Modulbeschreibungen

Specialisation Management Issues

The course aims at providing a sound understanding and working knowledge in the following areas:

(1)   Introduction in Entrepreneurship

(2)   Design Thinking & Lean Startup practices

(3)   Identifying and evaluating entrepreneurial opportunities

(4)   Economics of the venture

(5)   Professional communication in an entrepreneurial context

(6)   Entrepreneurial spirit and networking

Online-Learning (lectures, group project, reading, self-directed choice of topics)

A part of the course content is provided as texts and video for the self-directed preparation before the class starts. Experiential learning through start-up projects, guided by coaches from StartupClass. The content comprises the following sections:

• Introduction in Entrepreneurship: Definition of Entrepreneurship as a broad concept and as a specific concept in different professional contexts (independent entrepreneurship, corporate entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship), influence of innovation on entrepreneurship (in contrast to “classical” entrepreneurship), lead entrepreneur and management team


• Design Thinking Practice: StartupClass lets students experience Design Thinking in practice. Challenges are partly provided by companies and partly self-chosen by the students


• Business Model Design & Agile Tools: good practices for innovative business modeling (e.g. canvas, lean start-up)


• Entrepreneurial opportunities: techniques for identifying entrepreneurial opportunities (e.g. design thinking, the role of trends and technology, qualitative research methods) and evaluation (e.g. value chain analysis, opportunity checklist, platform business models)


• Economics of the venture / Startup-Cockpit: overview about types of financing and capital providers; good practices for innovation controlling of business models (e.g. startup cockpit, key performance indicators)


• Communication and Visualization: techniques for targeted visualization and communicating the business idea (e.g. pitching, canvas, video prototyping)


• Entrepreneurial Spirit and Networking experienced entrepreneurs serve as role models, field trip to startup incubator

Core Readings:

Bygrave, W.D./Zacharakis, A. (2017, 4^th ed.) Entrepreneurship. WILEY

Ripsas, Sven (2020): Das Startup-Cockpit. Schäffer-Poeschel

Additional Readings:

Maurya, Ash (2012): Running Lean. O´Reilley

Video: 10 Myth of entrepreneurship (St. Gallen)

Completion of 1st stage of studies with profound knowledge of Economics and Business Administration

Seminar (4 SWS, contact time: 60h, face-to-face, day and evening courses)

Content-oriented learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

• ILO 1: define the term entrepreneurship


• ILO 2: describe the influence and meaning of innovation for entrepreneurship (innovative business models) and decribe the driving forces of entrepreneurship


• ILO 3: describe different professional contexts of entrepreneurship (independent entrepreneurship, corporate entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship)


• ILO 4: classify and describe the role of lead entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial team


• ILO 5: describe startup finance and the concept of a KPI dashboard


• ILO 6: understand the importance of active networking

Skill-oriented learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

• ILO 7: apply all 9 elements of the business model canvas to their own project


• ILO 8: apply different techniques of innovative business modelling


• ILO 9: apply, and contrast different techniques for identifying entrepreneurial opportunities


• ILO 10: apply, discuss, combine and judge the concept of hypothesis definition & evaluation


• ILO 11: apply techniques for targeted visualization and communicating the business idea


• ILO 12: identify, reflect and establish their own entrepreneurial intentions

Bachelor/Program: IBMAN

Verification of competence acquisition:

The examination comprises and is related to the desired learning outcomes in the following way:

• A: 50% Oral exam (Technical Discussion) on the entrepreneurial project from StartupClass: reflection of student work in the entrepreneurial project


• B: 50% Written exam: Annotated pitch deck (focus problem-solution-fit) of the StartupClass challenge