BEMM178 Innovation Management

Module Handbook (2024–2025, September Start)**

Timetable & Venues

Please note that lecture and seminar schedules may change weekly due to timetabling constraints.
Students must check their online timetable each week to ensure they attend sessions at the correct time and location.

Module Convenor

Dr. Tausif Bordoloi, FHEA
Lecturer in Innovation and Circular Economy
Department of Management (Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship)

• Office: Room 1.74, Streatham Court, University of Exeter Business School, EX4 4PU
• Email: t.bordoloi@exeter.ac.uk
• Office Hours: Via appointment (email to arrange)

About the Convenor

Dr Bordoloi is trained as a biochemist and holds an MBA from the University of Exeter (as a Chevening Scholar) and a PhD in Science, Technology & Innovation Policy from the University of Manchester. His research centres on advanced technologies—including Artificial Intelligence and Additive Manufacturing—exploring their strategic, economic, and sustainability implications. His academic work investigates how and why firms adopt emerging technologies. His teaching philosophy emphasises curiosity, critical thinking, and combining research-led insights with practical application. Before academia, he held roles in strategy, innovation, and finance within multinational biotechnology and automotive firms across Europe and Asia.

Module Overview

The 21st century has been shaped by rapid, disruptive global events—the 9/11 attacks, the 2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical tensions such as the 2022 Ukraine conflict. During the same period, global power has shifted, most notably with China’s rise, and digital-first companies (e.g., Amazon, Google, Alibaba, Meta, Tencent) have reshaped industries worldwide. Climate change has also become central to social, economic, and political decision-making.

Within this evolving landscape, innovation remains essential for organisational survival and competitiveness. The module examines how organisations innovate, why they succeed or fail, and how digital transformation reshapes management practices. It focuses particularly on digital innovation and its implications for strategy, technology adoption, business ecosystems, and organisational capability.

Aims & Learning Outcomes

Module Aims

This module introduces students to the principles, processes, and practices underlying innovation. Students will explore innovation in various organisational settings—start-ups, SMEs, and large firms—and develop analytical skills for evaluating how innovation creates competitive advantage.

Learning Outcomes

Module-Specific Skills

1. Critically evaluate technological change and its impact on firms.
2. Apply innovation management tools and techniques to diverse business contexts.

Discipline-Specific Skills

3. Defend the use of specific managerial behaviours supporting innovative organisational cultures.
4. Assess both market-led and internally driven innovation, including sustainable innovation in competitive settings.

Personal & Key Skills

5. Present well-structured, persuasive analyses of innovation’s contribution to organisational performance.
6. Demonstrate independent research skills and communicate findings effectively in written and oral formats.

Module Description

Innovation determines an organisation’s long-term survival and global competitiveness. Without technology adoption and continuous innovation, firms risk obsolescence. This module explores the interface between technology and management, providing a comprehensive understanding of innovation as a strategic priority. Students will learn about the major challenges managers face when steering long-term innovation activities and will connect theory with real-world application through case-based learning.

• Confident Thinkers: Develop knowledge of contemporary innovation themes.
• Determined Creators: Build critical arguments and apply theory to real-world business problems.
• Ambitious Enquirers: Analyse innovative firms and produce logical, evidence-based recommendations.

Learning & Teaching Methods

Lectures

Delivered weekly (in-person). Each session covers a core innovation topic. Attendance is expected unless a student is studying remotely.

Seminars

Seminars complement lectures and are highly interactive, featuring group discussions and presentations.

Teaching Schedule

Core Learning Materials

Essential Texts (available via UoE Library)

1. Tidd & Bessant (2020) — Managing Innovation (7th ed.)
2. Trott (2021) — Innovation Management and New Product Development (7th ed.)
3. Osterwalder et al. (2020) — The Invincible Company

Additional Recommended Reading

4. Dodgson, Gann & Phillips — Oxford Handbook of Innovation Management
5. Chesbrough — Open Innovation
6. Dicken — Global Shift
7. Schwab — The Fourth Industrial Revolution
8. Gershenfeld — “How to Make Almost Anything”
9. Harvard Business Review — Generative AI
10. Stilgoe, Owen & Macnaghten — Responsible innovation framework

Assessment Overview

Formative Assessment

• Group presentations (10–12 min each + Q&A)
• Covers innovation topics, with verbal feedback provided in seminars
• Does not count toward module grade

Summative Assessment

1. Individual Project Report (100%)

• Length: 4,000 words (±10%)
• Submission: Via ELE by 12:00 pm, Wed 22 January 2025
• Assesses all module learning outcomes

Assignment Requirements

Students must:

1. Select two module topics, e.g.:
   • Open Innovation
   • Technological Convergence
   • The Fourth Industrial Revolution
   • Fab Labs
   • Generative AI
   • Exploration vs. Exploitation
   • Responsible Innovation
2. Choose one organisation for each topic, ensuring the organisation has implemented or engaged with the chosen topic.
3. Analyse how each topic has influenced either:
   • The Simplified Innovation Process Model, or
   • The Business Model Canvas
4. Support analysis with academic literature and real-world evidence.

Optional Report Structure

1. Introduction (300 words)

• Purpose of the report
• Brief overview of the two topics and the two selected organisations

2. Background (800 words)

• Explain the relevance of the selected topics
• Discuss each topic in relation to its associated organisation

3. Literature Review (1000 words)

• Synthesis of academic sources providing deeper insight into the topics

4. Analysis (1400 words)

• Discuss either the Simplified Innovation Process Model or the Business Model Canvas
• Analyse how each topic affects the chosen model within each organisation

5. Conclusion (500 words)

• Summarise the implications of each topic for the innovation model discussed

Marking Criteria (Summary)

GenAI Use Policy

• The assessment is AI-Supported, meaning students may use AI tools ethically and transparently.
• A GenAI Declaration Sheet must be included with the submitted report, specifying how AI tools were used.
• AI must not replace critical thinking, original analysis, or academic skills.

Academic Guidance

Referencing

• Use APA 7th Edition consistently
• Draw from module readings and independent research
• Use a mix of academic and practice-based sources

Academic Misconduct

Plagiarism and other academic violations are strictly prohibited.

Submission Rules

• Submitted via ELE by the deadline
• Word limit: 4000 ± 10%
• Title page, ToC, tables, figures, and references are excluded from word count
• Late submissions incur standard penalties