ENTREP 3008 - Entrepreneurship Research Project

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2023

This capstone course enables you to gain experience and develop your knowledge in entrepreneurship into high level practical skills. You enhance your interpersonal skills, analytical ability, and business acumen to the stage where you are confident of starting and running a new venture or are able to independently research topics of interest. Knowledge covered and application of activities enable you to demonstrate the practical skills in researching, planning, and executing a business plan for a new venture or a market research document; exhibit an ability to assess the risks and opportunities in operationalising a business plan or market research; present a high level of competence in comprehension of the entrepreneurial process and ability to communicate that knowledge to others; compile a high level research paper on an entrepreneurial construct that may help in building your envisaged career path.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code ENTREP 3008
    Course Entrepreneurship Research Project
    Coordinating Unit Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation & Innov Centre
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 6
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites 8 BInnovEntr Core Courses including all Level II courses and ENTREP 3016
    Assumed Knowledge Knowledge of the content of core courses for the BInnovEntr
    Restrictions Available for BInnovEntr students only
    Assessment Individual assignments, participation
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Binyam Alemayehu

    Program Director Contact Details: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
    Name: Dr Matt McKinlay
    Email: matthew.mckinlay@adelaide.edu.au
    Teaching Staff
    Semester 1

    Name:
    Email:

    Semester 2
    Name:
    Binyam Alemayehu
    Email:
    binyam.alemayehu@adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

    1 Apply the tools and techniques taught throughout the course to evaluate the factors that contribute to the success/failure of an enterprise
    2 Construct and research the plans for a business based on a perceived opportunity
    3 Present a coherent business plan to a panel in a concise manner
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    1, 2

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    2, 3

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    2

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    2

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    1, 2
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources

    Text book:
    No text required

    A set of articles will be provided on the MyUni site to assist you with the content and conduct of this course.
    You will be required to expand your search and reading by sourcing your own articles etc. because this course is aimed at doing independent self-driven research.

    Recommended Resources

    A worthwhile reference text (sourcing and purchasing is optional) that discusses various emerging viewpoints on entrepreneurship theory and its practice is:

    Welsch, Harold (2004) Entrepreneurship: The Way Ahead, Routledge, New York.

    Library Resources
    The University of Adelaide’s Barr Smith Library provides a range of learning resources including texts, journals, periodicals, magazines, and access to online databases and information services. It also offers a virtual library which is accessible via the University’s website. Access to the Library's electronic resources.

    Online Learning
    MyUni is the University of Adelaide's online learning environment. It is used to support traditional face-to-face lectures, tutorials and workshops at the University. MyUni provides access to various features including announcements, course materials, discussion boards and assessments for each online course of study.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course is a self-directed learning course supervised by your teaching staff. Support is provided both on-campus and online.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    As a guide, a 3 unit course comprises a total of 156 hours work (this includes face-to-face contact, any online components, and self
    directed study). You can expect to commit 312 hours to this 6 unit course.
    Learning Activities Summary

    This is a draft schedule, that may change during the course delivery if necessary.

    Content

    The Project in Entrepreneurship is a self-directed study program that offers scope for candidates to pursue their own entrepreneurship related interest in three broadly defined areas, namely; innovation and the new enterprise creation process, the strategic management of entrepreneurship or innovation in the context of established organisations, communities or economic regions. The project will require a research element however it may be either an applied research activity or a more theoretical/academic project that targets a specific topic or issue relevant to entrepreneurship and innovation. A candidate will complete the proposed topic submitted to the Course Lecturer for approval prior to commencement of any project work.

    The Project in Entrepreneurship course is therefore designed for a candidate to pursue research into an area or topic related to their entrepreneurship career that holds personal interest or value. Previous candidates have, for example, used the Project as a vehicle to prepare a business plan and undertake a literature review of a critical component of the business proposition that will influence the plans outcome. Alternatively, a candidate may consider preparing an implementation report with a literature review on a single aspect of the implementation. The report could for instance document entrepreneurial strategies adopted by an established organisation to improve its specific innovation or general performance. The literature review could examine a key management issue encountered by the organisation during the implementation of these strategies.

    This course is designed to integrate much of the course work undertaken to date. The decision about what project to undertake is made by the candidate in consultation with the lecturer and/or supervisor. It is expected however that any project will have sufficient challenge and stretch to constitute 20-24 hours per week.

