Strategic Innovation for Sustainable Business
| Module title | Strategic Innovation for Sustainable Business |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEPM009 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr S.W. Chiu (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 12 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 24 |
|---|
Module description
Strategic business innovations are increasingly shaped by responses to rapidly changing societal and ecological conditions. As such, sustainability has become a driver for strategic innovation in emerging and established companies.
Moreover, an increased demand for ‘sustainable products/services’ from consumers has stimulated businesses to combine design and system thinking to sustainability-oriented strategies. Given this background, this module discusses the building blocks of strategies related to innovation, and how to identify key aspects of sustainable business models.
Particularly, this module will help you to understand sustainability as a set of guiding principles to design innovative products, processes and business strategies.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module seeks to equip you with a manual of tools to advance innovation in an era of rapid transformation. By the end of the module, you will be familiar with major research and theories that underpin latest debates on sustainability, circular innovation, and economic growth. Learning from a series of case studies, you will have the opportunity to apply theories into solving real-life problems, including major global challenges highlighted in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The module will culminate in a final assignment of venture creation, when you will apply what you have learned to propose an innovative project that delivers both commercial and social value for society.
Upon completion of the module, you will gain a set of skills and knowledge relevant to employments in governments, industry, and third sector, including but not limited to chief sustainability officer, communications specialists, social and/or industry entrepreneurs, and Environment, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) specialists for major corporations, governments, and/or third sector.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Critically evaluate major concepts and theories that underpin contemporary practices, policy, regulations, and debates in the field of innovation and sustainable business;
- 2. Apply theories and frameworks to critically analyse real-life scenarios/practices.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Apply cross-disciplinary knowledge critically for advancing sustainable economic growth;
- 4. Articulate the importance of integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) values in innovation efforts and sustaining economic growth.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Conduct research and present critical analyses in a coherent and structured manner;
- 6. Reflect on the need for sustainable innovation to develop convincing arguments for systemic change.
Syllabus plan
The module will cover, but not be limited to, the following themes:
- Regenerative Tourism
- Frontier Technologies for Sustainable Business
- Sustainability and Disruptive Innovation
- Radical and Incremental Innovation
- Strategic Technology Governance
- Managing Risk and Uncertainty
- Stakeholder Engagement for Sustainable Growth
- Sustainable Growth and Circular Innovation
- Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) values
- Sustainable Business Model innovation
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | 126 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 10 | Lectures (10 x 1 hour) |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 12 | A series of seminars, workshops, guest talks from practitioners, and simulations is designed to support the core lectures (10 x 1 hour) Assessment Clinic (2 X 1 hour) |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 2 | Field visit (1 x 2 hour) |
| Guided Independent Study | 126 | Preparation and research for lectures, seminars and assessments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-class interactive exercises | 1-3 exercises/ class | 1-4, 6 | Verbal |
| In-class presentations of developmental ideas | 20 minutes/ class | 1-3, 6 | Verbal |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | 40 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open-book online quiz | 40 | 1 x 1.5 hours quiz | 1-4 | Written |
| Individual assignment | 60 | 3000 words | 1-5 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open-book online quiz | Open-book online quiz (1 x 1.5 hours quiz) | 1-4 | Referral/deferral period |
| Individual assignment | Individual assignment (3000 words) | 1-5 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you have been deferred for any assessment you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to sit a further examination. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will count for 100% of the final mark and will be capped at 50%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Goffin, K. & Mitchell, R. (2017). Innovation Management - Effective strategy and implementation, London: Palgrave.
- Jasanoff, S. (2016). The Ethics of Invention - Technology and the Human Future, New York: W.W. Norton. (Diversifying/ Supporting EDI curriculum)
- Davenport, J. The Green Start-Up: Making your business better for the planet, Heligo Books, 2002. (Diversifying/ Supporting EDI curriculum)
- Fagerberg, J., Mowery, D. & Nelson, R. (2006). The Oxford Handbook of Innovation, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Mowforth, M. and Munt, I. (2016) Tourism and Sustainability: Development, Globalisation and New Tourism in the Third World, 4th edition, London: Routledge.
- Alexander, A. & Kokshagina, O. (2020). The Radical Innovation Playbook: A Practical Guide for Harnessing New, Novel or Game-Changing Breakthroughs. De Gruyter.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 08/09/2022 |
| Last revision date | 08/06/2023 |
