Course syllabus for Business development and entrepreneurship

Course syllabus adopted 2024-02-06 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameAffärsutveckling och entreprenörskap
  • CodeTEK575
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerTAFFS
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyCivil and Environmental Engineering
  • DepartmentTECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 60113
  • Maximum participants45
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsNo
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0117 Project 7.5 c
Grading: TH		0 c7.5 c0 c0 c0 c0 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course.
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Knowledge corresponding to Management and organization in the construction sector (9 credits), Accounting and financial management (7.5 credits), Marketing (7.5 credits) and Environmental and resource analysis for a sustainable built environment (6 credits). Previous knowledge from other programs can be assessed if needed.

Aim

The purpose of the course is to develop students' ability to develop business within an existing organization or develop a business idea into a functioning enterprise/organization, through the integration of knowledge from relevant business sectors, management and marketing. Also, the student should acquire knowledge and insight into entrepreneurship, develop his or her entrepreneurial ability to analyze opportunities, challenges and demands in the endeavor towards a sustainable construction sector and use this ability to create value for an external stakeholder. To achieve this, the student moreover needs to develop his or her ability to initiate and sustain interaction with a number of external stakeholder.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

Develop a business strategy or idea starting from a sustainability challenge and create an implementation plan for this strategy or idea through:

A: Analyzing the current state and generate an initial strategy/idea. This includes:
  • Collecting relevant information, for example through interaction with stakeholders, in order to understand their needs
  • Analyze gathered information using knowledge and theoretical models from this and earlier courses (e.g. entrepreneurial methods)
  • Iteratively and in collaboration with stakeholders design necessary value creating solutions that contributes to the management of the identified sustainability challenge
B: Develop 'next steps'. This includes:
  • Planning the implementation of the developed business strategy or idea
  • Evaluating the need for resources (e.g. funds, competence etc.) in the implementation of the developed business strategy or idea and evaluating strategies to cover this need.
  • Plan for necessary communication and steering processes
  • Iteratively presenting, examining, evaluating and updating the business strategy/idea.
C: Enable interaction and collaboration in the entrepreneurial process. This includes:
  • Purposefully acting for a well-functioning team under the specific pre-conditions of an entrepreneurial process
  • Communicating professionally with group members and stakeholders orally and in writing
  • Collectively and individually reflecting upon one's attitudes towards collaboration and the management of uncertainty, and upon one's entrepreneurial potential.

Content

The main vehicle of learning is an extensive project. This aims towards the development of a business strategy or idea contributing to the management of sustainability challenge in the construction sector.

Moreover, relevant theories and methods are introduced, e.g. entrepreneurship within and outside of established enterprises, market strategy, customer development, idea generation, resource allocation strategies and personal leadership. The students are also expected to take on a major part of the responsibility for finding relevant information.

Organisation

The course is structured around an identified sustainability challenge in the construction sector. The project work is done in groups and is anchored in needs in the construction sector through inviting external actors to discuss sustainability challenges early in the course. The project work is supported through supervision meetings.

The groups are expected to continuously present solutions and analyzes, reflect upon their progress and team work, and give other groups constructive feedback. During the course the participants will also reflect individually upon their individual way of working and how they may develop further, relating to relevant theories and methods introduces in the course.

Lectures and exercises are used as a complement, linking to the project work.

Most instructions in the course are conducted in Swedish, but some parts of the course can be delivered in English.

Literature

Will be posted on the course web page before the course starts.

Examination including compulsory elements

The course is examined through a combination of written individual reflection assignments regarding attitudes and ways of working related to theory, written assignments regarding progress in the project work and its completion, and oral presentations.

To reach a final grade of 3, the project, oral and written mandatory assignments must be passed.

To reach final grade of 4 or 5, the project must be well done, and the individual assignments must be well or very well done.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.