As started by Walter and Baker (2020), ‘Entrepreneurship means different things to different people at different times and in different places and both its causes and its consequences likewise vary.’

In this module you will learn about the key concepts of entrepreneurship and situate these concepts in the entrepreneurial process. As well as learning about the theory of the entrepreneurial process you will engage with different aspects of this process though the practice of play, empathising, creation, and experimentation, enabling you to gain practical experience throughout the module.

You will explore what makes start up communities thrive, and you will investigate the core components of entrepreneurial ecosystems and start up communities.

You will learn about the theory of complex systems to enable you to take a whole systems view of entrepreneurship, prioritising experimentation and learning over planning and execution. You will learn how to recognise, define, test and exploit opportunities.

As well as learning about general theories of entrepreneurship, you will also explore global and contemporary aspects of entrepreneurship and engage with current research into entrepreneurship processes and trends. This will include emerging theories of different kinds of entrepreneurial ventures to address contemporary developments, i.e., digital entrepreneurship, space entrepreneurship, global markets, etc.

This module is assessed by:

1. Learning log (Learning Outcomes 1 and 2)
This module will teach you the fundamental entrepreneurial concepts, including the core components of the entrepreneurial process and the theory of complex systems. In this assignment you will be required to produce a learning log that outlines your learning and engagement with the entrepreneurial concepts and demonstrates how aligned your concepts are with contemporary and global developments in entrepreneurship.

A diverse range of interactive learning strategies will be used on this module, and these will include:
- Lectures
- Seminars to explore case studies
- Workshops focussing idea development
- Assessment Workshop
- Keynote Speakers.
-
This module will include some introductory seminars and key content sessions providing pillars to the learning. These will be accompanied by interactive seminars where case studies will be evaluated, workshops to enable development of ideas and guest lectures. The module involves 42 hours of tutor led sessions and 158 hours of independent study, to research background information related to the delivery of the core material, to work on the assessments and to engage in informal teamwork related to this module.

1. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the entrepreneurial process including the core components of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the theory of complex systems. Knowledge and Understanding, Learning

2. Demonstrate a critical awareness and understanding of current research in contemporary applications, global contexts, and concepts at the forefront of the entrepreneurship discipline. Analysis, Application

Blackboard VLE and Microsoft Teams access.
Dedicated Entrepreneurial Hub space for cohort.
Workshop and Seminar materials.
Access to reference material (textbooks, journal articles, podcasts, TED talks, websites, and videos).

Barringer, B. and Ireland, R. (2018) Entrepreneurship. Harlow: Pearson Education, Limited.

Brannback, M. and Carsrud, A. (2015) Fundamentals for Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur: From Business Idea to Launch and Management. Pearson FT Press.

Brito, SM. (2018) Entrepreneurship - Trends and Challenges. IntechOpen. doi:10.5772/intechopen.69977.

Fayolle, A. (2007) Entrepreneurship and New Value Creation: The Dynamic of the Entrepreneurial Process, Entrepreneurship and new value creation: the dynamic of the entrepreneurial process. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. xiii–xiii. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511488689.

Fayolle, A. et al. (2016) Contextual Embeddedness of Women’s Entrepreneurship¿: Going Beyond a Gender Neutral Approach. First edition. London: Taylor and Francis. doi:10.4324/9781315574042.

Feld, B. and Hathaway, I. (2020) The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. Newark: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

Friederici, N., Wahome, M. and Graham, M. (2020) Digital Entrepreneurship in Africa. Cambridge: The MIT Press.

Hughes, M., Göcke, L., and Soltanifar, M. (2021) Digital Entrepreneurship. Springer Nature. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-53914-6.

Jeannet, J.-P. et al. (2021) Masterpieces of Swiss Entrepreneurship. Springer Nature. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-65287-6.

Mura, L. (2018) Entrepreneurship - Development Tendencies and Empirical Approach. IntechOpen. doi:10.5772/intechopen.68372.

Shepherd, D.A. and Patzelt, H. (2017) Trailblazing in Entrepreneurship¿: Creating New Paths For Understanding The Field. Cham: Springer Open. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-48701-4.

Turuk, M. (2021) Entrepreneurship. IntechOpen. doi:10.5772/intechopen.87345.

Welter, F. and Baker, T. (2020) Contextualizing Entrepreneurship Theory. Taylor and Francis. doi:10.4324/9781351110631.

Yokoyama, K. and Birchley, S.L. (2019) Transnational Entrepreneurship in South East Asia: Japanese Self-Initiated Expatriate Entrepreneurs. Singapore: Springer Singapore Pte. Limited.

In addition to these reference texts, a combination of journal articles, podcasts, TED talks, websites and videos will be used to provide detailed examples and context to the learning.

This module will discuss and explore the key concepts of entrepreneurship and will provide you with the opportunity to understand and situate these concepts in the entrepreneurial process. The module will move beyond developing an understanding of entrepreneurial concepts and will support you to engage with entrepreneurial concepts through the practice of play, empathising, creation, and experimentation, which have been identified as important in developing an entrepreneurial mindset.