BA Modern Language and Business & Management (Italian)

This course is concerned with fundamentals of the nature of innovation and new product development and the strategic management of developing and acquiring technological innovations and new products in the modern business organisation.  
 

The course covers issues involved in managing product innovation and managing the medium-term and long-term development of technology in firms; the ways in which business strategies and technological competencies interact in the firm; concepts and 'tools' needed to analyse firms’ innovation and technology strategies.    

This includes a discussion of the nature of technological knowledge, how firms manage new product and process development, how they organise and manage R&D, the importance of learning from others and collaborative arrangements for innovation, how to profit from innovation, and the dynamics of competing technologies. 

Pre-requisites: N/A
Co-requisites: N/A
Dependent courses: N/A
 

The module deals with:  

1) the issues involved in managing product innovation and managing the medium-term and long-term development of technology in firms;  

2) the ways in which business strategies and technological competencies interact in the firm;  

3) concepts and tools needed to analyse firms’ innovation and technology strategies. 

The course is made of lectures, during which students have the opportunity to ask questions to the lecturer and address broader, related issues, if any, tutorials for more interactive discussions, and seminar presentations by students, which allow developing group working experience and presentation skills, managing questions and discussions with both the lecturer and other students.  

The writing of a group essay and a longer individual essay will improve skills for sourcing reliable information and data, summarizing readings and writing at high academic standard.

The innovative firm

The nature of innovation and new product development processes

Models of innovation

Organization of R&D

Technological standards and rivalry

Time-to-market

Intellectual Property Rights

Technology and innovation management tools 
 

The course is based on 10 lectures (2 hours in weeks 1 and 11, and 1 hour in weeks 2-5 and 7-10) and 8 face-to-face sessions as 4 one-hour interactive tutorials (weeks 2 to 5), and 4 one-hour interactive student seminar sessions (weeks 7-8-9-10).  Week 6 is reading week and there are no scheduled activities.

The tutorials discuss in more detail issues presented in the lectures, with the use of examples and case studies and the participation of students.

The seminars include group presentations of an academic reading and class discussion to connect the article to the lectures and tutorials.

All sessions are face-to-face.

Understand the nature of innovation processes and become familiar with the characteristics of technologies

Understand the principles involved in managing innovation and the development of technology in firms  

Understand the ways in which business strategies and technological competencies interact 

Develop critical thinking to appreciate the range of frameworks, and the strengths and weaknesses of them, that are used in analyses of the strategic management of technology.

Have an appreciation of the concepts and ‘tools’ needed to analyse firms’ innovation and technology strategies.

Develop the ability of drawing reasoned conclusions based on conceptual and/or factual grounds.

Develop through practice the essential generic skills of academic writing (including referencing)  

Access business databases and academic references to identify material about firms’ technology and other strategies and how to use and synthesise this material in a written report

Use research-based concepts, to analyse a firm’s strategies of developing new products and technologies 

Develop and practice presentation skills, and become able to make a reasoned argument  

Undertaking group working with peers who you had not met before

Learning to engage in interactive group discussions

Formative Assessment:

Group Presentation

Summative Assessment:

Individual essay (75%) 

Group essay (25%)

- Informal advice and discussion during a lecture, seminar, workshop or lab.

- Responses to student emails and questions from a member of staff including feedback provided to a group via an online discussion forum.

- Specific course related feedback sessions.

- Written and/or verbal comments on assessed or non-assessed coursework.

- Written and/or verbal comments after students have given a group or individual presentation.

- Generic feedback posted on Blackboard regarding overall examination performance.

Core Text: ‘Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organisational Change’ by Joe Tidd and John Bessant, 2024, Eighth edition (published by Wiley).  E-copies are available from the Library.

Programme Restrictions: Available as a free choice option to students who have received prior agreement from their registering School. 

Not available to BSc in Management/Management (Specialism), IM and ITMB.

For Academic Year 2025/26

Updated: March 2025

Approved by: March UG Committee