BA Liberal Arts with International Study / Course details

The course introduces students to the nature and importance of innovation in the economy, and identifies the key issues addressed by management and policy makers. It comprises a set of topics necessary to understand the nature of innovation and entrepreneurial decisions. A variety of perspectives is examined, including:
• Products (new products, standards and formats, the product life cycle, diffusion of innovations)
• Firms (technology strategy, intellectual property, standards,)
• Government and policy (intellectual property rights, standards, regulation)
• Economic theories (neoclassical and evolutionary theories)
• Markets: how products and markets interact over time
• Technologies (how technologies develop over time: trajectories, dominant designs)
• Case studies of innovation: causes, impacts and strategies (of technologies, sectors, consumer products)
• Sectors: innovation in services sectors 

BMAN30010 is a free choice option for students with prior agreement from their home schools.

Students will become familiar with the frameworks used by managers, policy makers and by academics, when addressing the phenomenon of innovation. This involves the use of theories and their application to the many practical problems of management. In particular, students will be expected in their assignment to show that they are capable of using the theories presented to analyse a particular innovation, chosen from a very wide range of alternatives. The lectures and seminars use several case studies in a variety of sectors to illustrate the appropriate use of theory. The course therefore places great emphasis on the links between theory and real examples of innovation.

On successful completion students should be able to demonstrate:
1) an awareness of innovation in economic development.
2) an appreciation of the role of innovation in business level competitiveness.
3) the ability to critically appraise, synthesise and apply social science concepts relevant to innovation and technological change.
 

The following lecture topics are planned but others may be added where possible:
1. Introduction: innovation and its pervasive effects; perspectives.
2. Theories and case studies of innovation and impacts.
3. Long term impacts of technological change (steel processing, computerisation, mass production).
4. Economics and technological change.
5. Networks, standards and formats.
6. Collaboration, Partnerships & Networks.
7. University-Industry Linkages
8. Technology strategy and firms.
9. The Product Life Cycle and markets.
10. Dominant designs, lock-in and systems.
11. Intellectual property rights: the system and its use.
12. Innovation in services.

Methods of delivery - Lectures/ Workshops
Lecture Hours: 20 X 1.5 hour lectures
Workshop Hours: 10 X 1 hour workshops (5 each in semesters 1 & 2)

Private study : 160 hours
Total study hours : 200 hours

- Written exam (60%)
- Individual research report (40%)

In line with University policy individualised feedback on the coursework will be provided through Blackboard/Turnitin. In addition, feedback can be provided by the lecturer or from workshop leaders either at the end of lectures/workshops, during office hours or by appointment.

As in normal practice for undergraduate programmes, generic feedback on exams is provided on the Blackboard page, This form of feedback normally comments on overall class performance and can take the form of how each question was answered, what students did well, what could be improved, where there were weaknesses.

Feedback on the course will be sought via the university’s standard questionnaire, through discussion in seminars and on Blackboard. We would also welcome general feedback on the course via email to the course coordinators or via your student representatives.

Paul Geroski, (2003) The Evolution of New Markets, Oxford University Press (ISBN 0-19-924889) (available through the John Rylands University of Manchester Library as an electronic book).

Rudi Volti, (2014), Society and Technological Change, Worth Publishers (7th edition).
Other readings that link to some key lecture topics will include academic journal articles, book chapters and industry reports (to be detailed in the full course outline).
 

Other teaching staff and guest lecturers may be included.
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
Dependent courses: None
Programme Restrictions: This course is only available to students who have received prior agreement from their registering School. Not available to BSc in Management/Management (Specialism), IMABS or IM.
BMAN30010 is available to visiting and exchange students admitted through the University of Manchester’s International Programmes Office.