Teaching Plan and Module Resources
Performance, Management and Growth
Aims:
This module focuses on issues relating to the performance, management and growth of a business
or social enterprises.
Using a blend of theory and case studies, students will gain an understanding of how to evaluate the
growth potential of a business and how to capture that potential. Issues such as performance
(including operational implications); systems, IT and e-business; resource and people management
through periods of growth, will also be explored in a range of business and social enterprise
contexts.
Teaching Plan:
This module is delivered in form of interactive workshops (a mixture of lecture and tutorial
elements). There will be 40 hours allocated to lectures, workshops/tutorials with expected selfdirected time of 160 hours, making 200 in total. Students participating in this module will be
expected to contribute to workshops and presentations as required. The first part of the module will
focus on the tools needed to evaluate the growth potential of an organisation. The second half of the
module will focus on planning for and managing growth.
To complete the module successfully, attendance at all classes is advised. Students are also expected
to work independently, undertake any required background reading or practice exercises and
actively participate in seminars or other small group work.
Lecture Plan
Session
Topic
1
Introduction
2
Strategies for growth
Details of Topic
 Module introduction and overview.
 Where are we now and where we aiming to be?
 Performance, management and growth as concepts.
What is the strategy for the business - how do
entrepreneurial businesses decide which strategy to
adopt? Opportunities, resources and innovation. The
learning organisation.
 Risk.

3
Stages of growth
4
Growth as an objective
Six phases of growth.
Tutorial discussion:
 Control and ownership - pluses and minuses of growing
a business.
 Factors that impede growth; internal and external.
 Common strategies adopted by SME's to manage
growth.
 Growth and organisational forms
Tutorial discussion:
 The entrepreneurial profile and growth (Case Study - Fil
Adams Mercer Parcels 2Go).




5
Researching an
opportunity
Tutorial discussion:
 How do entrepreneurs view opportunities? (Based on
article: Kim, W. C. (2000) 'Knowing a Winning Business
Idea When You see One'. Harvard Business Review,
Sept-Oct. 2000).




6
Why research?
The market and how to explore it.
Sources of information
Tools for evaluation and their value (e.g. Porter, PESTEL,
SWOT).
Strategy, do you need one?
Strategic Components
Internal and external consistency
Deliberate or Emergent Approaches
Strategy
Tutorial Discussion:
 Case Study 'Webb-Vidal, A. (2006) 'A shot of rum turns
crisis into opportunity' from Wickham, P.(p.230-232).


7
Deliberate and
Emergent Strategies
8
Niche versus Broad
Strategy
Types of Strategy: Planned; Entrepreneurial;
Ideological; Umbrella; Process.
How do these relate to SMEs?
Tutorial discussion:
 To plan or not to plan? Limits and possibilities.
 Reading: Mintzberg, H. and Water, J. (1985) 'Of
Strategies, Deliberate and Energent'. Strategic
Management Journal.
 Entrepreneurial Entry Strategies
 Competitive approaches: competitive versus product
strategy
 Strategic Heuristics
 Is a niche approach always best? An alternative view.
Tutorial Discussion:
 Class discussion based on the above.
9
Recap, lessons learned and assignment 1 review.

10
Ubuntu Case Study


Youtube videos: Mark Shuttleworth in Profile; What is
Ubuntu? Case Studies.
Does the model work, if so how?
Is it just a 'rich man's folly'?
 Strategically, what would you do differently?
Tutorial Discussion:
 Agree student presentation dates for term 2.
 How entrepreneurs learn and how does this impact on
business growth.
11
12
The Learning
Organisation
Opportunity Spotting,
Problem Analysis and
Innovation
Tutorial discussion:
 Self-directed learning




Tutorial Discussion:
 Self-directed learning

13
Gaining and Keeping
Competitive Advantage
14
Gaining Financial
Support for an
opportunity
15
Playing the game
16
17
18
Why do organisations leave gaps?
Strategic Windows
Opportunity spotting
Evaluating and Building resources



What is sustainable competitive advantage - key
components
Models of SCA
Entrepreneurial approaches
Knowledge Management
Tutorial Discussion:
 Student presentation 1 - Social Enterprise Business
Models
 Sources of Finance
 How Investors select opportunities
Tutorial Discussion:
 Student presentation 2 - Assessing customer
satisfaction.
 How game theory can help to explain
entrepreneur/investor relationships
Tutorial Discussion:
 Student presentation 3 - Playing games - game theory
explored through Poker.
Reading week - Read 'Learning to Lead in and Entrepreneurial Context'
 Motivation; Leadership and Power
Leadership in an
Entrepreneurial Context Tutorial Discussion:
Student presentation 4 - Sub-contracting
 Understanding Culture
 Planned Change
Organisational Culture
and Change
Tutorial Discussion:
Student presentation 5 - Culture

19
20
Intrapreneurship
Intrapreneurship
Tutorial Discussion:
Student presentation 6 - Intrapreneurship
Summary and Assignment 2 Review
Assessment:
There is no exam for this module, students will be expected to produce 2 written pieces of
coursework, each valued at 50% of the module grade.
1) A 2000 word diagnostic report evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of an organisations
operation and performance.
2) A 2000 word development plan for the organisation evaluated in assignment 1, detailing how it
might effect growth and development.
Students must achieve at least 35% for each element with an overall module mark of at least 40%.
Late Penalties:
Deadline for submissions is:
All requests for extensions should be directed to the module leader.
Work received up to 7 days late will be deducted 10% of the total mark. Work received between 7
and 14 days late will be deducted 20% of the total mark. After 14 days work will be graded as 0%.
Students who fail to submit ANY work will NOT be entitled to a resit opportunity for this assessment.
Module Resources:
There is no set text for this module; a range of texts (books and articles) should be consulted.
The reading and resources list details material suitable for a range of abilities and learning styles and
it will be available to enrolled students via the module web. The reading list includes the following:
Andriopoulos, C. and Dawson, P. (2009) Managing Change, Creativity and Innovation. London: Sage.
Library Classification: 658.406AND
Wickham, P. (2006) Strategic Entrepreneurship. FT prentice Hall
Birley, S. and Muzyka, D. (2006) Mastering Entrepreneurship. London, FT Prentice
Wilson, P. and Bates, S. (2003) The Essential Guide to Managing Small Business Growth. Chichester:
Wiley. Library Classification 658.0220942WIL
Plagiarism:
Students are advised to consult the University Regulations* and their course handbooks regarding
the penalties for and definition of plagiarism, which essentially is the deliberate and substantial
insertion in your own work of material from someone else e.g. a published source such as a book or
article, or simply another student’s piece of work, without acknowledging the extent or source of
the quotation.
*To view regulations use the University website.