Upon completion of the course “Entrepreneurship and Business Development,” the studentOpen will be able to:
Summarize the major schools of thought in the literature on entrepreneurship
Offer a critical analysis of the various characteristics generally associated with entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs
Understand and compare different types of entrepreneurial processes
Identify the characteristics associated with alternative forms of entrepreneurship
Open up to the Belgian entrepreneurial sector
Apply research skills: academic writing, content analysis, project management, and critical thinking.
Design and deliver an oral pitch for a project in a dedicated space
Develop meta-reflexivity regarding the entrepreneur, various alternative forms of entrepreneurship, and the entrepreneurial process, all within the context of the transition to sustainability.
The course aims at
- giving students the fundamental knowledge, from the angle of management science, economics and sociology, concerning entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs ;
- accompanying students in the building of a collective research project related to the theory and practices that are studied in the course.
The course is made of three main parts.
The first one is dedicated to the study of the various perspectives that scientific literature has produced concerning this field:
- Literature on the persona of the entrepreneur, its traits, its behaviours, its skills and motivations;
- Literature on the entrepreneurial processes;
In the second part, we shall study the different entrepreneurship types, in order to better understand how persons and contexts meet in a given project, but also to open the field to alternative entrepreneurial actions, as social entrepreneurship, sustainable entrepreneurship, tech entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship in creative and cultural industries,
The third part will focus on the methods and tools for the development of a new venture.
Additional and mandatory activities will also be offered to students, as participation to a conference, interventions of guest speakers, serious games, visit of TRAKK (Namur creative Hub), pitch session and reflexivity.
Table of contents
The course will combine ex cathedra and "learning by doing" teaching, and group's work.
Class attendance is mandatory in order to benefit from the “learning by doing” approach. The following activities will be spread out over the various class periods: presentations by guest speakers, serious games, a visit to TRAKK (Namur Creative Hub), an entrepreneurial pitch session, and reflective discussions.
Readings will be asked to students for some sessions. Either the preparatory readings will give rise to an in-class discussion or they will be followed by a small report if the corresponding session is organised remotely.
Class attendance and participation: To benefit from the “learning by doing” method, class attendance is mandatory. //2 points//
Participation to additional activities: As mentioned above, additional activities are mandatory. Students are expected to participate in at least one conference or workshop related to entrepreneurship during the semester. The goal of these activities is to open students' minds to perspectives other than those of the professor. Students will submit a short estonishment report on this activity. This report will be graded. Failure to submit a report will result in a negative grade (penalty). // 2 points or, if applicable, up to -2 points//
Group work: During this academic year, students are invited to work in small groups on the analysis of a classic work of literature or cinema through the lens of entrepreneurship. A standardized questionnaire will be used by all groups to analyze the chosen work. A list of interesting books or movies will be provided by the professor. Students may also suggest a work, which must then be approved by the professor. The book may belong to classic Anglo-Saxon or French literature. The objective of this project is to test the theory in light of a “reality” as developed in a literary or cinematographic work. The project must result in an article written according to a template provided by the professor and respecting the standards of scientific writing, especially concerning bibliography. This paper will be graded through a common grade for all group members. // 4 points //
Oral pitch of group's work: The group will give an oral presentation of the most important elements of the work in pitch and storytelling mode. // 4 points//
Oral exam: All students will be required to take an individual oral exam, which will be held either in person or remotely, depending on the circumstances at the time. This oral exam will be based on a 20-minute interaction between the professor and the student, focusing on the theoretical sections of the course and the group's work. // 8 points // ! Absorbing note: passing the oral exam is necessary to pass the course, even if the other parts are succeeded. In case of failed oral exam, the mark obtained in this oral examination then becomes the student’s final mark for this course.
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| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master in Business Engineering | Finalité spécialisée en Sustainable & Digital Management | 1 | 5 | Yes |
| Master of Education, Section 4: Economics | Standard | 1 | 5 | No |
| Master in Management | Standard | 1 | 5 | Yes |
| Master in Management | Finalité didactique | 1 | 5 | Yes |
| Master in Management, Professional focus in Digital Enterprise Transformation | Standard | 1 | 5 | No |
| Master in Management | Finalité spécialisée | 1 | 5 | Yes |
| Master in Business Engineering | Finalité spécialisée en data science | 1 | 5 | Yes |
| Master in Business Engineering | Finalité spécialisée en Sustainable & Digital Management | 2 | 5 | Yes |
| Master in Management | Finalité didactique | 2 | 5 | Yes |
| Master in Management, Professional focus in Digital Enterprise Transformation | Standard | 2 | 5 | No |
| Master in Management | Finalité spécialisée | 2 | 5 | Yes |
| Master in Business Engineering | Finalité spécialisée en data science | 2 | 5 | Yes |