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ES956-15 Innovation

Department
WMG
Level
Taught Postgraduate Level
Module leader
Ali Ahmad
Credit value
15
Module duration
1 week
Assessment
Multiple
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry
Introductory description

This module enables company managers to be innovative and to encourage innovation in others. The module introduces a variety of concepts models and frameworks to enable participants to understand and critically evaluate the nature of creativity and innovation and how an appropriate strategy, organisational culture and individual approach can be established and maintained in order to facilitate an innovative in an organisation, within the context and environment in which they operate. The concepts and models discussed can be used to help those within manufacturing to understand and derive appropriate approaches to adopt creative and innovative thinking which aligns with and supports the strategic objectives and direction of the organisation as a whole. The module addresses the nature of creativity and innovation, the complexity of business and the importance of scenario planning and systems thinking in order to help derive strategies which foster an innovative environment. It also examines the nature and effect of leadership, organizational life cycle, team and individual dynamics to understand how these influence creativity. It draws together, focuses and deploys learning (including models, techniques & tools) from other modules.

Module aims

This module enables company managers to be innovative and to encourage innovation in others. The module introduces a variety of concepts models and frameworks to enable participants to understand and critically evaluate the nature of creativity and innovation and how an appropriate strategy, organisational culture and individual approach can be established and maintained in order to facilitate an innovative in an organisation, within the context and environment in which they operate. The concepts and models discussed can be used to help those within manufacturing to understand and derive appropriate approaches to adopt creative and innovative thinking which aligns with and supports the strategic objectives and direction of the organisation as a whole. The module addresses the nature of creativity and innovation, the complexity of business and the importance of scenario planning and systems thinking in order to help derive strategies which foster an innovative environment. It also examines the nature and effect of leadership, organizational life cycle, team and individual dynamics to understand how these influence creativity. It draws together, focuses and deploys learning (including models, techniques & tools) from other modules.

The module is followed by an assessed assignment whereby the participants are required to demonstrate the achievement of specific learning outcomes. This requires the participants to apply the knowledge and techniques acquired during the module to a specific problem or issue in the workplace.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

  • Classes of innovation and disruptive innovation
  • Creativity and innovation
  • Leadership and innovation
  • Innovation case study
  • Stakeholder management
  • The innovation journey
Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Understand and critically discuss innovation in the arena and context of manufacturing.
  • Identify, make explicit & seize relevant opportunities for innovation – and implement when accountable.
  • Relate choices for change to real business needs; i.e. focus attention appropriately.
  • Create an innovative environment, & foster and ensure innovation within a team.
  • Accept and practise challenge & creativity.
  • Justify and influence activities that promote change.
Indicative reading list

References:
Advice From The Most Innovative Leaders
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mll45elki/nitin-paranjpe-hindustanunilever- 3/
Business Innovation Requires Patience
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140701235042-71159660-
business-innovationrequires- patience
HBR's 10 Must Reads on Teams (with featured article "The Discipline of Teams," by Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith)- Knowledge/Leadership/Let_the_Innovators_Innovate.pdf 08.07.2014

Peter Denning and Robert Dunham
http://innovators-way.com
Innovation as Language Action, by Peter Denning and Robert Dunham - our early publishing of the framework of the Essential Practices for Successful Innovation http://cs.gmu.edu/cne/pjd/PUBS/CACMcols/cacmMay06.pdf
Orchestrating coordination in pluralistic networks, by Peter Denning, Fernando Flores, Peter Luzmore
http://cs.gmu.edu/cne/pjd/PUBS/CACMcols/cacmMar10.pdf

Otto Scharmer
Addressing the blind spot of our time http://mitleadership.mit.edu/pdf/Theory_U_Exec_Summary.pdf
16.06.2014
Leading From the Emerging Future: From Ego-system to Eco-system Economies (with Katrin Kaufer). San Francisco, CA; Berrett-Koehler Publishers 2008.
Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges. San Francisco, CA; Berrett-Koehler Publishers Jaworksi, J. (2012) ‘Source: The Inner Path of Knowledge Creation’ Berret-Koehler Publishers Inc, San Francisco: USA

Clayton Christensen
http://www.claytonchristensen.com
Christensen, Clayton M. (1997), The innovator's dilemma: when new technologies cause great firms to fail, Boston, Massachusetts, USA: Harvard Business School Press, ISBN 978-0-87584-585-2. (edit)
Christensen, Clayton M.; Raynor, Michael E. (2003), The innovator's solution: creating and sustaining successful growth, Boston, Massachusetts, USA: Harvard Business School Press, ISBN 978-1- 57851-852-4.

Steven Johnson Where good ideas come from, Riverhead 2010
Dan Ward FIRE: How Fast, Inexpensive, Restrained, and Elegant Methods Ignite Innovation Harper Business 2014
Tom Kelley and David Kelley Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All, Crown Business, 2013
Gary Hamel with Bill Breen
The Future of Management; Harvard Business School Press, 2008
Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur

Subject specific skills
  • Innovation management
  • Using the disruptive innovation and jobs-to-be-done toolset
  • Intellectual property commercialisation strategies
  • Integrating web 2.0 and new and digital media into new product, service or process development
  • Entrepreneurial heuristics
  • Using creativity toolkits
Transferable skills
  • Product prototyping
  • Creating optimised teams using individual member profiling techniques
  • Presentation and business pitching
  • Critical thinking and evaluation
  • Market research
  • Business case development

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 41 sessions of 30 minutes (13%)
Seminars 20 sessions of 1 hour (13%)
Work-based learning 39 sessions of 30 minutes (13%)
Assessment 90 hours (60%)
Total 150 hours
Private study description

No private study requirements defined for this module.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A1
Weighting Study time
Post Module Assignment 100% 90 hours

6,000 word post module assignment

Assessment group R
Weighting Study time
Assessed work as specified by department 100%

Written Assignment

Feedback on assessment

Immediate oral feedback will be provided after case studies / practical workshops, which will be
focussed upon the learning targets of each session. Feedback will also be provided to any
questions which arise from students with the lecture session.

Written feedback of approximately 150-250 words will be provided for the Post-Module
Assignment within a four week period after the date of submission. This feedback will be focussed
upon the strengths and weaknesses of the work with regard to the module learning objectives
and the post-module assignment marking guidelines. Suggestions for improvement will also be
provided.

Courses

This module is Core optional for:

  • Year 1 of TESS-H7PE Postgraduate Taught Supply Chain and Logistics Management (Overseas and Self-Financing)