BST 9742 Small Business Development

APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013

BST 9742 Small Business Development Responsible for the course Thomas Hoholm 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 The students should acquire basic knowledge of entrepreneurship The students should acquire knowledge of decision-making support systems for SMEs The students should learn management of SMEs in various phases, from start-up to winding-up of companies. Acquired skills The students shall prepare a business plan. The students shall analyse management needs for companies in various phases. The students shall 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 odyssè. 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 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. Activity Workload 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 business plan in which management and innovation processes are central. 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

© Copyright BI Norwegian Business School