    Consultation Schedule
    There are set classes for this course but students will also work directly with their lecturer on their project. Remember this is a self-study program so it is up to you to plan and make the most of your resources (including your lecturer) to successfully complete this course of study. Appointment times for the review and supervision sessions will be available by prior arrangement.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    An overview of the course assessment appears in the following Table. Details appear in the following section:

    #AssessmentLengthWeightingLearning Outcomes
    1 Methods paper Typically 1,000-1,500 words 20% 2
    2 Method paper presentation 5% 3
    3 Research Paper 3,000 - 4,000 words 20% 1,2,3
    4 Major Project Output
    (Plan, report or paper)

    Typically 4,000 – 6,000 words

    40% 1,2,3
    5 MPO presentation 5% 3
    6 Participation Course duration 10% 1,2,3
    Total 100%
    Assessment Related Requirements

    Candidates will be assessed by participation and submission of three assignments. All assignments must be completed to be eligible to pass the course. Coverage of the lecture materials and participation in the presentation sessions are compulsory. Lectures must be attended or, in special circumstances, an alternate approach to lecture attendance may be negotiated. Participation in the presentations can either be ‘in person’ or by ‘virtual’ means also by negotiation.

    It is expected that assignments will be typed, using word processing software such as Microsoft Word. The preference is for you to hand in a printed and bound assignment, and also submit the file via the MyUni Gradebook.

    Don’t cram too many words onto a page: use a line spacing of 1.5 lines, and a right-hand margin of 4cm (to enable feedback and comments). If software other than Microsoft Word is used, the file format must be one that can be read using Word, such as .doc, .docx or .rtf (rich text format). PDF (Acrobat) format is not acceptable unless accompanied by an editable Microsoft Word document or similar.

    Students should attend all classes in order to pass the course. There is considerable experiential learning during classes that build your knowledge and thus enable you to be successful in this course.

    Course results may be subject to moderation by the Assessment Review Committee.
    Assessment Detail
    Assessment 1: Methods Paper
    Weighting: 10%
    Task: This assignment requires the candidate to develop and discuss a methods section that fits well with their project. Candidates need to explains what they did and how they did it, allowing readers to evaluate the reliability and validity of the research.

    Assessment 2: Research Paper
    Weighting: 30%
    Task: This assignment is designed for the candidate to demonstrate a capacity to identify and use academic, government, media or general reference sources to expand their knowledge of particular issues encountered in entrepreneurship.

    Assessment 3: Major Project Output
    Weighting: 50%
    Task: The candidate is required to present a professionally written report detailing the project work they have negotiated with the lecturer. Submission of your MPO includes an oral presentation that is to be professionally presented to an audience that will include external participants. Candidates are required to present and defend their MPO and should succinctly describe the MPO, the major objective(s) of the presentation, any major assumptions and decisions relevant to the MPO and seek to engage or extract commitment from their audience.

    Assessment 4: Participation
    Weighting: 10%
    Task: You are expected to contribute, initiate and comment upon issues relevant to the Projects, in face-to-face discussion and/or in the online forums when used.
    Submission

    All text based assignments must be submitted via MyUni:

    • Assignment Submission: Assignments should not be emailed to the instructor; they must be lodged via the MyUni Course site (unless specified to do both).
    • Cover Sheet: Please include in the assignment a completed University of Adelaide Assessment Cover Sheet (found in MyUni, under Modules) providing details of yourself and your team members (if applicable), your assignment, the course, date submitted, etc. as well as the declaration signed by you that this is your (your team’s) work. Note that the declaration on any electronically submitted assignment will be deemed to have the same authority as a signed declaration.
    • Backup Copy of Assignments: You are advised to keep a copy of your assignments in case the submitted copy goes missing. Please ensure that all assignment pages are numbered. If your assignment contains confidential information, you should discuss any concerns with the Course Lecturer prior to submission.
    • Assessment extensions request: An application for Assessment Extension should be made before the due date of the assignment to the Course Lecturer. Normally, extensions will only be granted for a maximum of two weeks from the original assignment submission date. Extensions will only be granted in cases of genuine medical, compassionate or extenuating circumstances. See sections 3 and 7a) i. in particular on assessment extensions in the Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment (MACA) Policy.
    • Failure to submit: Failure to submit an assignment on time or by the agreed extension deadline may result in penalties and may incur a fail grade. Note that a late penalty of 5% of the total available marks for that assessment item will be incurred each day an assignment is handed in late (Unless otherwise stated in 'Assessment Related Requirements' or 'Assessment Detail' above). Assignments handed in after 14 days from the due submission date will fail even if a 100% mark is granted for the work.
    • Resubmission: of an assignment after reworking it to obtain a better mark will not normally be accepted. Approval for resubmission will only be granted on medical or compassionate grounds.
    • Appealing a mark or grade: If you are dissatisfied with your mark or grade, you may request a review or re-mark. There must be academic or procedural reasons for your request, so you can’t simply request a re-mark because you are disappointed with your result. For more information on the process see Assessment Grievance: Appealing a mark or grade
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.