INNOVATION AND BUSINESS MODELS

Anno accademico 2020/2021 - 2° anno
Docente: Rosario Francesco Antonio Faraci
Crediti: 6
SSD: SECS-P/08 - Economia e Gestione delle Imprese
Organizzazione didattica: 150 ore d'impegno totale, 110 di studio individuale, 40 di lezione frontale
Semestre:
ENGLISH VERSION

Obiettivi formativi

Learning Objectives are: A. Competencies and B. Knowledge and Skills

A. Competencies (according to EQF standard of the European Union). Students will be able to develop and boost at least four of the 8 key competencies for lifelong learning provide by the EU. Specifically, the four competencies are:

(a) communication in foreign language;

(b) digital competence;

(c) learning to learn;

(d) sense of initiative and entrepreneurship.

  • The course is entirely taught in English; in class activities and home assignments will be performed in English; exams will be held in English; so, attending students will become more familiar with English as a second language (a).
  • The use of social media and of the Web to discuss posted articles, videos or news in a small dedicated group on Facebook and on Studium Unict platform in addition to the utilization of Power Point (or Prize or similar applications) for presentations in class will enhance the existing digital competencies of students (b).
  • Case studies to be analyzed in class or at home through short assignments and presentations/discussions in class will boost both the learning to learn and the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship (c and d). Furthermore, outdoor activities, tour factories and interaction in class with business testimonials will boost the competencies (c) and (d)

B. Knowledge and skills (according to the Descriptors of Dublin).

  • Knowledge and understanding. Students will be able to learn the most important theoretical and conceptual categories that illustrate a "strategic management approach" to innovation and technological innovation: industry dynamics of technological innovation, formulation of technological innovation strategy, and implementation of technological innovation strategy. In addition, they will be able to learn the logic of business modeling, the concept of business model and the specific framework of business model canvas
  • Applying knowledge and understanding. Students will be able to apply what they have learned using examples and cases that illustrate the "strategic management approach" to innovation and technological innovation. In addition, they will be able to use business model and business model canvas as visual thinking methods to illustrate how firms create, distribute and get back value generated for customers, suppliers, employees and other stakeholders
  • Making judgements. By means of presentations in class, contributions to class discussions and home/class assignments, students will be able to understand whether firms use innovation or not to create value for customers and other stakeholders; how innovation is employed to increase competitiveness at a firm-level and how it can shape industries boundaries and their competitive dynamics; what are the innovation processes within the business model of a firm.
  • Communication skills. Thanks to presentations and discussions in class, students will be able to boost their oral communication skills, also in a non-native language
  • Learning skills. Students will be able to learn how to learn, since innovation is by definition a topic that continuosly changes and evolves over time

Modalità di svolgimento dell'insegnamento

The course consists of in class activities as well as of home assignments. The core activity is the lecture held in class by the Instructor (face-to-face lecture) and via TEAMS Microsoft (virtual lecture) in an interactive and hybrid mode to facilitate the learning process of student. Videos from the web will be presented in class to stimulate discussion, and short case studies or additional readings can be submitted to students to facilitate a more practical view of the discipline. Due to the nature of the course, the mentioned in-class activities and home assignments are important as well to monitor the learning process of students in preparation to the final exam


Prerequisiti richiesti

The course is entirely taught in English. So, a previous good knowledge of English as second language is required. Students are also expected to have attended classes and to have passed exams of the managerial disciplines learned during the first year of the graduate program's attendance.


Frequenza lezioni

Attendance is a requirement, even if it's not a mandatory. Each class will consist of a lecture provided by the Instructor as well as of a presentation and of a discussion from two opponent groups (presenters and discussants), while the other students have to intervene in discussion with questions about issues and contents. Occasionally, testimonials from companies can be invited to do a presentation in class or activities can be organized in the outdoor mode through factories tours. Due to the Covid-19, some activities can be facilitated via Microsoft TEAMS


Contenuti del corso

  1. Introduction to Innovation
  2. Introduction to a Strategic Management Approach to Technological Innovation (from the textbook)
  3. Source of Innovation (from the textbook)
  4. Types and Patterns of Innovation (from the textbook)
  5. Standards Battles and Design Dominance (from the textbook)
  6. Timing of Entry (from the textbook)
  7. Definining the Organization's Strategic Decision (from the textbook)
  8. Choosing Innovation Projects (from the textbook)
  9. Collaboration Strategies (from the textbook)
  10. Protecting Innovation (from the textbook)
  11. Organizing for Innovation (from the textbook)
  12. Managing the New Product Development Process (from the textbook)
  13. Managing New Product Development Teams (from the textbook)
  14. Crafting a Deployment Strategy (from the textbook)
  15. Business Models and Business Model Canvas (from the on line readings)
  16. Emerging Trends in Innovation (from on line readings and additional materials provided by the Instructor and the Students)

Testi di riferimento

  1. Textbook: Melissa Schilling, Strategic Management of Technological Innovation, 5th edition, McGraw Hill Education, 2017.
  2. On line Readings: selected by the Instructor and available through Studium, the website, the group on Facebook and Microsoft TEAMS.


