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BUU22570 Creative Thinking, Innovation and Entrepreneurial Action

(5 ECTS credits)
Michaelmas Term, Semester 1

Lecturer(s):

Dr. Giulio Buciuni and Francesca Di Pietro

Module Content/Outline:

The aim of this module is to provide students with a critical perspective of the major trends, dynamics, and opportunities currently marking the field of entrepreneurship. Over the past decade, entrepreneurship has become one of the most relevant disciplines in business and has attracted the interest of scholars, policymakers and practitioners from all over the world. Entrepreneurship is deemed a key driver to innovation and economic development, regional and urban competitiveness, and a critical source of jobs. Yet entrepreneurship has also been criticized for underpinning wealth and income inequality, particularly in sectors where “the winner takes all”.
As entrepreneurship progresses and spreads globally, and generates opportunities and controversies, a multi-disciplinary and international approach is required. Acknowledging the complexity of modern entrepreneurship, this module will draw on both theoretical and practical resources. Each week of the module will be devoted to the study of a specific topic, mostly by discussing state-of-the-art literature and analysing successful cases in a variety of global industries. Departing from in-class discussions, students will be working on group projects focusing on the resolution of distinct issues, as well as on the development on their own business ideas.

Learning Outcomes:

The completion of this module will provide students:

• A thorough understanding of the chief dynamics underlying the formation and growth of entrepreneurial ventures;
• The ability to develop and present a business idea;
• Critical thinking skills;
• Personal skills including creativity, idea generation, initiative, research and reflection.

Workload:

Business School UG modules carry an annual weighting of 10 ECTS in the JF, SF and JS years and a weighting of 15 ECTS in the SS year. Under College guidelines each ECTS credit should equate to between 20 and 25 hours of work from a student’s perspective (estimated student input). It is recognised that some students due to learning style and or prior learning may take more or less time to complete reading/writing/preparation tasks.
This module has a weighting of 5 ECTS as it is delivered over one term/semester. This will amount to between 200 – 250 hours. These hours will include reading assigned materials, assignment work, attending class, exam preparation.

Lecture and Tutorial Information:

Class time consists of two lecture hours per week and up to three workshop meetings with mentor (except reading week) as follows:
Lecture: Fridays 1-3pm, Arts 1008 (except reading week)
Workshops (meet with mentor on three occasions throughout the module) allocated times for meetings to take place are as follows:     
Tutorial/Workshop-Mentor Meetings: Mondays: 6pm (Arts 2041B); Tuesdays:  3pm (Arts 4050A), 6pm (ARTS 2041A); Fridays 9am (Arts 2041B), 11am (MAXWELL5 HAM) (except reading week)

Delivery of Classes:

The following people will deliver various sessions/classes over the course of the module:

Lecturer & Academic Coordinator, Dr. Giulio Buciuni

Tutor/Mentor: Mr. Jimmy White

Guest speakers: Entrepreneurs/Practitioners

Reading and Additional Resources:

The module draws on textbook chapters, academic articles, cases, practical examples, newspaper articles and exercises. In addition, podcasts and video clips will be occasionally used in class and guest speakers will also be invited to share their experiences. A full reading list will be provided via Blackboard. You are asked to supplement this with your own literature reviews as relevant to your coursework and assessment requirements.

Examples of Useful Websites:

Academic Research/data on entrepreneurship and innovation (please note - these websites may become unavailable over the academic year):

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor	http://www.gemconsortium.org/
Kaufmann Foundation	http://www.kaufman.org/
Stanford Entrepreneurship Corner	http://ecorner.stanford.edu/
Martin Trust Centre for MIT Entrepreneurship	http://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/
European Commission – SMEs, Promoting Entrepreneurship	https://ec.europa.eu/commission/index_en
European Commission  - Industrial Innovation (includes Innovation Union Scoreboard)	https://ec.europa.eu/commission/index_en
EU’s Innovation Union Strategy	https://ec.europa.eu/commission/index_en
Innovation Policy and Cooperation in Europe	http://www.proinno-europe.eu/overview

 

Starting your own business - business support and planning (please note - these websites may become unavailable over the academic year):

Enterprise Ireland	http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/Start-a-Business-in-Ireland/
Enterprise Boards - Ireland	https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/
Citizens Information Bureau on setting up a company in Ireland	http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/types_of_employment/self_employment/setting_up_a_business_in_ireland.html
Small Business Finance	http://www.smallbusinessfinance.ie/
Social Finance Foundation	http://www.sff.ie/about/
First Step MicroFinance	http://www.microfinanceireland.ie/
DJEI (includes the Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill (2012))	https://dbei.gov.ie/en/Publications/?t=Small+Business#!t=Small Business#!y=#!s=#!ty=#!k=
Business Regulation	http://www.businessregulation.ie/
Enterprise Europe Network – Info2Innovate: A Directory of Innovation Supports and Services for SMEs	http://www.een-ireland.ie/eei/innovation/Info_2_Innovate.asp?ContentID=0240&BackTo=0&savemsg=&CustomMessage
Silicon Republic	http://www.siliconrepublic.com/
Intertrade Ireland (supports SMEs across Ireland, North and South)	http://www.intertradeireland.com/
Dublin Business Innovation Centre	http://www.dbic.ie/
Business Start Up – resources for starting a business	http://www.business-startup.ie/
Basis – Business Access to State Information & Services	http://www.basis.ie
Small Business Can: A website run by business people for business people	http://www.smallbusinesscan.com

 

Business Plan/Idea Competitions, Awards, Forums and Accelerator Programs:
Please Note: the following events were run in the academic year 2015/2016 and it is expected they will be run again in 2016/2017 (please check websites to confirm)

Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur Awards	http://studententrepreneur.ie
Startup Bootcamp: The European Startup Accelerator	http://www.startupbootcamp.org/europeans-cities/dublin/ http://www.startupbootcamp.org/
The Irish University Entrepreneurship Forum – an event to connect business leaders with entrepreneurs in third level education in Ireland	http://www.iuef.ie
USASBE (United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship) Launch	http://www.usasbe.org/

Newspapers and Radio (please note - subject to change):

• Irish Times: Business and Innovation supplement (on Mondays), Business and Technology (on Thursdays), Business This Week (on Fridays)
• Irish Independent: Business Section on Thursdays)
• Sunday Business Post
• Financial Times
• Newstalk: ‘Down to Business’ 11am Saturdays

Trinity College (please note – subject to change):

• Trinity Entrepreneurial Society (TES): http://www.testrinity.com/;
• Trinity Enterprise Network: https://www.localenterprise.ie/DublinCity/News/Press-Releases/Trinity-Enterprise-Network.html
• Trinity Launchbox: http://www.launchbox.ie
• Trinity Research and Innovation: https://www.tcd.ie/innovation/
  

Module Communication:

Relevant module material (module outline, supplementary materials etc.) as well as administrative information and any module announcements will be posted on the module intranet site (Blackboard). Please ensure that you have access to the module site on Blackboard and please check this regularly along with your college email. If needed, the lecturer and others involved in delivering the module will contact you directly via your college email. If you experience difficulties with this module or have special needs, please make contact as soon as possible to arrange a meeting and discuss any supports that may be required.

Module Schedule:

Facilitators on the module are:

Lecturer & Academic Coordinator: Dr. Giulio Buciuni

Tutor/Mentor: Mr. Jimmy White

Hilary Term/Semester 2
Teaching Week	Date	Lecture Topics
1	20th Jan (1-3pm)	Module introduction and assessment details Group selection
2	27th Jan (1-3pm)	“Competing in the 21st century: Major trends and dynamics in the field of entrepreneurship”
3	3rd Feb (1-3pm)	“International entrepreneurship and born-global start ups”
4	10th Feb (1-3pm)	“Entrepreneurial finance: How to raise money for your business?”
5	17th Feb (1-3pm)	“Entrepreneurship and the State: The role of institutions and industrial commons”
6	24th Feb (1pm-3pm)	“Business ethics and entrepreneurship: A possible coexistence?”
7	No class	Study Week (no class)
8	10th Mar (1-3pm)	Guest speakers: Social Enterprise Ireland; The Bank of Ireland
9	17th Mar (1-3pm)	“Funding your own business: From market opportunities to value creation”
10	24th Mar (1-3pm)	“Growing an entrepreneurial venture: From seed to harvest”
11	31st Mar (1-3pm)	Group presentations Submission of group assignment
12	7th Apr (1-3pm)	Group presentations Submission of individual assignment

 

Evaluation and Assessment:

Please Note: Additional details on the specific deliverables in relation to assignments will be discussed in class. Support for the completion of the assignments will also be provided by the mentor.  

Assessment number	Individual or Group	Assessment title	Submission Due Date (Teaching week)	% Total Module Marks
Assignment 1	Group	Generating, Evaluating and Reflecting on a New Business Idea	Week 11 (in class and via Blackboard)	60%
Assignment 2	Individual	Individual component to group assignment and reflection on new business development	Week 12 (in class and via Blackboard)	40%

 

Additional Details on Assignment Submissions

Guidelines for Preparing Assignments: Text of assignments must be typed in a 12 pt font, 1.5 line spacing. Un-typed assignments will not be accepted. Assignments are due by the specified due time and date to be provided in class or by lecturer or mentor. Any exceptions to these conditions must be obtained from the module lecturer in advance.

Late Submission Policy: Unexcused assignments submitted after the designated submission deadline may be penalised by 5% of the grade awarded for each working day late, or part thereof.  In the event of a non-medical reason for non-submission of a term-assignment a student should consult with and receive prior approval from the lecturer concerned. Students unable to submit a term assignment for medical reasons must produce a medical certificate to the School of Business Studies office within three working days of the missed submission date. Certificates received after that time will not be accepted.

Supplemental Students who receive an overall fail mark in their first attempt will be re-assessed by the completion and submission of an individual assignment only, without any consideration of other assessment marks.

Biographical Notes of Module Academic Coordinator, Dr. Giulio Buciuni

Dr. Giulio Buciuni is an Assistant Professor in Business and Administrative Studies at the School of Business, Trinity College Dublin. He received a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Verona in 2013 and is a visiting scholar at the Center on Globalization Governance & Competitiveness (CGGC) at Duke University since 2011. Prior to joining Trinity College, Dr. Buciuni was a postdoctoral researcher at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto.

Dr. Buciuni's research interests focus on innovation in global value chains, the evolutionary trajectories of industrial clusters, and the upgrading strategies of entrepreneurial ventures and small and medium-sized firms (SMEs).

Over the past decade, Dr. Buciuni has conducted extensive fieldwork in Europe and North America, mainly investigating the innovation and internationalisation strategies of firms competing in the furniture, fashion, bicycle and beer industries. The results of his research have been published on Industrial and Corporate Change (2014), The Journal of International Entrepreneurship (2014), The Oxford Handbook of Local Competitiveness (2015), and Regional Studies (forthcoming). Dr. Buciuni is the co-founder of a marketing and consulting firm based in Istanbul, Turkey.