DEMOLA / DEMOLA

The Academic Board of Business Administration, Odense
Teaching activity id: 9270701.
Teaching language: English.ECTS / weighting: 10 ECTS / 0.167 full-time equivalent.
Examination language: English.
Exam activity id: 9270712, 9270702.Approved: 29-09-17.
Period: Spring 2018.
Grading: Internal grading.
Assessment: 7-point scale.
Offered in: Odense.
Subject director:
Rene Chester Goduscheit, Institut for Marketing og Management.

Prerequisites:
DEMOLA cannot constitute part of first semester courses.

The student must be a participant at DEMOLA. Admission is based on individual selection made by DEMOLA facilitators. Students not accepted by DEMOLA as participants must change their choice of elective according to the stipulated rules herefore.  Information on the application process can be found on http://southerndenmark.demola.net/ and all questions regarding selection procedures must be directed to demola@sdu.dk.

Students are expected to master theories and methods from their programme. The starting point of the activities will be theories and methods that have been learnt during the student’s education. The student will further elaboration on the selected areas of theory by application to a case.

Purpose:
The purpose of the course is that the student gains competence to conduct an innovation process in a multidisciplinary work setting. The purpose is also that the student should reflect on how experience from conducting this innovation process fits existing theoretical and methodological contributions. The purpose is also that the student gains competences to transfer academic knowledge into working relations with partners from the private and public sector. Finally, the purpose is that the student gains competences in defining a need for learning and to fulfil this need by identification of academic literature.

The student should gain knowledge about theories and methods for carrying out an innovation process. The students should gain skills in application of these theories and methods for analysing, developing, testing and arguing for solutions to challenges. Emphasis will be on the complete innovation process: the ability of the students to bring the initial business idea to the market in a profitable manner. Finally, students should gain competences in reporting the knowledge that they have gained in an academic report.

Content - Key areas:
The academic content shall lie within the student´s educational profile. The detailed academic approach is decided by the student in collaboration with a supervisor. The academic approach and the description of this shall be approved by the supervisor.



Goals description (SOLO taxonomy):
After participating in the course, the student, should have a basic knowledge about the different methods connected to a multi-disciplinary innovative project. The student should be able to gain knowledge about additional about theories and processes and skills relevant to the project. Further, the student should, based on innovation theory, demonstrate ability to reflect on collaboration in cross-disciplinary teams

Specifically, the student should, in a report reflecting the solution process for a concrete innovation challenge, be able to:
  • Identify and account for relevant theory within the students' disciplinary profile and from the course that can be used to analyse the project.
  • Describe the need for, identify and account for theories and methods to solve the challenge.
  • Apply the theories and methods from course materials as well as additional relevant academic literature to solve the challenges.
  • Reflect in depth on the theories’ strengths and weaknesses in this context and conclude on the implications of this reflection.
  • Based on innovation theory, reflect on the collaboration in the cross-disciplinary team.
  • Present the analysis and results as a cohesive discussion.
  • Present an Executive Summary with clear practitioner implications of the results.

Literature:
  • Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to Successful Startup, Bill Aulet (2013) (200 pages)
  • Exploring Innovation, David Smith (2015), 3rd Edition
  • 5-7 additional academic papers relevant to the project
  • Approx. 700 pages chosen by the student and approved by the supervisor. 

Time of classes:
Autumn.

Scheduled classes:
To be announced.

Form of instruction:
During the course, the student will, in a multi-disciplinary team consisting of 5-6 students from all faculties and different universities, work on a real-world innovation challenge together with a company representative (their partner).

The course consists of a range of activities and events for students as a group and of facilitation of the project and supervision in connection to writing up the report. Activities include an introduction day, group meetings and a pitching event. Between the events the students are expected to continue team work and activities with partner. The teams are responsible for planning these activities.

A facilitator from the DEMOLA organization is allocated to each project team to ensure process support for the student team as well as the company. The facilitator supports the students in designing and running meetings and workshops. Further, the facilitator helps in making collaboration between different sets of competences work and supports that learning takes place from the various competences to help co-creation in the group.

A supervisor is allocated to each student (from SDU) by the course responsible or a person designated by him or her. The supervisor supports the student in meeting the learning goals. There will be 5 hours of supervision available for each student.

The workload of the course is, on average, distributed as follows:

Creating and writing the project:
Participating in events: 20 hours.
Supervision (contact with supervisor and preparation): 10 hours.
Preparation of report 240 Hours.

Total working load:
270 hours.

Time of examination:
For the ordinary exam, the report must be handed in on the first weekday in January at 12.00 (noon) (autumn semester) / the first weekday in June at 12.00 (noon) (spring semester). Exact date will appear from the examination plan.
For the re-examination, the report must be handed in on Tuesday week 8 at 12.00 (noon) (autumn semester) / Tuesday week 34 at 12.00 (noon) (spring semester). . Exact date will appear from the examination plan.

Registration for the course is automatically a registration for the ordinary examination in the course. Cancellation is not possible. If the student does not participate in the examination, the student will use an examination attempt.

Examination conditions:
The student cannot attend the course at their 1st semester.

This course cannot be taken if the student takes the course Project- and Trainee Period (8825402).

Supervisor agreement (electronic) must be approved by the supervisor by 15 September (autumn semester) / 15 February (spring semester) at latest. If the supervisor agreement is not approved by this date, the student may not participate in the course and will need to select another elective before the deadline for doing so.

Deviations from the above rule may be granted by the profile responsible in case of special circumstances.

Form of examination for the certificate:
Report.

Supplemental information for the form of examination:
  • Information on the ordinary exam:
Duration: Deadline for handing in is specified under Time of examination.
Location: Individual home assignment.
Internet access: Necessary.
Hand-in: Via SDU-assignment in the course page in Blackboard.
Extent: 20 standard pages (excluding any appendix, front page and table of contents).
Exam aids: All exam aids allowed.

The supervisor grades the report.

The report must adhere to the guidelines for written assignment under the Academic Study Board for Business Administration.

  • Supplemental information for the form of re-examination:
The re-exam will be based on an individual assignment given by the supervisor. The content of the report will correspond to the content of the ordinary exam. Students that attend the reexam will not be granted supervision.
Duration: Deadline for handing in is specified under Time of examination.
Location: Individual home assignment.
Internet access: Necessary.
Hand-in: Via SDU-assignment in the course page in Blackboard.
Extent: 20 pages (excluding any appendix, front page and table of contents).
Exam aids: All exam aids allowed.

The report must adhere to the guidelines for written assignment under the Academic Study Board for Business Administration.

Programmes:
cand.merc. Marketing, Globalization and Culture
All Semesters, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
cand.merc. Brand Management and Marketing Communication
All Semesters, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
cand.merc. Communication Management and Leadership
All Semesters, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
cand.merc. Human Resource Management
All Semesters, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
cand.merc. Management of People
All Semesters, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
cand.merc. Management of Innovation Processes
All Semesters, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
cand.merc. Strategy and Organization
All Semesters, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
cand.merc. International Business and Management
All Semesters, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
cand.merc. International Business and Marketing
All Semesters, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
cand.merc. International Business and Law
All Semesters, elective subject. Offered in: Odense