New Venture Creation and the Entrepreneurial Process

Semester 2b 2008/09

Daytime MBA Option

Lecturer(s)

Dr Geoff Gregson
Email: geoff.gregson@ed.ac.uk
Tel: 0131 650 8068

Objectives/Aims

The primary objective of the course is to enable students to develop a solid

understanding of key concepts underpinning entrepreneurship, the exploitation of new
ideas and new venture creation. The course aims to develop the intellectual skills of
students to understand, analyse and critically evaluate theories/concepts and current
issues relating to new venture creation and entrepreneurial management and to apply
these in a practical context.

Course Pre-requisite(s)

N/A

Course Outline

By the end of the module, students will have had the opportunity to:

1) Reflect upon and critically evaluate the concepts underpinning the process of new
venture creation and the entrepreneurial process more widely;

2) Compare and contrast the nature of the entrepreneurial process, including market
analysis and management of the new venture, in a variety of organisational contexts;

3) Evaluate the contribution of entrepreneurship, market assessment and various

financing approaches to new venture creation, development and growth;

4) Apply theories, concepts, strategies and methodologies discussed during the course
in a practical context.

The Edinburgh MBA 2008/2009 1 Daytime MBA Option Course: New Venture Creation &
the Entrepreneurial Process
Assessment

1) Individual essay (30%) in response to the following statement: Entrepreneurship

is described as an exploratory and innovatory process involving the creation of a
new venture based on a new product or service. This process differs significantly
from products or services generated by a successful, existing company.

2) A group essay (40%) that describes a business opportunity and offers a business
plan based on a business idea developed by the group. A final exam (30%) that
tests the comprehension of the elements of new venture creation and
entrepreneurship as covered in the course.

Course Text(s)

Lecture handouts and case study materials are provided during the course and there is
one course text:

Timmons, Jeffrey A., Spinelli, Stephen (2007). New Venture Creation:

Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century, 7th edition. New York, NY, McGraw-
Hill/Irwin.

Advised Preparatory Work

Read through course text Chapters 1 & 2 prior to course commencing.

Student Feedback from the last time the course ran (Semester 2b /
2007/08):
Q1. The course met the stated objectives 4.31*

*(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neither agree nor disagree, 2=disagree, 1=strongly

disagree)

Q2. The course was well organised 4.25*

*(5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neither agree nor disagree, 2=disagree, 1=strongly

disagree)

Q3. Were your expectations met by the course? Yes 14 No 1

Q4. On a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) what rating would you give this course? 4.22

(Based on a sample of 15 students)

The Edinburgh MBA 2008/2009 2 Daytime MBA Option Course: New Venture Creation &
the Entrepreneurial Process