Universiteit van Amsterdam
Syllabus
Course:
Days and Times:
Room:
Instructor’s Name:
Office Phone:
Office Hours:
International Entrepreneurship
Semester: Spring 2011
Thursdays 7-10pm
EC: 5
To be determined
dr. Chihmao Hsieh (pronounced ‘shay’)
Office Location:
REC E2.39
020 525 4789
Tuesdays/Thursdays 1-5pm, or By appointment (I require
24 hours notice.)
Dashboard/most info:
Please see http://www.chsieh.com/mba-intl-entrep.html
-pw: “minor”
Questions / comments? Please see http://www.chsieh.com/contact.html
COURSE BACKGROUND
Objectives: This course covers recent developments in the theory and practice of entrepreneurship as
applied in the international context. From a theory point of view, the course develops the perspective of
entrepreneurship as a process of opportunity recognition-evaluation-exploitation, a definition which has
been generally accepted among entrepreneurship scholars and practitioners (Shane & Venkataraman,
2000). Using this perspective, students will gain an understanding of the issues and challenges of
developing and commercializing business ideas that are international by nature.
Extended Description: This 7-week course is based on one lecture followed by 6 in-class discussions
fueled by Harvard Business School case studies, practitioner articles, as well as scholarly articles. The
cases and readings are discussed interactively and intensely, often in ‘breakout’ groups. Homework
covers all readings, and can be completed collaboratively in groups. A short paper and a final exam are
also required to complete the course.
Required Materials: All reading material planned for the semester is provided in a coursepack (i.e.
“reader”). The material can also be found at the International Entrepreneurship webpage on
http://www.chsieh.com.
Instructional Methods: Mostly case-study and discussion.
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COURSE GRADING
The course grade is based on a possible 346 total course points, as follows:
Grading:
Individual homeworks
156 points total
-6 homeworks, with total 36 MC* (1 pt each) and 12 SA (10 pts each)
Short paper
70 points total
Final Exam
120 points total
-40 MC and 8 SA (1 pt, 10 pts, respectively)
45,1%
20,2%
34,7%
Homeworks and short paper are due via Qualtrics. If you independently study and understand the
material, the short paper and the exam will not be too difficult. All written assignments and exams should
be in English.
Individual homework. All individual homeworks will be collected via Qualtrics. Each homework will be
based on the (upcoming) week’s readings. Homework scores will be returned via an Excel spreadsheet on
the International Entrepreneurship webpage at chsieh.com. This spreadsheet will indicate which MC
questions you got wrong, but will not provide the correct answers. It is up to you to determine the correct
answers. You are allowed to work in groups but then the homework answer must indicate your group’s
number. You are not allowed to submit homework with others that are not in your group.
Homeworks are due on midnight on the night before the next class period. Late homework
assignments are not accepted; Qualtrics won’t allow it.
Generally speaking, homework grading is based on 3 criteria, and it's reasonable to say that these
are obvious. (1) You have to answer the question that is asked. (2) You have to show that you don't
misunderstand the reading material. (3) You have to adequately DEFEND your answer(s).
Surprisingly, it's not uncommon that people don't even answer the questions that are asked! That's
the easiest way to lose points.
Attendance. Attendance is optional. Why? My belief is that if you don’t come to class but you still
perform well on everything, then I have no complaints. As long as those who come to class believe the
learning experience is valuable, and others also feel that it’s valuable, then I have no complaints.
Short paper. Please see the last couple pages of this syllabus.
Final exam. Please see the “Readings and homework schedule.”
* “MC” stands for Multiple Choice.
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READINGS AND HOMEWORK SCHEDULE
Week #1 (April 7): Fundamentals and crossroads of entrepreneurship and international business:
dimensions, concepts, and issues
Readings for Week #2:
- "Discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities" (Shane, 2003: ch 3).
- "Individual differences and the decision to exploit" (Shane, 2003: ch 4).
- "How entrepreneurs connect the dots." Academy of Management Perspectives (2006).
- "Defining International Entrepreneurship." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice (2005).
- Homework assigned for Week #2 (administered via Qualtrics)
______________________________
Week #2 (April 14): Entrepreneurial opportunity: who discovers and who exploits
Readings for Week #3:
- "Sittercity." Harvard Business Case (2009).**
- "Cognitive biases, risk perception, and venture formation: How individuals decide to start
companies." Journal of Business Venturing (1999).
- "Uncertainty avoidance and the rate of business ownership across 21 OECD countries." Journal
of Evolutionary Economics (2007).
