Innovation and Technology Management

Course description

The course focuses on strategic aspects of implementing innovations through projects. Multiple learning formats are used throughout the course, including lectures, workshops, group work assignments and classroom presentations. During workshops, in an intensive group work environment students develop real-life innovation project plans. Results of the group work are discussed and presented in a predefined format. Learning process also includes analyzing and discussing contemporary innovation management practices described in academic and professional publications.

Course aims

The course is designed to develop the insights and skills necessary to critically analyze, assess and improve innovation-related project work in organizations. Upon successful completion of the course, students should have a solid understanding of contemporary innovation implementation management and its benefits for their professional career.

Learning outcomes

• Have a critical awareness of the models, roles, responsibilities and functions of innovation project management.
• Can illustrate the difference among operational, organizational and strategic project management.
• Demonstrate the gained operational innovation project management skills.
• Able to apply process-oriented organizational project management models.
• Analyze strategic alternatives based on innovation portfolio management.
• Display teamwork skills and understand people side of project management.
• Critically assess the value of lessons learned in project work.
• Analyze and implement innovation project management concepts in organizational setting.

Course description

This course provides a modern theory of process innovation management, which is a competitive weapon of any advanced organization. Students are familiarized with conceptual analyses of business processes and methods for improvement in all major areas of operations, starting with operations planning, implementation, and control, and ending with operational improvements. During this course students will address the key themes of the subject material: relationship of strategy and process architecture, process flow measures and laws governing the process performance. The course is designed to develop systems view on organizations, to build critical thinking skills by analyzing how those laws apply to current management issues, and to develop teamwork, problem solving, and written and oral academic communication skills.

Course aim

The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the principal operational issues that confront managers, and provide students with language, concepts, and tools to deal with these issues in order to gain competitive advantage through operations with a particular emphasis on innovation and change management. Also, this course aims to develop skills for modeling, analysis, and techniques for performance improvement of business processes through developing a consulting project for process improvement in the selected service or manufacturing organization.

Learning outcomes

• Be able to operate the main concepts, laws, and techniques of business process management.
• Have the ability to apply these concepts, laws and techniques in business process modeling.
• Analyze the process models and control process drivers to improve performance of any business process.
• Assess an organization as a system of interrelated processes.

Course Description

This course approaches the management of technological innovation from a resource/knowledge based view, which sees technological innovations as a driving force of competitive advantage of organizations through a combination of internal resources and external linkages. Students are introduced to the theories, models, tools and practical cases from industries by understanding what technological innovations are, why they are important, and what are needed to enable and manage technological innovations within and outside of the boundary of organizations. Although most attention will be paid to innovations made by industrial firms, relevant issues of innovations at levels of individual, team, network of organizations, and industry will be addressed as well. The weekly readings consist of a mixture of book chapters, journal articles, and cases.

Course Aim

The primary goal of the course is to expose students to a variety of perspectives on technological innovation, building on an active learning process and preparing for work experiences in the future.

Learning Outcomes

• Understanding the phenomena of innovation. Define what innovation is and what different types of innovations are, and explain why innovation is important.
• Pinpoint the role of technology in innovation both in theory and in practice.
• To explain the key concepts of Schumpeterian theory and technology in relation to technological innovation.
• To be able to describe what are the key concepts of resource-based view and its relevance to innovation strategy.
• To be able to explain the key concepts of knowledge and learning and its relevance to innovation and the innovation process within an organization.
• To be able to explain the organizational implications, including decision making under uncertainty with regard to innovation and the open innovation perspective and how external resources are possibly expanded into a larger scope thanks to an open approach of innovation.
• To discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the theoretical perspectives form the course curriculum.

Course Description

The ability to formulate the right questions and choose the most efficient tools for seeking answers, as well as to intelligently interpret the information gathered and presented by others, is indispensable for those who want to succeed in today’s highly complex business environment. This course will equip students with both the understanding of principles that guide quality research and the tools of innovation and technology management needed to implement those principles in formulating a research project, selecting appropriate methods, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting their findings. We will focus on the practical application of the concepts and methods discussed in the course by conducting students’ own research projects and critically analyzing the research of others.

Course Aim

The main goal of this course is to impart knowledge and skills necessary for conducting and evaluating research in innovation and technology management field. The course will begin with the introduction to the fundamental principles that underlie approaches to research and the practical implications of these principles, including formulation of research questions, concepts of validity and reliability, and issues of research ethics. We will then proceed to unpack the main qualitative and quantitative methods used in business research. Conducting their own research projects will help develop students’ practical research skills, and analysis of published research and other students’ research projects will sharpen their ability to critically evaluate the information coming from research conducted by others. Presentation of their own research findings and discussion of others’ research will also serve to refine the students’ presentation and communication skills. Students who have successfully completed the course and all its assignments will be able to define the research question, formulate the research design, choose the appropriate methods for data collection and analysis, present and apply their findings, and critically evaluate other researchers’ output. Finally, the skills and knowledge gained in this course will also be employable during the preparation of their final theses.

