Course syllabus - Creativity and Innovation Management

Objectives

The purpose and overarching objectives of this course is to supply students as future leaders/managers with knowledge and practical abilities in creative, innovative and entrepreneurial processes. This is achieved by introducing students to the theoretical/scientific understanding and of practical methods/tools that can be used to enhance their capacity in this field.

Learning outcomes

After have passed the course, the student will be able to:
- understand and have developed insights in creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship - in theory and practice - for professional/personal development, teams/social groups, companies/organizations and societies/nations
- plan, select, lead, manage, implement and evaluate different strategies, methods and tools

Course content

The course consists of following five main parts - in theory and in practice - of creativity, innovation, design and entrepreneurship:
- part 1) The Principles of Creativity and Innovation with the innovation imperative in today´s global economy, prerequisites for organizing innovation and entrepreneurship, networks and systems supporting innovation, creativity and idea generation
- part 2) Product and process innovation and design takes a more concrete view on how new products, services and processes can be developed and how the manufacturing and service capabilities need to be adapted and developed to meet the demands of speed and complexity - but also simplicity - in new products. The design process is a crucial part of the success on the individualized customer market today, where design and innovation are merging
- part 3) Creating and sharing knowledge and intellectual property looks at the need for searching and creating new knowledge, to protect new ideas and business knowledge, ways to share new knowledge, the importance to understand the relationships between know-ledge, networks, learning and innovation and to understand and to build a leadership and management to support organizational learning for innovation
- part 4) Entrepreneurship, business creation and exploiting innovations looks at the context of entrepreneurship, the processes of creating new ventures from both business and social perspectives
- part 5) Innovation, sustainability and globalization, looks at the links between innovation, growth and sustainability, corporate social responsibility, national and international compe-tetiveness, comparison and learning. This part will also consolidate the previous parts-/themes in the course and focus on making innovation happen

Tuition

The course includes teacher driven lectures, exercises, project/team work, study visits and internships at companies, seminars and workshops. To a large extent the students work in small teams to create an active learning atmosphere and a responsibility for a good learning outcome. A pedagogical team contract is created in each team. The course web site is also an important way of communication between teachers and students and between students - individual and in teams.

Specific requirements

At least 30 ECTS credits on advanced level.

Examination

Exercise (INL1), Written individual presentation of a business or social idea to be developed throughout the course, 3 credits, marks Pass (G)
Exercise (INL2), Written and oral presentation of a team exercise on creativity tools, 2 credits, marks Pass (G)
Exercise (INL3),  Written team presentation of team exercises and cases in innovation linked to the literature, 5 credits, marks Pass (G)
Exercise (INL4),  Written and oral team presentation of a company innovation strategy, 2 credits, marks Pass (G)
Exercise (INL5), Written and oral individual presentation (a paper) on the students own learning process and outcome from the course as a whole, 3 credits, marks Pass (G)

A student who has a certificate from MDU regarding a disability has the opportunity to submit a request for supportive measures during written examinations or other forms of examination, in accordance with the Rules and Regulations for Examinations at First-cycle and Second-cycle Level at Mälardalen University (2020/1655). It is the examiner who takes decisions on any supportive measures, based on what kind of certificate is issued, and in that case which measures are to be applied.

Suspicions of attempting to deceive in examinations (cheating) are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, and are examined by the University’s Disciplinary Board. If the Disciplinary Board considers the student to be guilty of a disciplinary offence, the Board will take a decision on disciplinary action, which will be a warning or suspension.

Grade

Pass, Fail