Instructions for assessment There are two assessments in this module, the first (group oral presentation) being formative, while the second assessment (individual business report) is summative: Formative assessment: Group oral presentation- Students will be assigned in groups of three or (maximum) four to present for academic examiners a proposed structure for a lean start-up venture of their choice. Within their structure, students are required to present how they propose to develop their entrepreneurial idea for a substantial new venture. For the group presentation, each group of students is requested to submit to the Module Convener a hard copy of the following papers: a) A two-page venture development proposal, attached with a skeletal lean start-up model or outline business plan, & b) A portfolio of slides to be presented. Proposals in group presentations should clearly explain: 1) What problem or need students intend to address with their proposal. 2) What the entrepreneurial opportunity (= favourable set of circumstances in terms of financial & human resources, location, & time) is that will enable the perceived problem to be addressed. 3) How they propose to develop the entrepreneurial idea(s) behind their plan into substantial new ventures. Students should focus on explaining clearly and crisply how 1), 2) and 3) elate to one another. A verbose description of students’ ideas is not required. Students in their presentation groups will receive detailed written feedback on their presentations from two examiners. This feedback should be referred to & addressed in supporting students’ individual, written assignment below. Summative Assessment: Individual Venture Development Proposal (100% of course marks)- Drawing from feedback in your group presentation, for your summative assessment you are required to write a proposal explaining how you propose to develop your entrepreneurial idea into a substantial new venture (max. 3,000 words). Students’ development proposal must be based on the entrepreneurial idea in their group presentation & should: (1) Explain the unique value proposition of your entrepreneurial idea & (2) Explain, in detail, the development pathway that you propose to take with your proposal, taking into account at least one alternative venture development pathway. In addressing (2) members of the group each choose & adopt a particular entrepreneurial perspective, for example A) As founder-entrepreneur and CEO of the new enterprise. B) As markets and marketing leader/expert (i.e. CMO) of the new enterprise 3 C) As finance and financing leader/expert of the enterprise. D) As the operations and operational leader/expert of the enterprise. E) Other ‘C’ level perspective as is relevant e.g. Human Resources, Partners, International Development, etc. Two or more students in the same group may take the same perspective in their reports but must take care it is solely their own work and not to collude. Students are strongly advised to discuss their perspective with their tutor and present an outline of the proposal’s main ideas. Students should structure their proposals in four sections, as follows, with most emphasis on Section 3: Section 1: Introduction to your idea & its proposed development, Section 2: Opportunity Formation, comprising a brief description of your entrepreneurial product, service, or organization process & an explanation of the process in which you formed your entrepreneurial idea (problem<=>opportunity<=> idea), Section 3: Opportunity Development, where you discuss how you intend to develop your chosen product/service/process into a significant venture by drawing on features of one of your chosen development pathway perspectives, & Section 4: Conclusion, where you reflect on what you have learned from your process of entrepreneurship development & suggest how your process of forming and developing your entrepreneurial product or service may offer useful lessons in developing other, similar products. Following your Introduction (Section 1), please briefly describe: a) how you formed your entrepreneurial idea and b) your perceived uniqueness of your Product (Section 2). Following this description, you should focus on developing your idea (Section 3) by explaining how your chosen development perspective may support your proposed development of your product in the market. While Section 2 is about the formation of your idea & its uniqueness, Section 3 is about how you intend to develop it in the market (for example, as a border-less mobile app [Snapchat, Instagram] or national-international franchise [McDonald’s], a not-for-profit venture [Oxfam, Red Cross], or as a women’s only or ethnic enterprise) by drawing on one of three entrepreneurship perspectives of your choice. As this module concerns your process of new venture development, Sections 3 is where most of the marks for this assignment will be allocated. The emphasis in your business proposal should be on describing the novelty, uniqueness, and creativity of the ideas behind your proposed venture, and not on the technical specifications or sophistication of the venture. Students should not therefore write a verbose description of their venture and should focus instead on explaining the value proposition of their idea and why and how this proposition should be developed. Additional marks will be awarded for students’ ability to integrate, in a relevant way, any of the syllabus literature, including theories, models, and frameworks of managing entrepreneurship drawn from the module syllabus. In addition to the above assessments, other formative exercises will be set up in seminars to help students develop skills to manage entrepreneurship, and these assessments will involve questions, debates, quizzes, and exercises to test students’ entrepreneurial aptitude and develop suitable skills for creating and sustaining their new venture. 4 How will your assessments be supported by your module Tutors? 1. One week’s dedicated seminar on your summative assessment (An extra class will be offered in the week following students’ last scheduled lecture) 2. Formative feedback on one draft reflective journal entry (provided by your Tutor) 3. Links to the assessment throughout your seminars and team-building session specifically 4. Assignment hand-in checklist 5. Feedback on your tool-kit findings in seminars 6. FAQs on Moodle How will your work be assessed? Students’ work will be assessed in the first instance by two subject experts who will use the marking guidelines provided in this assessment brief. When students access their marked work they should reflect on the feedback so that this can be used it to improve future assignments. Referencing All students must use the Harvard System which they should already be familiar with as a second-year student. Assignment submissions The Business School requires a digital version of all assignment submissions. These must be submitted via Turnitin on the module’s Moodle site. Submissions must be made as a Word file (not as a pdf) and must not include scanned in text or text boxes.
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