance to discuss current issues in entrepreneurship with tutors and peers. You will be encouraged to apply entrepreneurial theory to real life business examples.
Learning is supported by tutors and the overall pattern is set out in a Teaching and Learning Plan (TLP). The TLP describes the key topics and sessions, and lists key readings, preparation and individual and group activities (where applicable). The module is about entrepreneurship, and you will have to be encouraged to be actively entrepreneurial in identifying and exploiting learning opportunities.

Support will include feedback from peers and tutors during small group seminars and tutorials. In addition to this you will be supported by the University’s e-learning portal which will provide you with the Teaching and Learning Plan, Assessment Brief and other electronic support facilities.

You will be provided with an electronic reading list which comprises a number of key academic sources, journal articles and published reports which support the development of your knowledge on this module.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
• Demonstrate knowledge of academic theories of entrepreneurship and an ability to interpret them. (MLO1)

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• Identify and evaluate business, management and leadership knowledge as a means to understanding the strategy and performance of small, medium and global companies. (MLO2)

• Search for, evaluate and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to support investigation into business activity. (MLO3)

• Form and work in a team to gain an understanding of what you can bring to team and how an entrepreneurial team works. (MLO4)

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• Demonstrate an ability to include cultural and ethical context in analysis of entrepreneurial activity (MLO5)

The summative assessment will occur in the form of

• Group presentation (30%) (MLO1,2,3,4)
• Report presenting an evaluation of a start-up business (2,000 words, individual, 70%) (MLO1,2,3,4)

Formative assessment will be given interactively from peers and tutors/coaches throughout the course. More structured feedback is scheduled into some of the workshop sessions.

This is a level 4 course forming part of the first year of the programme. The only requirement is admission to the degree course.

N/A

Entrepreneurs are critical to business and economic success but there are widely different academic approaches to understanding them, their behaviour and the factors that help them to thrive. This module introduces you to entrepreneurship through the key ideas, examples and theories in the field. You will look at local businesses as well as global success stories like Facebook, Amazon and LinkedIn. You will also analyse and engage with start-up businesses.

The module helps you understand, analyse and explain start-up businesses, their founders, their economic and social impact and the ways governments respond to innovation and enterprise. We will meet some fascinating people, some brilliant ideas and some challenges on the way.