Innovation Management

Course Director: Marco Mismetti

General purpose and themes

It is widely recognized that innovation constitutes a key driver of organizational formation, growth and competitive advantage. Less known is the fact that because innovation processes occur in extremely uncertain and turbulent contexts, they have to be managed differently from "business-as-usual”, requiring managers to learn and practice a different set of principles, frameworks, tools and skills.

Copying and pasting management tools and frameworks learned in previous courses and educational programs into these peculiar environments may not be a sound approach. Instead, new ventures and startups as well as innovation projects in established organizations need their own management techniques, methods and theories.

The course Innovation Management focuses on how to achieve business success through the development of new products, services, business models, platforms and processes. Departing from traditional, linear, plan-based frameworks for innovation management, such as Stage Gate, we center our training around Design Thinking, and Lean start-up principles (iteration, experimentation, pivoting, human centeredness, visualization, diversity, etc.) and methods (ethnographic research, problem reframing, analogical ideation, MVP, smoke testing etc.). Through these skillsets and toolkits, we learn how to efficiently and effectively create innovation by proficiently identifying and transforming opportunities - in the form of unmet user needs and/or ambitious visions - into ideas, concepts, prototypes and finally new innovative products, services and business models.

Innovation projects and programs are not a prerogative for start-ups only; they are key growth drivers for established firms too as they strive to continuously renew and reinvent themselves through redefining business models, corporate venturing, spin offs, radical transformation programs and other endeavors that fall under the umbrella of “intrapreneurship” (or corporate entrepreneurship). Therefore, learning about innovation is essential for any contemporary manager.

Pedagogical format

The backbone of the course is the Live Project, which is about advising a real client (an innovative start-up) in the creation, development, and delivery of an innovation e.g. a product or a service, a business model, or a process. The Live Project is conducted in teams and spans over the whole course.

The course uses a workshop format, including a variety of teaching methodologies such as interactive input sessions, class discussions, case studies, teamwork, peer feedback as well as student presentations.

Course Administrator: Titus.Mathew@hhs.se

The Innovation Management course prepares you to be the innovation expert that knows which tools and techniques to apply in different situations in order to make innovation thrive. It also prepares you to be change makers, a creative force and to lead high uncertainty innovation initiatives.

As a student you will do so by accomplishing the following learning objectives:

• Know, select and apply core theories, models, tools and frameworks from the discipline of innovation management to transform innovation opportunities, such as unmet customer needs and creative ideas, into new products, services, business models, platforms and processes.
• Execute innovative work in real life entrepreneurial/ innovation projects.
• Master problem framing and solving, experimentation, uncertainty management, project management, team dynamics and all other skills that are required to successfully manage highly uncertain projects and to address complex and turbulent environments.

General entry requirements

• Nathan Furr and Jeff Dyer. The Innovator's Method: Bringing the Lean Start-Up Into Your Organization. Harvard Business Review Press, 2014.
• Articles and cases.

The overall grade is based on:

55% individual work:

• 25% Literature exam
• 30% Open-book case exam
• Active participation: pass or fail.

45% Team-work:

• 45% Live Project
• Design Thinking Hackathon (pass or fail)

The nature of this course does not lend itself to objective questions; generally there are no “right” or “wrong” answers. There are however, different levels of quality. Grades will be determined based on the evaluation of the quality and timeliness of your work efforts and deliverables and will incorporate the following criteria: clarity, focus and ambition of written reports and oral presentations; substantiation and understanding by showing depth, accuracy and completeness of analysis made; insight and contribution, by having logical and defensible flow of ideas, showing creative and original thinking, thereby bringing value to others. Grading will follow the SSE grading guidelines, from Pass to Excellent. There is a maximum of 100 points in the course (note that you need to have over 50 points in order to pass the course; the scores to pass each assessment activity are specified in the handbook).

Assignments are considered late if not turned in by the designated due time. SSE students have an incredible workload, but to be fair to everyone, late assignments will receive point reductions.

Find the course schedule in TimeEdit

Have you been granted educational support because of a documented disability? If so, please contact the course director as soon as possible so that adequate accommodations can be made.

Contact specialneeds@hhs.se if you have questions about being granted educational support or need a copy of your educational support certificate.

For more information, visit the Specific Educational Needs page on the Student Hub (login required).