Entrepreneurship

General characterization

Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Bibliography

Books:

Paul Burns, (2010), "Entrepreneurship and Small Business: Start-up, Growth and Maturity", Palgrave Macmillan, 3rd Ed.

Shriberg, A. & Shriberg (2010), "Practicing Leadership: Principles and Applications", John Wiley & Sons, 4th Ed., USA.

Spinelli, S. & Rob Adams (2012). “New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century”. McGraw-Hill Higher Education; 9 Ed.

Thomas H. Byers, Richard C. Dorf, Andrew Nelson (2010) “Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise”, 3rd Ed., McGraw-Hill Higher Education

To support students it will be made available severla links, blogs and videos on the various subjects presented.

Teaching method

Considering the available time (5 weeks), the teaching methodology praises that, in each week the subjects presented are discussed and worked (in groups), which had been defined in the learning objectives.

In the first week, the subjects introduced to students are related with entrepreneurial strategic issues, generation of ideas, leadership and work team management; as a result, the students will have to organize their teams to be able to define the problem. In the 2nd week, the subjects presented will allow the student to pursuit its project; they have to consider different options for the problem identified in the previous week. In the 3rd week, the market related issues are approached, and the students are asked to build a marketing plan. In the 4th week, financial issues are addressed, making it possible to accomplish a business plan. In the last week, the process of how to expose the idea to potential stakeholders is addressed; the students are required to present and argue their project in an elevator pitch.

This methodology gives priority to:     

1) the presentation of practical and successful cases;

2) the promotion of soft skills, namely, in what concerns to the development of critical thinking, the defense of ideas and arguments based on technical-scientific data, to the tolerance and capacity of dealing with conflicts in adverse and stressful situations.

3) the participation of the students in practical works and assessments and its presentation.

Evaluation method

This course is directed to students from the 4th and 5th years of the "Mestrado integrado" and students from the 2nd cycle (mestrado).

The program was design for a duration of 5 weeks, with a total of 3 ECTS.

Classes are based in an exposition methodology. Students will be asked to apply their skills in the creation and development of an idea, regarding a new product or a new business.

Students evaluation is based on the development and presentation of an idea/project in an elevator pitch, and its report. The work should be developed in teams of 4-5 members. The presentation should account for 50% of the final mark and the report 50%.

Subject matter

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: