BA History

Enterprising and Entrepreneurial Futures – Developing the Competencies and Skills to Succeed in a Challenging Global Economy. 

Each generation defines enterprise and entrepreneurship (EE) according to its own needs and priorities. The idea of enterprising people and entrepreneurs and their role and impact on society has not been static over the decades but continues to develop. According to a survey by the Economist, 81.7% of people with a university degree aspire to become entrepreneurs, compared with 70.9% of people without one. But nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents agreed that it was more difficult for the current generation to find employment compared with previous generations, while two-thirds (66%) said the same regarding starting a business. Pandemic-related challenges and uncertainty caused by supply chain disruptions are perhaps driving up risk aversion, causing people who aspire to become entrepreneurs to instead enter the traditional labour market. Therefore, in order to provide student’s the required EE competencies and skills in a time of uncertainty, we need to reassess the challenges the world faces and pursue new ways of stimulating EE to meet today’s needs, challenges and opportunities.

Also, increasing numbers of people are excluded from the wealth created by businesses as global inequalities grow and as the environmental and climate change consequences of our activities become more significant. It is not enough therefore for world’s largest businesses to just think in terms of efficiency and productivity gains. They will need enterprising and entrepreneurial people to help minimise their impact on the environments and communities in which they are based while maximising the effectiveness with which they manage their resources and operations.

The unit aims to make students fully aware of the new rules of the game. It encourages students to articulate how EE learning can be used to satisfy personal career goals and also contribute to solving societal problems in an ethical and sustainable way. This unit provides students with intermediate and advanced conceptual and practical learning in EE. Through a mix of online activities and self-selected experiential projects, students will develop independent research and collaborative skills necessary to develop EE competencies and skills. Whether the student aims to be an intrapreneurial change agent in an established enterprise or a start-up founder, this unit combines the power of discussion, reflection and application of EE competencies, skills, tools, and frameworks to support their goals. On completion of the unit, students should be equipped to successfully continue into their own unique enterprising or entrepreneurial career. 

Provide students from any background with concepts, frameworks, and tools relevant to 
enterprise and entrepreneurship (EE), enabling them to contribute to innovation and change in any environment.

Enhance real world EE experience with relevant competencies and skills required in the digital age to convert problems into opportunities.

Provide opportunities to discuss, practice and reflect on the potential value of being Enterprising and Entrepreneurial and the impact on society, both at conceptual and practical level.

Foster in individuals an appreciation of strategy, process and operations of financially, socially and environmentally sustainable enterprises. 

By the end of the unit, students will be able to :

1. Develop several ideas and opportunities to create value, identify better solutions to 
existing and new challenges, and explore and experiment with new ways of doing 
things. 

2. Reflect on their own needs and aspirations and the belief in their ability to influence 
the course of events and achieve goals despite uncertainty and setbacks. 

3. Inspire and enthuse others required to put ideas into action and to demonstrate 
effective communication, persuasion and negotiation. 

4. Learn from others, such as peers, and reflect and learn from experiences that go well 
and less well. 

5. Reflect on how sustainable long-term social, cultural and economic goals are
achieved, and the course of action chosen. 

6. Obtain and manage the material, non-material and digital resources needed to turn 
ideas into action. 

The unit synthesises different approaches to the study of EE; in learning about, through and for EE. This involves a combination of structured online content, independent research by students as well as action learning i.e. learning by doing. 

Students are provided the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial mind-set and work on a new business concept. They can submit their business idea to Masood Entrepreneurship Centre’s Bright Ideas competition and also use their final business report towards the Venture Further competition. Participation in co-curricular activities is optional and there is no expectation that the students will actively launch and trade with their new venture; but the development of real business solutions is actively encouraged.

The success of student learning and assessments requires active engagement. Various online activities will provide students with the means to drive their business ideas forward as well as achieve their personal goals and ambitions. In addition, there will be three live Hybrid (offline + zoom) sessions to support students and these will be optional. Sessions will be facilitated by a combination of the core academic staff as well as enterprise officers and relevant staff from the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre. 

Pre-recorded Asynchronous online Lectures – 20 hours
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity (Reflective exercises, Case analysis, Discussions etc) - 20 hours
Preparation for Online activities – 30 hours
Independent research and assessment preparation – 130 hours
Hybrid (Optional) Support sessions – 12 hours

Structured Business Report - 50%

Reflection on EE journey and relevance to personal development - 25%

Presentation - 25%

Al-Dawood, M., 2020. Mastering Enterprise Skills For Potential Entrepreneurs: A comprehensive guide for understanding the enterprise skills, processes and tools to succeed in business. Munther Al-Dawood.

Matthews, C.H. and Brueggemann, R., 2015. Innovation and entrepreneurship: A competency framework. Routledge.

Cohen, B., 2017. Post-capitalist Entrepreneurship: Startups for the 99%. Taylor & Francis.

For Academic Year 2024/25

Updated: March 2024

Approved by: March UG Committee