Corporate Entrepreneurship

Companies today face a challenging and fast-changing environment. International competitive pressures have increased significantly during the past decade and have been exacerbated by the global economic slowdown. Simultaneously, rapid technological advancements continue to disrupt many industries. To survive and maintain competitive advantage, companies must be able to adapt swiftly to the changed environment. Or in the wise and quite blunt words of Peter F. Drucker: "[U]nless an organization sees that its task is to lead change, that organization ? whether a business, a university, or a hospital will not survive."

So although the need for innovation is central to developed firms success, the implementation of innovative activities within a corporate setting (labeled either "corporate entrepreneurship" or "intrapreneurship") is more challenging for a number of reasons. Mature organizations tend to adopt policies and procedures that bring order and consistency to operations. They also rely upon systems that reward safe, conservative behavior with short term benefits and structures that over-supervise employees. In addition, entrepreneurial initiatives do not fit well within strategic planning systems.

Recognizing that our students may end up in a corporate setting following graduation, the new course offering Corporate Entrepreneurship will make them cognizant of the special challenges of entrepreneurship in the corporate environment. In addition, it will familiarize them with the internal ventures and "external" collaborative approaches central to corporate entrepreneurial activity.

Students who have successfully completed the course should have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge and comprehension:

• Knowledge of the design-thinking methodology, and how it can be applied in a corporate environment to develop innovative solutions
• Comprehension of cutting edge innovation topics such as crowdsourcing and human-centered design
• Understanding of how corporate culture is developed and how it can be gradually and purposefully changed towards a more entrepreneurial mind set

Skills:

• Students should gain the necessary skills to inject any corporate environment with creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial solutions

Competence:

• Students should be able to serve as successful, creative change agents in business organizations of all types

Language of instruction and examination

The exam consists of three parts:

60 % A write up (Essay)

20% Oral group exam

20% Written Report

There will not be arranged a re-sit exam for this course.