This unit is designed to provide course members with the opportunity to develop their creative thinking and to understand the need for innovation in a business context.

It will help them to develop the skills to manage the process of creative thinking and innovation in the context of the firm.

Specifically, the module will cover the following:
- Models of and types of innovation
- The need to be creative and to innovate
- Common barriers to creative thinking
- Structured methods for creative idea generation
- Creative idea screening, evaluation and selection
- Moving from creativity to innovation
- Communicating creative ideas and overcoming resistance to change

Lectures
Tutorials
Workshops
Group work

Students will engage in a variety of learning forums including: tutor-led formal presentations and group based tutorials.

The learning strategy for the on campus requires students to commit 150 learning hours (including assessment) of this there will be typically 36 hours of formal class tutor support.

A range of resources, including, University library and IT facilities, the Internet, journals and databases

In addition to the usual class-room requirements, the students will need to be able to access the labs on a regular basis and engage in e-learning activities.
Contemporary journals are essential to this development

An individual assignment of 3000 words which will be case-study-based and include a reflective review, which will assess all Learning Outcomes.

Proctor (2009) Creative Problem Solving for Managers: Developing Skills for Decision Making and Innovation ISBN 978-0-415-55110
Tidd and Bessant (2009) Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological Market and Organisational Change, Wiley ISBN 978-0470-99810-6
Trott (2011) Innovation Management and New Product Development. FT Prentice Hall ISBN 978-0-27315-9