Programmazione del corso

 ArgomentiRiferimenti testi
1Team Building and Orientation in Class On line Reading  
2A Strategic Management Approach to Technological Innovation Schilling, Chapter 1 
3Sources of InnovationSchilling, Chapter 2 
4Types and Patterns of Innovation Schilling, Chapter 3 
5Standards Battles and Design Dominance Schilling, Chapter 4 
6Timing of Entry Schilling, Chapter 5 
7Defining the Organization's Strategic Decision Schilling, Chapter 6 
8Choosing Innovation Projects (Oct 31 2017)Schilling, Chapter 7 
9Collaboration StrategiesSchilling, Chapter 8 
10Protecting Innovation Schilling, Chapter 9 
11Organizing for InnovationSchilling, Chapter 10 
12Managing the New Product Development ProcessesSchilling, Chapter 11 
13Managing New Product Development Teams Schilling, Chapter 12 
14Crafting a Deployment StrategySchilling, Chapter 13 
15Business Models and Business Model Canvas On line Readings 
16Emerging trends in InnovationOn line Readings and additional research from the Instructor and the Students 

Verifica dell'apprendimento

Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento

For those students attending regularly the course, the final grade will be the result of Class Participation and Group Activities (50%) and Final Exam (50%). Class Participation will be evaluated on the basis of a regular attendance in class (also via Microsoft TEAMS) and an active and smart contribution to all class activities and discussions. Occasional home/class assignments will be considered as well. Group Activities will be evaluated according to the quality of working projects; such projects include the contents of the book that will be presented and/or discussed in class, but additional readings and extended concepts are more than welcome. Students will be organized in small teams which will present in class a working project (or a chapter drawn from the textbook) and discuss a different working project (or a book chapter) presented by another group. In addition, they can present and discuss other readings provided by the Instructor or they can conduct additional research on some Emerging Trends in Innovation. The Final Exam will consist of an oral conversation about the topics of the class and the contents of the textbook and the assigned readings. The fluency in English will be considered as a part of the final grade in addition to the quality, the effectiveness and the technicalities of the discussion. A good critical thinking about the discussed topics is very appreciated. Students are expected to answer "discussion questions" posted at the end of each chapter of the textbook and to debate on the contents of the assigned readings and additional documents provided by the Instructor and posted either on Studium Unict platform or the FB Group

For the other students, the Exam will consist of an oral conversation about the contents of the textbook and the assigned readings. The fluency in English will be considered as a part of the final grade in addition to the quality, the effectiveness and the technicalities of the discussion. A good critical thinking about the discussed topics is very appreciated. Students are expected to answer "discussion questions" posted at the end of each chapter of the textbook and to debate on the contents of the assigned readings and additional documents provided by the Instructor and posted either on Studium Unict platform or the FB Group


Esempi di domande e/o esercizi frequenti

A sample of Discussion Questions posted at the end of each chapter

  1. Why innovation is so important for firms to compete in many industries? (from Chapter 1)
  2. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of (a) individuals as innovators, (b) firms as innovators, (c) universities as innovators, (d) government institutions as innovators, (e) non profit organizations as innovators? (from Chapter 2)
  3. Are well-established firms or new entrants more likely to (a) develop and/or (b) adopt new technologies? Why? (from Chapter 3)
  4. Are dominant designs good for consumers? Competitors? Complementors? Suppliers? (from Chapter 4)
  5. What are some advantages of entering a market early? Are there any advantages to entering a market late? (from Chapter 5)
  6. What makes an ability (or set of abilities) a core competency? (from Chapter 6)
  7. Why might a firm use both qualitative and quantitative assessment of a project? (from Chapter 7)
  8. What are some advantages and disadvantages of collaborating on a development project? (from Chapter 8)
  9. What are the differences between patents, copyrights, and trademarks? (from Chapter 9)
  10. Are there particular types of innovation activities for which large firms are likely to outperform small firms? Are there types for which small firms are likely to outperform large firms? (from Chapter 10)
  11. What are the benefits and costs of involving customers and suppliers in the development process? (from Chapter 11)
  12. What are the trade-offs in choosing a team's size and level of diversity? (from Chapter 12)
  13. What factors will (or should) influence a firm's pricing strategy? (from Chapter 13)

Questions about open business models, business models as models and the business model canvas of Osterwalder and Emerging Trends in Innovation