Learning Outcomes

• Critically evaluate the relevance of business research in managerial decision-making.
• Have a critical awareness of research issues, methodologies, and methods used in business and management as well as understanding of potential ethical problems of the research.
• Obtain skills and analytical competences to identify a business problem/ need, translate it into a research question, and design an appropriate way to answer it.
• Be able to use the main qualitative and quantitative strategies of business research. Evaluate their advantages and disadvantages and appropriate application areas.
• Develop skills and analytical competences to design a research project and collect data.
• Obtain skills to analyze data and draw reasonable interpretations as well as communicate research findings in a clear and well organized way.
• Develop skills to critically evaluate the quality of other researchers‘ findings and the process used to obtain them.

Course Aim

The purpose of this course is to provide a basic knowledge of people management in organizations with the focus on building the innovative organization. This course surveys issues pertaining to people in the context of organizations that seek to create innovative culture, including behavior and processes related to individuals, groups, and organizational systems. During this course students will address the key themes of the subject material: an individual’s attitude and effective management of motivation, group’s behavioral dynamics, and leading for innovation via theoretical and practical discussions and HBC case analysis’ workshops.

Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge and its application. Demonstrate and apply critical understanding of the contemporary people knowledge and identify opportunities for competitive advantage through innovation.
• Research skills. Gain skills how to synthesize theoretical knowledge of innovative people management and undertake a sustained piece of empirical research aiming to identify possibilities for innovation.
• Special abilities. Be able to analyze the organizational capability to innovate and provide recommendations for innovation and technology management opportunities.
• Social abilities. Adhere to the principles of professional ethics and citizenship participating in discussions on relevant academic issues. Be able to lead the team and be accountable for its performance.
• Personal abilities. Develop personal and professional abilities, critical thinking, and creativity.

Course description

Business strategy is a critical component of business success. Identifying, setting and following long-term direction for any business is essential to marshal limited resources in the most effective manner. Important aspects are not only the company’s competitive position in a market but also a many internal and external issues, that company’s management must successfully navigate.
To a large extend strategic work is about understanding these factors and reinterpreting them so that they become assets rather than restrictions. Strategy management concepts and techniques are studied during this course to address these issues. The course serves as an opportunity to develop skills for environmental and market analysis, understanding of the major business strategy issues, formulating business strategies and tactics. During this course, participants not only learn about theoretical concepts but experience first-hand issues of managing a business in a competitive landscape via simulation.

Course aim

Students are going to discover knowledge and apply skills enabling them to help organizations to meet and manage significant threats and challenges. Students will learn how to analyze environment and company’s resources, generate strategic alternatives and select the most appropriate strategy for particular circumstances.
Students will learn and apply provide students the fundamental knowledge of strategic management concepts and techniques; to enable students to identify the key problem in complex, comprehensive situation. The major responsibility of students in this course to make objective strategic decisions and present well-supported recommendations for future action while justifying them through oral and written communication.

Learning outcomes

• Knowledge and its application. Demonstrate ability to apply in decision making and problem solving of the elements of the strategic management process, research and theories. Integration and understanding of innovation as a key component of company’s competitiveness.
• Research skills. Ability to analyze micro (market) and macro environments; implement an industry analysis and be able to apply strategic evaluation tools to understand business environment.
• Special abilities. To be able to develop strategic options available for the company, to defend the recommendations. Evaluate the strategic rationale for each alternative and assess the risks for an organization.
• Social abilities. Ability to work in and lead a team, to present work results in written or oral form, to be able to argue decisions
• Personal abilities. Develop personal and professional abilities, critical thinking, and creativity.

Course Description

This is an introductory course created to introduce the students with no financial or accounting background to the main concepts of managerial finance. The course intends to provide students with an overview of business finance concepts, terminology, and principles. It covers both theoretical and empirical aspects of financial analysis, capital investment, valuation, and financing decisions. The course develops understanding of the business organization as a value-maximizing entity, and introduces students to the necessary theoretical models as well as practical tools for financial decision-making.

Course Aim

The course is designed to develop the insights and skills that are necessary to analyse and structure financial information of a business firm, to value investment projects, and to support value-adding business decisions.

Learning outcomes

• Have critical awareness of the main financial measures of the value and its elements.
• Analyse and evaluate company’s activities and financial condition from financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement) applying financial ratios.
• Evaluate and compare different long- and short-term financing decisions.
• Apply the concept of time value of money in solving various financing and investment problems.
• Evaluate investment projects using different methods: NPV (net present value) and its alternatives (IRR, payback method, profitability index).
• Be able to calculate business capital structure and the cost of capital for making the decisions on sources and instruments of business finance.
• Work in teams, present work results both in writing and orally, substantiate decisions taken.

Aim of the course

This course is designed to provide knowledge of the new product development process. This course surveys issues related to opportunity selection, concept generation, and project evaluation, among others, from the marketing perspective. We will recognize in this course that there is no exact process that guarantees a new product’s success however, we will learn the tools that will help guide a new product development team leader an upper hand in evaluating the situation they are presented with. This course is designed to provide an understanding of the new product development process and tools that can be used, build critical thinking skills by applying this information in a course project, develop teamwork, problem solving, as well as written and oral communication skills.

