2017/18 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

SOEE5042M Sustainable Venturing and Innovation

15 creditsClass Size: 75

Module manager: Dr Pablo Munoz
Email: P.Munoz@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

Module replaces

SOEE5041M Standards & Tools etc

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module introduces the students to the emergent practice of sustainable venturing and innovation. Unlike traditional enterprise and innovation courses, this module takes a more comprehensive approach to value creation by focusing on those business opportunities that contribute simultaneously to the sustainable development of the environment, economy and society. In this form of venturing, return is understood more broadly and planned to include economic and non-economic gains for individuals, nature, economy and society.Students will explore the determinants, processes and impacts of sustainable venturing, and learn models, frameworks and strategies to develop and plan new sustainable enterprises and innovation. This includes identification, evaluation and exploitation of sustainability opportunities, organisational and strategic development, financing and impact investment, and finally performance evaluation and impact assessment. In doing so, students will be taken through the key processes for successful sustainable and innovative business activities, which will be experienced through simulation and practice. Alongside learning and practising sustainable venturing, the module will critically engage with two relevant concepts. First, it will introduce economic resilience by examining how new enterprises and businesses more broadly are impacted by external crises resulting from, for example, environmental degradation, financial crisis, natural disasters, or rising inequality, and how they respond to these. Second, it will introduce, discuss and critically evaluate the current and necessary policy frameworks aimed at fostering this type of enterprising activity.

Objectives

By the end of the module the students will be better able to:

• Understand the notion of sustainable venturing and innovation: determinants, processes and outcomes.
• Understand the nature of entrepreneurship in the context of challenging environments
• Within this context, identify and critically evaluate the nature and types of opportunities for sustainable venturing and innovation.
• Synthesise and use the concepts through the development of a sustainable venturing and innovation project based on relevant normative frameworks, strategies and methods.
• Reflect on and critically evaluate the policies, support mechanisms and programmes for sustainable venturing and innovation.

By developing a critical and applied understanding of the phenomenon and its key processes, alongside the contexts in which emerges, the students will be enable to use the knowledge in the development of their own sustainable businesses or in the articulation of more appropriate policies to better support the activity as a whole.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students will know about and develop a critical understanding of:

• The process and key elements of sustainable venturing
• How the current and future sustainability challenges are linked to entrepreneurial action through business opportunities.
• Sources, nature and types of sustainability business opportunities
• How to develop a plan for sustainable venturing, including effective strategies, organizing, financing and implementation.
• How to evaluate performance and impact of sustainable enterprising.
• Key enablers and constraints of this enterprising activity.
• Current and needed policy frameworks and support mechanisms for the promotion and development of sustainable entrepreneurship

Skills outcomes
This module complements the skills development module for SoEE MSc students by enabling the following specific skills:

- Social and environmental awareness, the development (identification, evaluation and exploitation) of commercial opportunities
- System thinking in the business context – Development of sustainable business model and value proposition, circular operational plan. Re-examination and integration of social and environmental externalities into the business proposition.
- Comprehensive evaluative reasoning
- Elaboration of a triple bottom line financing plan and performance and impact measurement.

Syllabus

• Sustainable venturing and innovation: theoretical basis: determinants, processes and outcomes.
• Sources of opportunities for sustainable venturing and innovation
• Normative frameworks for sustainable venturing: strategizing, hybrid organising and planning
• Sustainability and consumer markets
• Developing sustainable products and services
• Alternative forms of investment and financial outlook
• Performance and impact measurement in sustainable venturing
• Legal frameworks for sustainable enterprises
• Sustainable venturing and socio-economic resilience
• A critical approach to policy and institutional support for sustainable venturing and innovation

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	6	3.00	18.00
Seminar	4	3.00	12.00
Private study hours			120.00
Total Contact hours			30.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Private study

Study and independent learning includes revision of relevant literature, preparation of cases for class discussion, individual reflection on matters affecting the practice of sustainable venturing.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

In-class case analysis and discussions
Workshops
Group work

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	Reflective Essay (3,000 words)	70.00
Group Project	Group Work - Business Plan Analysis and Proposal (2,500 words)	30.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Re-sit is by essay.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 08/01/2018

Disclaimer

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• Undergraduate module catalogue
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• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

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