Elective.  Level 3 Semester 1. 

Unit(s) of Assessment 

Weighting towards Module Mark (%)

Group Business Plan 

70% 

Individual Personal Reflection 

30% 

Formative assessment: group business simulation  

0% 

Qualifying Condition(s):  All level 3 students are eligible to elect this module. However, students who have completed Entrepreneurship, Theory and Practice at level 2 are not eligible for this module.  This condition will only apply for the first two years. 

This module is designed to provide students with an understanding of enterprise at the individual, firm and societal level of inquiry.  The module will enable students to understand theories of entrepreneurial behaviour, innovation and wider societal issues and enable them to relate such theories to practice.  They will also simulate the behaviours of an entrepreneur through producing a business plan. The purpose is to enable students to be aware of the importance of enterprise in the economy. 

The aims of this module are to develop an understanding of the theories of enterprise and entrepreneurship and to enable students to understand how to relate these ideas to practice. 
v     Evaluate the various theories of entrepreneurship 
v     Analyse the economic and social role of entrepreneurship
v     Evaluate the factors affecting the development of an enterprise culture 
v     Evaluate critically the types of support that can stimulate entrepreneurship and an enterprise culture 
v     Analyse the nature and characteristics of the entrepreneur 
v     Assess critically and explore the processes involved in developing their own entrepreneurial capability and in creating an entrepreneurial venture. 

On successful completion of this module the students will be able to: 
v      Develop an awareness and enthusiasm for individual enterprise and creativity 
v      Critically assess and evaluate theories of entrepreneurship 
v      Apply these theories to ‘real world’ problems 
v       Develop problem-solving skills 
v       Reflect critically on your learning 

The content will be divided into three sections: 
1)     Introduction to Entrepreneurship: Definitions, characteristics of the entrepreneur, entrepreneurial teams, motivational entrepreneurs 
2)     The Business Plan – role and purpose of a business plan, simulation exercise 
3)     Themes in Entrepreneurship – social entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity. 

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to develop the students’ awareness of entrepreneurship and enterprise both as a field of academic study and as an area of practice. The learning methods are therefore designed to enhance the theoretical principles of the subject and allow the application of conceptual models and creativity techniques to practical business problems. 
The Learning Outcomes are met through: 
·        Lectures 
·        Seminars and Workshops 
·        Guest speakers 
·        Business Plan simulations 
·        Multimedia resources 
·        ULearn 
·        Support materials 
·        Reading 
·        Individual and Group work 
In addition the module teaching team are accessible throughout the semester to address and clarify questions.  Office hours will be provided. Feedback given will be oral and written on an individual basis and summative.
Assessment Strategy: 
·        A fully researched group business plan for a new venture of no more than 4,000 
·        An individual personal reflection section 
·        Formative assessment:  A group business plan simulation feeding into the assessment. 
The assessment strategy is summative and formative and aligns with the learning outcomes. There is also an element of peer assessment where students discuss and weight the contribution they have made to the group project. 

Essential Reading     Deakins and Freelxpected Purchase 
•           Deakins,D and Freel, M (2006) Entrepreneurship and Small Firms McGraw Hill  
Recommended Reading 
•           Dhaliwal, S (2008) Making a Fortune - Learning from the Asian Phenomenon Capstone 
Background Reading 
Barrow, C., Barrow,P and Brown, R (2001)  The Business Plan Workbook. London : Kogan Page. 
Bragg, A and Bragg, M (2005) Developing New Business Ideas: A step-by-step guide to creating new business ideas worth backing.  Harlow : Prentice Hall. 
Bridge, S, O’Neill, K and Cromie, S  (2003)   Understanding Enterprise , Entrepreneurship and Small Business.  Palgrave MacMillan  ISBN 0 333 98465 X 
Burns, Paul (2007) Entrepreneurship and Small Business.  Palgrave Macmillan. Hampshire 
Carter, S and Jones-Evans, D (2006)  Enterprise and Small Business  Prentice Hall 
Dhaliwal, S. (2000), Entrepreneurship – a learning process: the experiences of Asian female entrepreneurs and women in business. Education and Training, 42(8):445-452. 
Deakins, D and Freel, M (2006) Entrepreneurship and Small Firms  McGraw Hill 
Drucker, P.F. (1997), “Innovation and Entrepreneurship”. Oxford : Butterworth-Heinemann.
Gill, J (2005) Business Law for the Entrepreneur. Bury St. Edmunds: Ask House 
Gibson, D (2006) The E-factor: Entrepreneurial competencies for personal and business success. Harlow : Pearson. 
Hisrich, R.D, Peters, M.P and Shepherd, D.A. (2008)  Entrepreneurship  McGraw Hill 
Kao, R.W.Y. (1997), “An Entrepreneurial Approach to Corporate Management”. : Prentice Hall.  ISBN 0-13-626772-6. 
Kirby, D (2003) Entrepreneurship. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill 
Londstroom, A & Stevenson, L A (2005) Entrepreneurship policy: Theory and practice.  Springer 
Shane, S  (2004) A special theory of entrepreneurship: The individual opportunity nexus. Cheltenham : Edward Elgar. 
Rae, David (2007)  Entrepreneurship from opportunity to action.  Palgrave Macmillan Hampshire 
Shepherd, D A & Douglas, E J (1999)  Attracting equity investors: Positioning, preparing and presenting the Business Plan.  London : Sage. 
Stokes, D and Wilson , N (2006)  Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship
Thomson 
Timmons, J.A and Spinelli, S (2008) New Venture Creation.  McGraw Hill 
Wickham, P A (2006) Strategic Entrepreneurship  4^th Edition Prentice Hall
Other Indicative Reading 
Students are expected to read around the subject and a wide range of articles from journals and chapters from edited texts will be recommended at the appropriate point in the learning programme. The key journals are:- 
Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 
Entrepreneurship and Regional Development
International Small Business Journal 
Journal of Business Venturing 
Journal of Enterprising Culture 
Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 
Journal of Small Business Management 
Small Business Economics