- "Disciplined entrepreneurship." Sloan Management Review (2004).
- Homework assigned for Week #3 (administered by Qualtrics)
______________________________
Week #3 (April 21): Risk, uncertainty, and culture
Readings for Week #4:
- "Blue Man Group: Creativity, Life and Surviving an Economic Meltdown." Harvard Business Case
(2010).
- "Creativity and the role of the leader." Harvard Business Review (2008).
- “Explicitly searching for useful inventions." Scientometrics (2011).
- "Team diversity and information use." Academy of Management Journal (2005).
- Homework assigned for Week #4 (administered by Qualtrics)
______________________________
Week #4 (April 28): Creativity and small teams
Readings for Week #5:
- "Opportunity discovery, problem solving, and a theory of the entrepreneurial firm." Journal of
Management Studies (2007).
- "The selection of communication media as an executive skill." Academy of Management
Executive (1988).
- "Testing media richness theory in the new media." Information Systems Research (1998).
- "Cross-cultural comparison of organizational media evaluation and choice." Journal of
Communication (1998).
- Homework assigned for Week #5 (administered by Qualtrics)
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______________________________
Week #5 (May 12): Complexity, communication channels, and culture
Readings for Week #6:
- "ttools." Kellogg Business Case (2006).
- "Appropriating the returns from industrial research and development." Brookings Papers on
Economic Activity (1987). Please read only pp 783-813.
- "The value captor's process." Harvard Business Review (2007).
- "R&D spillovers, patents and the incentives to innovate in Japan and the United States." Research
Policy (2002).
- Homework assigned for Week #6 (administered by Qualtrics)
______________________________
Week #6 (May 19): The capture of value: international considerations
Readings for Week #7:
- "The fallacy of 'only the strong survive': The effects of extrinsic motivation on the persistence
decisions for under-performing firms." Journal of Business Venturing (2008).
- "Keeping Google Googley." Harvard Business Case (2009).
- "Putting the organization on wheels." California Management Review (2007).
- “Explaining Organizational Diseconomies of Scale in R&D." Management Science (1994).
- Homework assigned for Week #7 (administered by Qualtrics)
______________________________
Week #7 (June 9): Overcoming Possible Sources of Entrepreneurial Failure
- Prepare for the exam
______________________________
Week #8 (Tentative date: June 16): Exam***
The short paper is due on June 18th at midnight via Qualtrics.
** All cases covered in this course are copyrighted as Harvard Business School cases, although they may
have been written at other institutions.
*** This is a final exam that covers all the material (including the coursepack, lecture, and discussions).
Short Answer questions are scored the same way as the Homework. You are allowed one A4 ‘crib sheet,’
front and back. It is untimed.
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INDIVIDUAL SHORT PAPER
During the semester, we will have covered a variety of topics, ranging from opportunity discovery to
entrepreneurial risk to value capture.
Please write a 1800-2000 word paper* that (a) describes and (b) assesses, and then (c) makes
prescriptions for one of the following: a previous company at which you worked, an entrepreneurial
venture familiar to you, or one of the ventures that we studied. Regardless, the paper must draw from at
least 2 of the 6 topics covered during the course. I expect that your paper’s introductory paragraphs
should correspond to some kind of abstract or basic message. In other words, what does your paper
attempt to show and prove to your reader?
In addition to using the class readings associated with your topic of choice, please also include additional
references. Exploring the Business Source Premier Database is highly recommended. At least two of
your additional references must be within the last 5 years. To access Business Source Premier, please
visit uva.nl → Studenten → Bibliotheek → Databases → Blader in de A/Z lijst → “Business Source
Premier”.
Please use 2.54cm margins all around, 11 or 12-pt Times New Roman. The grading system for the short
paper can be found on the next page.
* Cover page, appendices, and bibliography do not count towards the word count.
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GRADING SYSTEM FOR SHORT PAPER
Exceeds Standard (100%)
Introduction (11 pts)
The introduction is engaging, states
the main idea and previews the
structure of the paper.
Reflect application of learning Shows great depth of knowledge and
(24 pts)
learning, reveals feelings and
thoughts, abstract ideas reflected
through use of specific details.
Meets Standard (85%)
The introduction states the
main topic and previews the
structure of the paper.
Relates learning with research
and project, personal and
general reflections included,
uses concrete language.
Nearly Meets Standard (70%) Does Not Meet Standard (40%)
The introduction states the
main topic but does not
adequately preview the
structure of the paper.
Does not go deeply into the
reflection of learning,
generalizations and limited
insight, uses some detail.
Little or no explanation or
reflection on learning, no or
few details to support
reflection.
Shows no evidence of
learning or reflection.
Obviously illogical
organization; organization of
ideas not developed.
No evidence of structure or
organization.
Organization-Structural
Development of the Idea (10
pts)
Writer demonstrates logical and subtle Paragraph development present Logical organization;
sequencing of ideas through wellbut not perfected.
organization of ideas not fully
developed paragraphs; transitions are
developed.
used to enhance organization.
Conclusion (7 pts)
The conclusion is engaging and
restates personal learning.
The conclusion restates the
learning.
The conclusion does not
Incomplete and/or unfocused.
adequately restate the learning.
Mechanics (4 pts)
No errors in punctuation,
capitalization and spelling.
Almost no errors in
punctuation, capitalization and
spelling.
Almost no errors in sentence
structure and word usage.
Many errors in punctuation,
capitalization and spelling.
Done in a reasonably correct format
with no errors. Includes more than 5
major references (e.g. journal articles,
books, but no more than two internet
sites). Includes at least 2 additional
major references not discussed during
class (and published in last 5 years).
Done in a reasonably correct
format with few errors.
Includes 5 major references
(e.g. science journal articles,
books, but no more than two
internet sites).
Done in a reasonably correct
format with some errors.
Includes 4 major references
(e.g. science journal articles,
books, but no more than two
internet sites).
Usage (4 pts)
Citation (4 pts)
Bibliography (6 pts)
No evidence (0%)
Score
There is no clear introduction Absent, no evidence
or main topic and the structure
of the paper is missing.
Absent
Numerous and distracting
errors in punctuation,
capitalization and spelling.
No errors in sentence structure and
Many errors in sentence
Numerous and distracting
word usage.
structure and word usage.
errors in sentence structure and
word usage.
All cited works, both text and visual, Some cited works, both text
Few cited works, both text and visual, are done in a correct Absent
are done in a correct format with no and visual, are done in a correct
format. (55%)
errors.
format. Inconsistencies evident.
Done in a reasonably correct
format with many errors.
Includes 3 major references
(e.g. science journal articles,
books, but no more than two
internet sites).
Absent
__/70
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TABLE OF CONTENTS OF COURSEPACK
WEEK #2
1) "Discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities" (Shane, 2003: ch 3).
2) "Individual differences and the decision to exploit" (Shane, 2003: ch 4).
3) "How entrepreneurs connect the dots." Academy of Management Perspectives (2006).
4) "Defining International Entrepreneurship." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice (2005).
WEEK #3
5) "Sittercity." Harvard Business Case (2009).
6) "Cognitive biases, risk perception, and venture formation: How individuals decide to start
companies." Journal of Business Venturing (1999).
7) "Uncertainty avoidance and the rate of business ownership across 21 OECD countries." Journal
of Evolutionary Economics (2007).
8) "Disciplined entrepreneurship." Sloan Management Review (2004).
WEEK #4
9) "Blue Man Group: Creativity, Life and Surviving an Economic Meltdown." Harvard Business
Case (2010).
10) "Creativity and the role of the leader." Harvard Business Review (2008).
11) “Explicitly searching for useful inventions." Scientometrics (2011).
12) "Team diversity and information use." Academy of Management Journal (2005).
WEEK #5
13) "Opportunity discovery, problem solving, and a theory of the entrepreneurial firm." Journal of
Management Studies (2007).
14) "The selection of communication media as an executive skill." Academy of Management
Executive (1988).
15) "Testing media richness theory in the new media." Information Systems Research (1998).
16) "Cross-cultural comparison of organizational media evaluation and choice." Journal of
Communication (1998).
WEEK #6
17) "ttools." Kellogg Business Case (2006).
18) "Appropriating the returns from industrial research and development." Brookings Papers on
Economic Activity (1987). Please read only pp 783-813.
19) "The value captor's process." Harvard Business Review (2007).
20) "R&D spillovers, patents and the incentives to innovate in Japan and the United States." Research
Policy (2002).
WEEK #7
21) "The fallacy of 'only the strong survive': The effects of extrinsic motivation on the persistence
decisions for under-performing firms." Journal of Business Venturing (2008).
22) "Keeping Google Googley." Harvard Business Case (2009).
23) "Putting the organization on wheels." California Management Review (2007).
24) “Explaining Organizational Diseconomies of Scale in R&D." Management Science (1994).
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