Post-Graduate Diploma in Management

Area: IT Management
Course Title Business & Innovation in Network Economy

BINE

Course Faculty:
Name:
Contact:
Email:
Mob., Office: 0120-300Student Meeting Hour:

Course Description:
The networked information economy has not decreased the total capital intensity of information
production, storage, processing, and communication, but it has decentralized its ownership.
About a billion people on the planet today own the core physical means of producing
information, knowledge, and culture: they own machines that sense, capture, store, process, and
communicate their thoughts, observations, manipulations, and expressions. These machines are,
in turn, shareable, i.e., given their production technology and the distribution of wealth in the
populations that own the majority of them, they are placed into operation by individuals and
families for whom they have excess capacity. The combination of distribution of physical capital
and human capital creates a new situation. For the first time since the industrial revolution, the
most important inputs into the core economic activities of the most advanced economies are
widely distributed in the population. Moreover, there is a significant amount of excess capacity,
both physical and human, that is being poured relentlessly into new forms of information,
knowledge, and cultural production, as well as into provisioning of networking, storage, and
processing capabilities.
The focus of this course is to enable the students appreciate the transformation happening in the
way work gets done, enterprises function, societies progress and innovations happen in the
aftermath of the rapid growth of IT enabled network economy as compared to the industrial
economy.

Learning Objectives:
This course endeavors to develop students with the following specific learning objectives a)
b)
c)
d)

Critically analyze business situations for forward thinking through innovation

Be familiar with the major innovations carried out to harness the power of networked
economy along with the possible downsides of such innovations.
Understand the various forms and models of doing business in the networked world;
learning from both Global and Indian success stories
Develop techno-savvy capabilities to manage integrated environments in networked
economy.

Pedagogy:
a) Class discussions to understand the real life implementations of the concepts learnt as
pre-reads. Since much of the course material requires class discussion, it is important that
participants are prepared for the class to present and defend their ideas. Preparation for
class includes having read the assigned material.
b) Case studies to discuss Best of Breed real life implementations in India and abroad. A
number of cases will be used in this course. Cases are a great educational experience but
they absolutely require readiness for the class. When cases are assigned, every
participant should come to class ready to discuss the issues of the case. For each case,
participants should: a) identify the major problem, b) give recommendation to resolve
2

this problem (both short and long term), and when appropriate d) provide supporting
analysis (both qualitative and quantitative) for such recommendations. Answering the
questions provided for each case should help in this effort.
c) Group work to develop innovative ways that businesses use in various contexts. The class
will be divided into a number of groups. It is mandatory to discuss the case in groups and
while participating in discussion, exhibit high degree of people skills in managing the
participation. Each group is expected to take up a live case of innovation being done in
the new economy. The groups are expected to approach the issue based on the concepts,
examples and techniques discussed in the class and submit their report. Each group will
be required to give a presentation. Evaluation for this assignment will be done based on
individual as well as group performance

Course Requirements:
There is no critical prior course requirement for this course. However, an initial understanding
of MIS as a core subject would be helpful for understanding this course. Students should have
an open and inquisitive mind and should be inclined towards thinking about innovations as an
end product of their thought process and collaborative work.

Evaluation
Assessment
Methods in
Alignment
with
Intended
Learning
Outcomes

Specific assessment methods/

tasks

Continuous assessment
GROUP
Project Presentation on
Innovation applied in Indian
context (Report+ presentation)
Case discussion
INDIVIDUAL
Individual write-up assignment
(case analysis)
Quiz /class assignment

%
weightage

Intended subject learning outcomes to be

assessed (Please as appropriate)
a

c
(3.2)*

20
60
10

10

100%
40
5+15

End term
40

Total
100%
*This component of assessment will be used for AACSB Assurance of Learning (Learning
objective -3.2) (To be informed by individual faculty members)

*AACSB AOL-Sub Goal (3.1) to be assessed in the course: Critically analyze situations to
suggest innovative future growth opportunities

Group Project
The group project will be one of the most important learning tools of the course. Each group
will address issues and challenges related to innovations in the network economy as evidenced
in the Indian or International context. Both the project report and presentation will be evaluated.
Cases Assignments
i.

Role Play/ Case Discussion (Group): A short PPT/ WORD document has to be
submitted.
Case Analysis (Individual) : An evaluation exam will be conducted
Class assignment / participation: Individual level of engagement in class discussions will
be evaluated

ii.
iii.

Reading Materials for Cases Study Assignments

As stated under session-wise Plan

Recommended Text Book

Bound reading material to be provided
Reference Books:
1. Davenport Thomas H., Leibold Marius, Voelpel Sven C. ; Strategic Management in the
Innovation Economy: Strategic Approaches and Tools for Dynamic Innovation
Capabilities; John Wiley & Sons (Mar 2006)
2. Tapscott Don and Williams, Anthony D.: Macrowikinomics; Atlantic Books (2010)
3. Tapscott Don and Williams, Anthony D.: Wikinomics; Atlantic Books (2008)
Cases
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

MusicJuice.net: The Challenges of Starting Up a New Internet Venture

ITC e-Choupal: Corporate Social Responsibility in Rural India
Cyworld: Creating and Capturing Value in a Social Network
I paid a bribe.com
Quirky: A Business based on Making Invention Accessible

Journals & Relevant Websites

No specific journals are prescribed. The students should access a variety of resources including journals
and websites related to network economy and various types of innovation, crowdsourcing, ideagoras, web
2.0 and Enterprise 2.0, etc.

