Ongoing technological innovation has become a strategic necessity for many organisations. Even in traditionally stable sectors, maintaining the status quo is seldom viable. This creates challenges for organisations acquiring and managing the resources and capabilities necessary for effective approaches to innovation and creating and maintaining contexts that support strategic action. This module draws on material from the resource-based view of organisations and strategic and innovation management more generally to produce a multi-layered, practical approach to developing and managing technological innovation.
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| Start |
End |
Fee
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Register |
| 01 May 2025 |
Oct 2025 |
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| Registration closes 10/04/25 (places subject to availability) Click to register
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| 01 Nov 2025 |
Apr 2026 |
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| Registration closes 09/10/25 (places subject to availability) Click to register
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This module is expected to start for the last time in May 2027.
What you will study
This module is relevant if you are involved or interested in the development and management of technological innovation in a wide variety of contexts and sectors as diverse and varied as:
- IT/IS
- telecommunications
- computing
- engineering
- manufacturing
- transport and logistics
- retailing
- energy production and supply
- defence and security,
- management and administration
- any form of services, including health, welfare and leisure.
In all these fields, and more, the major theme of this module - the importance of strategically planning and managing a range of organisational resources and capabilities to deliver technological innovation - is central to the effective and successful operation of organisations of any size and purpose.
Block 1: Innovation capabilities
Since the 1950s scholars and researchers of innovation have tried to analyse and explain innovation and what makes some organisations successful at it while other, often similar, organisations are not. This block introduces you to one popular approach to understanding and explaining this conundrum - the resource based view (RBV) of organisations and the dynamic capabilities approach - and how and why this approach is important for the development and management of technological innovation.
Block 2: Innovation strategy
Strategy is nowadays commonplace across all forms of organisation and enterprise, whether commercial, government and public sector or non-profit - or so we are led to believe. And acceptance of the assumed importance and benefits of strategic management is widespread. It is argued that strategy is both integral and crucial to the development and success of technological innovation. This block briefly reviews the development of strategic management, its rise to current levels of popularity and what might constitute good and bad strategy. To conclude this block, you’ll explore the nature of innovation strategy specifically and its growing importance for organisational and technological innovation.
Block 3: Business models for innovation
Business models are the basis on which organisations gain value from the technological innovations they develop. Recent innovations have sometimes disrupted whole industries (such as in the case of digital music) requiring the creation of dramatically different business models. Other innovations have had less dramatic impact but it is frequently still necessary to develop a more effective business model in order to gain or maintain competitive advantage. This block analyses the nature of a business model, examines examples, and then draws on a range of approaches to develop new models.
Block 4: Innovation, culture and risk
This block is about the relationships between three topics: innovation; risk; and organisational climate/culture. A willingness to take risks has been identified as a positive determinant of creativity and innovation but it is equally important that actual and potential risks are identified and managed appropriately. The ways of doing both risk identification and risk management are covered in this block. Organisational climate/culture affect all aspects of an organisation but are particularly important where innovation is concerned and will therefore also be discussed in some depth. Finally, determinants of organisational culture that influence innovation will be examined before considering the extent to which it is possible to shift culture in a pre-determined direction.
Block 5: Innovation, power and influence
This block takes a contextual, innovation related, approach to the analysis of organisational and systemic sources of power and influence and their use in leveraging advantageous positions and resources and in the creation and strategic management of capabilities for technological innovation.
Block 6: Future capabilities for innovation
This block concludes the module by reviewing and synthesising some of the key themes and issues that emerge from across the previous five blocks. The block ends by examining some potential future developments in the development and management of capabilities for innovation and our understanding and application of this approach.
Entry
This is a masters-level module that can be taken either as a stand-alone module or as part of a postgraduate qualification.
Relevant professional experience will provide you with a good foundation for studying this module. However, as it takes a multi-disciplinary view of technology strategy, you don’t need to have previously studied any of the topics covered in the module.
Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum overall score of 6 and minimum score of 5.5 in each of the four components: reading, writing, speaking and listening under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see the IELTS website for details.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
Qualifications
T849 is a compulsory module in our:
T849 is an option 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
The core study material will be delivered online via the module website, so you will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet.
Some online material may not be fully accessible using a screen reader (and mathematical and scientific materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way). If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet and have concerns about accessing this type of material you are advised to contact us about support that can be given to meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.
Study materials
What's included
The study material is provided wholly online. Online databases for literature searching will be accessible via the OU Library website. Further resources (such as examples of research of relevance to your discipline) are also available via the module website. You will use online forums, wikis and podcasts during your study.
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
Throughout your module studies, you’ll get help and support from your assigned module tutor. They’ll help you by:
- Marking your assignments (TMAs) and providing detailed feedback for you to improve.
- Guiding you to additional learning resources.
- Providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content.
- Facilitating online discussions between your fellow students, in the dedicated module and tutor group forums.
Module tutors also run online tutorials throughout the module. Where possible, recordings of online tutorials will be made available to students. While these tutorials won’t be compulsory for you to complete the module, you’re strongly encouraged to take part. If you want to participate, you’ll likely need a headset with a microphone.
Assessment
The assessment details can be found in the facts box.
Students also studied
Students who studied this module also studied at some time:
Future availability
Strategic capabilities for technological innovation (T849) starts twice a year – in May and November.
This page describes the module that will start in November 2024 and May 2025.
We expect it to start for the last time in May 2027.
How to register
To register a place on this module return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button.
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.