Course Overview

  • Course Overview

    Welcome to the Business Model Design Course!


    UPDATES
    • Course will start on week 2, first lecture Tuesday 10th!
    • Ensure that you have gone through the MODULE 1 material & readings before Tuesdays lecture!
    • Virtual workshop uses the same Zoom address as the Tuesday lectures.

    Zoom link and information for all the sessions:
    • https://aalto.zoom.us/j/62519522712
    • Meeting ID: 625 1952 2712 Passcode: 850157

    EXTRA PREPARATION FOR ONES THAT HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT BUSINESS MODELS:

    If business modelling is something new to you, please read/watch the following in order to get oriented towards the course:

    •Ovans, A. (2015). What is a business model. Harvard business review, 23, 1-7.
    •Pages 431-434 from: Massa, L., & Tucci, C. L. (2013). Business model innovation. The Oxford handbook of innovation management, 20(18), 420-441.

    For the ones not familiar with business model canvas: 

    https://youtu.be/QoAOzMTLP5s
    https://youtu.be/RpFiL-1TVLw


    Basic information
    • Business Model Design, 26E04350, AALTO BIZ
    • Teaching language: English
    • Credits: 6 ECTS
    • Teaching period III
    • Master's level course
    • It is recommended to take this course during the first year of IDBM studies
    • It is also recommended to take IDBM Challenge (JOIN-E7006) before this course
    • One should take this course before Industry project course (JOIN-E7005)(does not apply to Sugar/Global project teams!)
    • Minimum of 70% participation needed due to interactive tasks
    • You must attend the first session to ensure your place in the course!

    Connection to IDBM programme

    Business Model Design connects transdisciplinary thinking to business model context. The approach is both theoretical (mostly individual assignments) and practical (mostly in interactive tasks done in the workshops). The aim of all this is to form a holistic picture of business model design, especially from design management perspective.

    The course acknowledges that most of the students already know something about business development, and some students have a lot of business expertise. However, a common theoretical backbone is needed, as well as a common language (concept hierarchy), and a common set of tools.

    Teaching methods

    Teaching methods emphasize interactive and reflective techniques.

    Each week is divided to keynote and discussion day (Tuesdays) and workshop and reflection days (Thursdays). Thursday workshops are divided to three groups to facilitate more efficient mentoring and more extensive discussions during workshops, and to accommodate different study mode preferences (virtual/physical). Students must select from three alternative workshop times when they enroll the course.

    Evaluation and deliverables

    In evaluation, the teaching team focuses in the level of critical and reflective thinking and communication. Connecting theoretical knowledge and practical examples is a strong merit. Biggs model (1991) is used in assessment (see more information on introduction slides).

    Course deliverables include: 1) weekly journals (student can select from different journal styles 2) active participation and 3) take-home exam (larger independent writing task).

    Course structure

    Course content is divided to modules: one week is one module, as follows:

    • MODULE 1: Detrivializing shared value
    • MODULE 2: What it takes to put value first
    • MODULE 3: Resilience and adaptability in business models
    • MODULE 4: Platform business models
    • MODULE 5: Sustainable business model innovation and course summary

    Course schedule:

    Week 2: Module 1 (9.1-15.1.)
    Tuesday 12-14.00
    Thursday 9-11, 11-13, 13-15 (three different groups - you will select one)

    Week 3: Module 2 (16.1-22.1.)
    Tuesday 12-14.00
    Thursday 9-11, 11-13, 13-15 (three different groups - you will select one)

    Week 4: Module 3 (23.1-29.1.)
    Tuesday 12-14.00
    Thursday 9-11, 11-13, 13-15 (three different groups - you will select one)

    Week 5: Module 4 (30.1-5.2.)
    Tuesday 12-14.00
    Thursday 9-11, 11-13, 13-15 (three different groups - you will select one)

    Week 6: Module 5 (6.2-12.2.)
    Tuesday 12-14.00
    Thursday 9-11, 11-13, 13-15 (three different groups - you will select one)

    Deliverable schedule
    • Individual journal deadline each week, DL the each Monday before the Tuesday lecture module
    • Take-home exam: Questions published on Monday 13.2. Deadline on Sunday of the evaluation week 26.2.

    Core contents


Course home

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MODULE 1 (9.1-15.1.)►