BMA5404 (MT5008): Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
E-Mail:
Professor Michael Frese
BIZ 1 Building, #03-26
6516-1500
bizmf@nus.edu.sg
Course Description and Objectives
There are two objectives: First, to learn how to innovate in any environment (large or
small company) and to learn the necessary skills for innovation. The second objective is to
understand the process and to develop the skills necessary for developing organizations into
high growth organizations. To accomplish these two objectives the course focuses on the
processes of entrepreneurship: The development of an idea, testing whether this idea really
constitutes an opportunity, assembling resources to put the idea into effect, launching a new
venture, and how to run a new venture. This module places a strong emphasis on active
learning. It will be a hands-on course, in which the participating students will be asked to
develop own ideas and will have to test them; they will also have to interview potential
entrepreneurs, future entrepreneurs and those who have founded successfully on the process of
entrepreneurship and innovation. We shall also ask the question, how large companies can
become more entrepreneurial (the issue of entrepreneurial organizational culture) and how they
can support the development of entrepreneurial units (spin-offs).
Readings and Text

Selected readings and cases

Texts (have not been decided yet – it could be a combination of these three texts, but
which text will depend on the exact readings and cases used):
1) Baron, R.A. & Shane, S.A. (2005) Entrepreneurship: A process perspective. Mason,
Ohio: Thomson South-Western.
2) Shane, S. (2003). A general theory of entrepreneurship. Cheltenham, England:
Elgar.
3) Baum, J. R., Frese, M., & Baron, R. A. (Eds.). (2007). The Psychology of
Entrepreneurship. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers.
Course Assessment
The course requires effective class participation, written case analysis, class
presentations, and a group project. The course will have no final written exam and your grade
will be based on the following:
Class Participation
Case Analysis
Key Learning Points Presentation
Class Project
15%
40%
20% (Team)
25% (Team)
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Class Participation (15%)
This course uses learning methods that require active involvement (e.g., discussions,
exercises, simulations, etc.). Thus, attendance is required for every class session. I expect you
come to class ready to discuss the assigned readings and/or case. What you get out of this
course depends on what you put in.
Participation quality (thoughtfulness of comments/questions) is valued more than
participation quantity (frequency of comments/questions).
If you are apprehensive about speaking in class please see me. I am happy to work with you to
plan your participation in advance so that you can prepare your comments.
Absence, lateness, and lack of preparation each have a negative impact on your class
participation grade. More than two absences will reduce your class participation grade by a full
letter grade for each subsequent absence.
Case Analysis (40%) (Individual)
You have to write one case analysis prior to the discussion of the case. You should
show your ability to discuss intelligently on the basis of your readings and on the basis of
lectures/discussion in class what is important, problematic etc in a case. You need to suggest a
way forward in each case. Three requirements:
1. The case analysis should be no longer than 1000 words. Two additional pages can be
used for appendices (e.g. tables, figures, etc.).
2. All submissions must be uploaded to IVLE prior to the class in which the case will be
discussed.
3. There will be a draw in the beginning of the class that decides which case you have to
prepare.
4. I will not grade the cases week by week but start grading them after the second month
of classes (you will be told in class, when I start to grade and when the grades will be
posted).
See writing guidelines.
Key Learning Points Presentation (20%) (Team of 3 – 5)
Each team will be responsible for a 10 – 15 minute presentation identifying/reinforcing
the key learning points of the readings for a class. Be as creative and inventive with this
presentation as you can. You should have a powerpoint presentation that you give me at the
time of your presentation.
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Class Project (25%) (Team)
Students’ will work in teams to do a hands-on interview. It is up to your ingenuity to
find a person you think should be interviewed. You should tell us about your interview
questions and what issues you want to understand. You can also use a questionnaire and do an
analysis on the entrepreneurial culture of a larger organization – in that case you would do an
analysis (sort of an audit) of this organization’s tendency to be entrepreneurial. Or you can do
a simulation of a new venture issue and use a thinking aloud protocol. In any case you will
receive the necessary skills to use these various procedures during the class. Your efforts
should be highly interactive and thought provoking while providing information and insights to
the class. Please provide a copy of your slides prior to the start of your presentation. Your work
will be evaluated on how well you leverage course concepts, creativity and quality of
presentation.
More information on these projects will be provided in class.
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Course Administration and Writing Guidelines
Student participation and interaction are crucial to the success of this course. The opportunity
for students to gain insight into entrepreneurial issues from their fellow students is of
tremendous value. This can only be accomplished if students come to class consistently and are
prepared to participate with questions and observations.
Assignment Format: All major written assignments should adhere to the following guidelines:
 Double-spaced, 1” margins, single-sided, Times New Roman 12 font, page numbers.
 Use correct spelling and grammar.
 Be concise – avoid passive voice and long sentences.
 Avoid run-on sentences. If a sentence crosses more than two lines of text, think of
dividing it into two or more sentences.
 Use subheadings (sections) to enhance clarity.
 Use bullet points to list evidence in support of your key points.
 Emphasize the evidence – eliminate unfounded speculation and opinion.
 Designate a chief editor to ensure continuity and a common voice for group
assignments.
If you have difficulties with spelling please use a dictionary and a good word processing
program to check your work. If you have difficulties with grammar please refer to The
Elements of Style by W. Strunk & E. B. White (NY: Macmillan) or a similar text.
Assignment Length: 1000 words
Late Submissions Will Not Be Accepted
Grade Verification: Grades input into our grade book on IVLE are considered final one week
after they are posted. So please be sure to verify that your grades have been entered correctly
as soon as you receive them.
Attendance: Please let me know ahead of time in the event you have a schedule conflict or are
ill. If you are absent more than two class sessions the likelihood of you successfully
completing the course will be greatly diminished. Please keep me informed if there is a
problem attending class.
Academic Honesty: Cheating, plagiarism, and/or doing work for another person which will
receive academic credit are all impermissible. This includes the use of unauthorized books,
notebooks, or other sources in order to secure or give help for an assignment or the presentation
of unacknowledged material as if it were the student’s own work.
Team Participation Evaluation: You will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the
relative performance of your team members at the end of the semester. If all of your teammates
agree that one member was a poor performer (e.g. contributed less than the others or was
disruptive in some way to the team process, etc.) I will reduce that student’s grade accordingly.
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