Learning outcomes

• Critically evaluate a new product development environment, and its importance to a firm.
• Be able to apply a new product development process and tools.
• Obtain the skills to develop and analyze a new product offering.
• Identify and evaluate information related to the new product development steps.
• Develop critical thinking ability and problem-solving skills through experiential learning.
• Strengthen creative and writing skills by experiencing the new product development process.
• To communicate and to work effectively in an interdisciplinary group.

Course aim

The aim of the thesis is to provide an opportunity for Master degree candidates to refine, in some cases acquire, a range of skills at an appropriate level to do a competent research. A successful thesis is evidence that the candidate has acquired the minimum level of research skills and can therefore be accredited a Master degree.

Learning outcomes

• Knowledge and its application. Graduate is able to define the research problem and the main goals of a Thesis in a concise way and integrate the theoretical knowledge obtained in the master studies.
• Researhc skills. Graduate is able to analyze critically, synthesize and assess research data necessary for the thesis development. He/she is also able to collect quantitative and/ or qualitative data and perform appropriate empirical analysis to solve the research problem.
• Special abilities. Graduate has the ability to develop a clear explanation and justification of the selected methodological approach and refer to published research on methodology to support the statement on its appropriateness, present a testable hypothesis, consistent with assumptions derived from literature review, and conduct (on an individual basis) an empirical research.
• Social ability. Graduate has the ability to develop the elaborated discussion to reveal the study findings in the light of prior research in the field, compare the results with those reported by other investigators considering the questions that remain unanswered and suggest the additional further research perspectives by demonstrating proficiency in academic writing, proper literature citation and compilation of a reference list.
• Personal abilities. Graduate has the ability to plan the process of thesis writing in an autonomous manner, choose the direction of improvement and study in an autonomous manner. Graduate has the ability to use scientific research data, has experience in research work, and skills of systemic and strategic thinking necessary for autonomous professional activity and scientific research work.

Course Aim

This course will focus on a multidisciplinary presentation of AI as a coherent body of knowledge to acquaint the students with the key AI concepts, applications, technologies, methodologies, issues, and trends in business and management.

Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge and its application. Demonstrate and apply critical understanding of the artificial intelligence (AI) principles.
• Research skills. Gain skills how to synthesize and apply theoretical knowledge of AI.
• Special abilities. Be able to analyze the organizational capability to innovate and provide recommendations from an AI perspective.
• Social abilities. Adhere to the principles of professional ethics and citizenship participating in discussions on relevant academic issues. Be able to lead the team and be accountable for its performance.
• Personal abilities. Develop personal and professional abilities, critical thinking, and creativity.

Course Description

Developing a new technology requires much more than an economical cost-benefit analysis of production and performance. Many aspects will influence the success of an emerging technology at its final use stage. In this course we study how we can assess the potentials and pitfalls of emerging technologies to optimize their development process. We define this “Sustainable Innovation process” as a directed process of balanced consideration of the influencing aspects to optimally guide the development of an emerging technology. The process involves a.o.:

– Actor network analysis of the many entities that can influence the technological field
– Analysis of governance and development of regulations and legislation in the field
– Life cycle check of the technology, and paths for optimizing the lifecycle to reduced footprint.
– Resource supply security and forecasts of involved materials.
– Toxicological aspects and ecotoxicological aspects
– The historical development in the field and the fundamental limitations on performance
– Competing technologies and future market analysis

Course Aim

This course aims at giving students experience in performing an analysis involving a combination of aspects in order to optimize the success of a product innovation process. Taking technologies relevant for the participants (in business or as private persons), as a case of a rapidly evolving technological field, we example cases of sustainable innovation, combined with state-of-art literature to give an overview of different methods being applied to guide the development.

Students will formulate their own project and work in groups on a selected case of emerging technology, and during the course present their analysis in a presentation and report. The aim is to account for the choice of method and then to formulate a substantiated recommendation for optimal development of the technology the students have been investigating.

The project cases will be developed by the students and may be based on an industrial collaborator, a research project, or a technology you find interesting in surveying to locate new potentials for innovation and development, maybe even in your further work after the course.

The course hence gives a functional introduction and hands-on experience for performing basic actor network analysis, life cycle screening, and technology assessments, but given the time constraints it will not give a full in-depth explanation on these methods.

Learning Outcomes

• The student develops an appropriate method to perform a simplified technology assessment of a chosen (emerging) product/technology and assess its potential advantages and drawbacks based on the limited available information.
• The student is able to assess the potential advantages and drawbacks of a developing technology based on the limited available information.
• The student performs an actor-network analysis concerning the involved parties and how they can influence the technological area.
• The student performs a life cycle check of the technology and analyzes paths for environmental optimization including supply horizon and – security of necessary mineral resources.
• The student performs an analysis of “governance” and development of regulation and legislation within the field, and discusses social and environmental advantages and risks of the new technology, and relate to examples of these aspects.
• The student explains the historical development of the chosen technology and the underlying limitations.
• The student improves independent learning skills necessary to continue studies on a higher level.
• The student acquires leadership skills in an intercultural and interdisciplinary group focusing on innovative behavior and change management.