Social and commercial enterprises play an important role in today’s society, often in partnership with larger corporations and public sector organisations. This course provides rich, experience-based insights into the distinctive challenges of creating and developing entrepreneurial ventures. It helps you to gain relevant skills and underpinning knowledge. You will also develop a deeper, and more critical, understanding of entrepreneurial practices by connecting your experiences to relevant concepts and research evidence. As a result, you will be better placed to: develop your own venture, engage with other entrepreneurial organisations, and take part in wider debates about entrepreneurship in the twenty-first century.
What you will study
This module is designed to be of interest to all MBA students. Although it assumes some background understanding of business and management functional areas such as marketing, finance and operations it does not require any detailed prior knowledge of entrepreneurship. Many of the concepts introduced in the compulsory modules are extended within this module. The module will be particularly relevant if you are considering an entrepreneurial career, either individually or as part of a new venture team. It is also has particular relevance for you as a manager engaging in corporate entrepreneurship (i.e. acting entrepreneurially within an existing organisation) in the public, private or voluntary sectors, and if your work brings you into contact with entrepreneurial individuals and organisations.
You will examine a wide variety of entrepreneurial activity in commercial and social enterprises around the world, with some opportunities to focus on areas of particular interest. This module also offers a critical perspective on entrepreneurial activity, addressing its constructive and destructive potential and the ethical implications for entrepreneurs. The module is structured around two assessments that address practical challenges associated with the creating and developing successful entrepreneurial ventures. One of the core themes is that entrepreneurial learning is not a one-off process (i.e. following a standard ‘recipe’), but an on-going cycle that can be supported in various ways. In order to promote your entrepreneurial learning, experience-based elements are combined with focused reviews of relevant theoretical concepts and research evidence.
This module makes considerable use of case study illustrations and exercises. This enables you to consider, and reflect upon, the experiences of real-world entrepreneurs as they engage in key entrepreneurial tasks such as: gaining legitimacy, challenging incumbents, pursuing innovation and managing the growth process. Your tutor facilitates a number of practical activities and group discussions. The combination of experience-based learning and structured reflection gives you a real sense of the excitement, uncertainty, passion, and sheer hard work involved in creating and developing a new venture.
Vocational relevance
This module is relevant to any managerial career but has particularly relevance if you are considering an entrepreneurial career or if your managerial role involves interaction with entrepreneurial individuals and organisations.
Entry
You will need to have already completed MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (B716). Your first module in Stage 2 of the MBA will be the compulsory module The dynamics of strategy (BB835). The next module you must study is Corporate finance (BB831), although you may choose to study an elective module alongside this 15 credits of compulsory finance study.
Alternatively it is possible to study this module on a standalone basis. You will need to ensure that you have the knowledge and experience to study at postgraduate level. Please note that if you wish to study towards a qualification at a later date you must meet the entry requirements for that qualification.
The module requires 150 hours of study over six months.
You will also need an appropriate facility in English language, sufficient to be able to work effectively at postgraduate level; generally this means capability equivalent to an International English Language Test System (IELTS) score of 6.5. To assess your English language skills in relation to your proposed studies you can visit the IELTS website. If you are unsure whether your skill level in English is adequate you may find it helpful to look at our Skills for OU Study site.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
Preparatory work
If you are studying this as a standalone module and have little or no prior experience of business and management subjects, we strongly recommend that you complete the free OpenLearn course, First steps in innovation and entrepreneurship, which requires eight hours of study.
Qualifications
BB846 is an optional module in our:
Excluded combinations
Sometimes you will not be able to count a module towards a qualification if you have already taken another module with similar content. To check any excluded combinations relating to this module, visit our excluded combination finder or check with an adviser before registering.
If you have a disability
Elements of this module are delivered online and include the use of real-time online discussions and an interactive whiteboard space; consequently time spent using a computer and the internet will be extensive. If you use assistive technology or have a hearing or speech impairment and have concerns about accessing this type of virtual environment and materials you can visit the system provider's website for information and contact The Open University to discuss it further before registering.
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical and scientific materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future.
Study materials
What's included
An extensive variety of specially written resources presented in different media (print and online) and designed exclusively for this module, audio-visual material, published articles, case-studies, a set of interactive tools to help you develop your management thinking abilities and access to The Open University library.
Computing requirements
You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS Ventura or higher.
Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.
To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).
Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.
Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It’s not available on Kindle.
It’s also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you’ll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your assignments and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. You will contact your tutor by telephone, email or via your tutor group forum on the BB846 website.
Contact us if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details can be found in the facts box above.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your tutor-marked assignment (TMA) and end-of-module assessment (EMA).
Future availability
Entrepreneurship: experience and perspective starts once a year – in November. This page describes the module that will start in November 2019 when we expect it to start for the last time.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our
Student Policies and Regulations website.