BST 9742 Small Business Development
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APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2014/2015
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BST 9742 Small Business Development
Responsible for the course
Frode Solberg
Department
Department of Innovation and Economic Organisation
Term
According to study plan
ECTS Credits
15
Language of instruction
Norwegian
Introduction
This course, together with BTH 9743 Bachelor’s Thesis – Small Business Development, 15 ECTS, makes up a specialisation of 30 ECTS, which is included in the students’ final diploma. The course applies to students enrolled on the Bachelor’s Programme in Marketing or the Bachelor’s Programme in Business Administration. Other students may choose this course as an elective in their 3rd year.
The course aims at qualifying students for management of small and medium-sized enterprises – SMEs – as well as for consultancy work for SMEs. This entails that the specialisation has ties to the business community and practical entrepreneurship. Cases and discussions are used to enable students to find work methods for contributing optimally to their own and other students’ learning. Hence the students become responsible for the learning processes, together with the organizers of the processes.
Learning outcome
Acquired knowledge
After completed course students shall have:
- Acquired basic knowledge of entrepreneurship
- Acquired knowledge of decision-making support systems for SMEs
- Learned management of SMEs in various phases, from start-up to winding-up of companies.
- Know about critical sucsessfactors for a SME
Acquired skills
After completed course students shall be able to:
- Prepare a business plan with focus on how to develop SMEs.
- Analyse management needs for companies in various phases.
- Prepare plans with budgets and economic consequence analyses.
Reflection
- The students should develop respect for the complexity of enterprises.
- The students should be able to practice solution-oriented behaviour with ethical reflection.
Prerequisites
2 years of bachelor studies in business administration, marketing or similar, including as a minimum a basic course of statistics from the 1st year of the bachelor’s programme – MET 3431 Statistics or MET 2920 Statistics.
Compulsory reading
Books:
Berg, Morten Emil. 2008. Ledelse : verktøy og virkemidler. 3. utg. Universitetsforlaget
Havnes, Per-Anders. 2009. Veien videre : strategisk utvikling av små bedrifter. Høyskoleforlaget
Hernes, Tor og Anne Louise Koefoed, red. 2007. Innovasjonsprosesser : om innovasjoners odyssé. Fagbokforlaget
Levorsen, Stein O. 2010. Styrearbeid i praksis : innføring i styrets hovedoppgaver og arbeidsform med eksempler og bedriftshistorier. 7. utg. Universitetsforlaget
Wickham, Philip A. 2006. Strategic entrepreneurship. 4th ed. FT Prentice Hall. Ny utg utsatt, ventet 2020
Recommended reading
Books:
Haugland, Sven A. 2004. Samarbeid, allianser og nettverk. 2. utg. Universitetsforlaget
Karlsen, Jan Erik og Erik F. Øverland. 2010. Carpe futurum : kunsten å forberede seg på fremtiden. Cappelen akademisk
Rolfsen, Monica, red. 2000. Trendenes tyranni : produksjon og arbeid i et nytt århundre. Fagbokforlaget
Course outline
Business concept and start-up
- External conditions for business in Norway
- Innovation and entrepreneurship
- Development of business ideas
- The business plan process
- Start-up phase – critical success factors for survival
- Management challenges in the start-up phase
Growth and internationalization
- Professionalizing control systems
- Building management and information systems
- Budgetting and economic analysis
- Management and control in a growth phase
- Collaboration, alliances and networks
- Internationalisation as a driving force
Effective operations and innovation
- The learning organization
- Quality management
- Customers and market
- Funding and financial management
- Innovative processes
- Management of development processes
Change, readjustment and winding-up processes
- Failure in operations
- Change strategies
- Methods and tools for change and readjustment
- Acquisitions and valuations
- Winding-up of enterprises
- Change management
Computer-based tools
Students must employ PCs with Internet access. There are no particular requirements as regards IT competence but students must be familiar with using the Internet, database searches and using computer-based tools to analyse, structure and present information. Active use of BI’s Internet-based learning platform It’s Learning.
Learning process and workload
In the course of the semester two assignments will be given via the learning platform It’s Learning.
One assignment is to be done individually; the other can be done in groups of up to three students. Feedback on the assignments will be given after they have been presented in class. This is compulsory.
| Activity | Tidsbruk |
| Participation in teaching sessions | 90 |
| Preparations for lectures/reading literature | 120 |
| Writing term paper | 80 |
| Solving assignments | 30 |
| Self-tuition and study groups | 60 |
| Final term paper | 20 |
| Total recommended workload | 400 |
Examination
The course ends with submission of a term paper which is to be handed in at the end of the autumn semester. The term paper can be written individually or in groups of up to three students.
The topic of the term paper is preparation of a plan for developing SMEs with focus on critical sucessfactors and risk.
Examination code(s)
BST 97421 Term paper, counts for 100% to obtain final grade in BST 9472 Small Business Development, 15 credits.
Examination support materials
All support materials are allowed.
Re-sit examination
A re-sit is held in connection with the next scheduled exam in the course.
Additional information