Syllabus

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course focuses on introducing analytical frameworks and tools needed to evaluate a company’s internal environment regarding its growth and renewal readiness. The course also focuses on the managerial capabilities needed to support growth and renewal. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of the seminal and latest academic research in strategic and corporate entrepreneurship, organizational renewal, organizational ambidexterity, organizational innovation, dynamic capabilities, and managerial capabilities;
2. analyze, evaluate, and reflect upon
3. 1. why established companies lose their growth momentum and their renewal and innovation capabilities over time;
   2. why and how, by building capabilities, companies can foster their growth and renewal potential, and achieve sustainability;
4. apply analytical techniques, tools, and frameworks taught in the class on a company-based group project to produce original work in evaluating how a company tackles its renewal or growth challenges; and
5. reflect upon what managerial capabilities they need to develop to drive entrepreneurial initiatives within existing companies.

Furthermore, through the completion of this course, students will have practiced:

• Analytical skills in defining and solving problems
• Decision-making skills
• Research skills
• Reflection skills
• Group management and teamwork skills 
• Communication and presentation skills
• Networking among companies 

This course is particularly valuable to students who are interested in pursuing a career in strategic renewal and transformation, new business development, and organizational innovation. It also enables students to be more effective management consultants and contributors to organizational renewal and growth, both in established companies and startups.

Credits: 5

Schedule: 09.01.2023 - 15.02.2023

Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):

Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Riku Österman

Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):

CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):

Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):

Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English

CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD

Content

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  The course focuses on the domain of organizational renewal and growth, by drawing on the framework of dynamic capabilities, and on tools, companies can employ to access and design their internal environment to a) sense new opportunities, b) seize them, and c) reconfigure their sets. Such tools include the experimentation with business models to build ventures, the adoption of an ambidextrous mindset in managing and transforming innovation portfolios, the development of an entrepreneurial strategy and an ambidextrous culture, the reconfiguration of structures, and resource leveraging systems. The course also focuses on the managerial capabilities needed to support the development of dynamic capabilities.

Assessment Methods and Criteria

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Attendance is not compulsory. There are two forms of assessment that students need to engage with to pass the course: 

  a) Individual-level assessment based on the submission of individual essays

  b) Group-level assessment based on contribution and participation in a group project

  The evaluation criteria of the submitted work (individual essays and deliverable of the group project) for the assessment of this course include four areas: Understanding, depth of knowledge, structure, and overall evaluation. Each criterion is of equal importance and weight in calculating the final grade of each assessment. Each criterion is assessed on a scale from 0(0-49%) to 5(90-100%). Non-submitted assessments are graded with 0. 

Workload

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Attendance is not compulsory.

  - Contact hours: 22 hours (10x2 hours of teaching sessions; 1x2 hours for coaching on a group project)
  - Group assessment: 55-60 hours
  - Individual assessment: 15-20 hours
  - Self-study: 30-35 hours

DETAILS

Substitutes for Courses

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Substitutes for Courses

Prerequisites

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Prerequisites

SDG: Sustainable Development Goals

8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

17 Partnerships for the Goals

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Information

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Teaching Language : English

  Teaching Period : 2022-2023 Spring III - IV
  2023-2024 Spring III - IV

  Enrollment :

  Registration for Courses: In the academic years 2022-2024, enrollment for this course will take place ONLY through SISU (sisu.aalto.fi) instead of WebOodi. The number of students is limited to 120 because of the course's learning objectives and activities. The following categories of students have priority to enroll for this course:

  1) Students of the Master's Programme in Industrial Engineering and Management,

  2) Students of the Master's Programme in Information Networks, and

  3) Students minoring in Creativity and Venturing, Strategy and Corporate Renewal, People, Organizing and Change, and Startup Minor.

  All other students* will be chosen through a separate enrollment process through SISU and before the course starts. Potential students are asked to answer the enrolment questions through SISU.

  *Bachelor students (including exchange bachelor level students) will be enrolled ONLY if they have completed their bachelor's thesis. A limited number of places are available for exchange students who are at the master's level of their studies. A few places are also open for Open University students. Please note that this is an advanced master's level course, thus students need to have basic knowledge regarding strategic management and strategy literature, and experience in writing essays, synthesizing literature, and conducting qualitative data collection and analysis.

Description