Course Outline: Session/Module/Reading Material

Sessions 1 & 2: The Innovation Economy: Overview of Business, Innovation and Network
Economy; Rebooting the World; Principles for the Age of Networked Intelligence; Global and
Local Examples
Sessions 1 & 2 (150 minutes)
20 minutes
Course
Overview

20 minutes
Changing
nature
of
economy:
from
agrarian to
industrial to
network
economy

10 minutes
Developments
in IT as a
catalyst
for
changes in the
nature
of
economy

30 minutes
Class
discussions on
state-of-the-art
examples

20 minutes
Overview of
innovation
and
how
innovation
happens

20 minutes
Class
discussions
on state-ofthe
art
examples of
innovation

30 minutes
Principles of
network
economy
and
their
relevance

Readings:
Chapters 1 and 2 of Macro-Wikinomics; Chapter 1 of Wikinomics

Sessions 3: From Ideation to Innovation: The Musicjuice.net Case Study

Session 3 (75 minutes)
20 minutes
Overview/ Backdrop of
the Case Study

40 minutes
Group Discussions/ Presentations on
Crowdfunding/ crowdsourcing ideas
and business models

15 minutes
Learnings from the Case Study

Readings: The Musicjuice.net Case Study

Sessions 4 & 5: Understanding innovations; The Innovators Dilemma; Creative Destruction;

Types of Innovations; Bootstrapping Innovation and Wealth Creation
Sessions 4 & 5 (150 minutes)
30 minutes
What
is
Innovators
Dilemma
and
how does it
happen;
class
discussions

30 minutes
What
is
creative
destruction; examples of
creative destruction

20 minutes
Categories
classification
innovation

and
of

30 minutes

40 minutes

Examples
of
innovation
types
from
business
contexts: national
and international

Innovation
&
wealth creation;
conclusion

Readings: Chapter 1 of Strategic Management in the Innovation Economy; Book: Innovators

Dilemma; Book: Creative Destruction

Sessions 6: Value orientation of innovation in a business and societal context; Case Study of
ITC E-chaupal
Sessions 6 (75 minutes)
20 minutes
Overview/ Backdrop
of the Case

10 minutes
Presentations
on
the
Case
by
Students

10 minutes
Presentations on
the
Case
by
Students (Contd.)

15 minutes
Discussions
on
Corporate
Social
Responsibility;
Role of Technology
in
Business
Innovations

20 minutes
Discussions on Rural
Innovations in the
Indian Context;

Readings: Case Study of ITC E-Chaupal

Session 7-8: Social Issues in Networked Economy; Closed and Open Innovation; Macro-level
issues arising out of Innovation Economy; Need for a portfolio of business models in an
enterprise
Sessions 7-8 (150 minutes)
15 minutes
Topic Overview

30 minutes

30 minutes

45 minutes

Examples of Open &

Closed Innovation

Characteristics of
Open Innovation;

Business Models
related to Open
Innovation

30 minutes
Real life examples

Readings: Chapter 3 of Strategic Management in the Innovation Economy

Session 9: Using Technology to facilitate Open Innovation

Session 9 (75 minutes)
20 minutes
Overview/ Backdrop of
the Case Study

40 minutes
Group Discussions/ Presentations on
how IBM conducts innovation jams
and what are their deliverables?

15 minutes
Learnings from the Case Study

Readings: IBM Innovation Jam Case Study

Sessions 10-11: Developing the New Strategic Mindset: Ambidextrous Organization;

Competing with Dual Business Models; Strategy as Ecology across different businesses
Sessions 10 & 11 (150 minutes)
30 minutes
Topic Overview

30 minutes
Why a new strategic
mindset is required
for innovations

30 minutes
Dual Business
Models; Real Life
Examples and
reasons for their
success/ failure

30 minutes
How to achieve
ambidexterity
in
organisations

30 minutes
Ambidexterity in R&D;
Connection with Open
Innovation

Readings: Chapter 4 of Strategic Management in the Innovation Economy

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Session 12:: Social Media as Change Agent: adopting new technologies for new innovations
Session 12 (75 minutes)
20 minutes
Overview/ Backdrop of
the Case Study

40 minutes
Group Discussions/ Presentations on
how Cyworld grew as a social media
platform and challenges to its
business model

15 minutes
Learnings from the Case Study

Readings: Case of Cyworld

Sessions 13 - 14: Reindustrializing the Planet: the Collaboration Economy; Crowdsourcing;

Ideagoras; Prosumers; Enterprise 2.0
Sessions 13 & 14 (150 minutes)
30 minutes
Topic Overview

30 minutes
Examples
of
Crowdsourcing from
literature

30 minutes
What
are
Ideagoras?
Practical
Examples

30 minutes
What
is
the
phenomenon
of
Prosumerism? Real
life examples

30 minutes
What is Enterprise 2.0?
Real life examples

Readings: Chapter 2, 3, 4 and 5 from Wikinomics

Sessions 15-16: Guest Lecture: Workshop by Tinkers Lab on Design Thinking and
Innovation
Sessions 15 & 16 (150 minutes)
40 minutes
Exercises on design
thinking & innovation

35 minutes
Exercises on design thinking &
innovation (contd.)

75 minutes
Exercises on design thinking & innovation
(contd.); Conclusions

Readings: To be provided by the guest lecturer.

Sessions 17: Making innovation accessible

Session 17 (75 minutes)
20 minutes
Overview/ Backdrop of
the Case Study

40 minutes
Group Discussions/ Presentations on
how Quirky took up the challenge of
making innovations accessible

15 minutes
Learnings from the Case Study

Readings: Quirky Case Study

Sessions 18: Societal Applications of Network Economy

Session 18 (75 minutes)
20 minutes
Overview/ Backdrop of
the Case Study

40 minutes
Group Discussions/ Presentations on
how and why IAC was both a success
and a failure

15 minutes
Learnings from the Case Study

Readings: I paid a bribe Case Study

Sessions 19 - 20: Project Presentations by the Student Groups