MN3656k Innovation, Strategy and the Corporation

2020-21

ASSESSMENT OUTLINE

Summary of Assessed Elements:

ASSESSMENT WEIGHTING LIMITATIONS DEADLINE

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 60% 2,500 words Monday 21st June 2021
INDIVIDUAL APPLIED CASE STUDY 40% 2,500 words Monday 12th July 2021

Further details can be found below.

Individual Assignment

This is a compulsory formal assessment worth 60%. The individual coursework takes the form of an assignment of 2,500
words (not including bibliography or appendices). You must answer one from the five questions listed below.

Choose one of the following:

1. How does innovation contribute to competitive advantage? Support your answer with illustrations from both
manufacturing and services.

2. What are the challenges which managers might face in trying to organise for a long-term steady stream of
incremental innovation?

3. How are innovative capabilities built and deployed over time? Explain, providing examples of the ways in which
competitive advantage can be constructed through building capabilities.

4. Is innovation manageable or just a random gambling activity where you sometimes get lucky? If it is manageable,
how can firms organise and manage it – what general principles might they use?

5. How might an organisation assess a portfolio of possible innovation projects? What are the relative strengths and
weaknesses of different approaches?
Individual Assessment Marking Criteria:

Inte lle c tua l q ua litie s e xp re sse d Struc ture & o rg a nisa tio n Le ve l o f re a d ing Q ua lity o f re fe re nc ing Writing sty le

O u t st a n d in g e v id e n c e o f
O u t st a n d in g b a la nc e a n d c la rit y O u t st a n d in g p re c isio n in O u t st a n d in g a c a d e m ic
O u t st a n d in g , c o m p re he nsive c o m p re he nsive a n d in -d e p t h ,
FIRST 82,85,88, in a rg u m e n t . Syste m a tic o rd e rin g p re se n t a t io n . O u t st a n d in g w rit in g st yle . A t t e n t io n t o
u n d e rst a n d in g a n d c ritic a l re le va nt re a d in g , in c lu d in g
CLASS 92,95,98 o f id e a s, c o n c e p t s a n d m a t e ria ls is p re c isio n in Ha rv a rd re fe re n c in g sp e llin g , p u n c t u a t io n a n d / o r
a na lysis sp e c ia list a c a d e m ic jo u rn a ls a n d
o u t st a n d in g a n d b ib lio g ra p h y fo rm a t g ra m m a r is o u t st a n d in g
b o o ks
Exc e lle n t e v id e n c e o f
Exc e lle n t b a la nc e a n d c la rit y in Exc e lle n t p re c isio n in p re se n t a t io n . Exc e lle n t a c a d e m ic w rit in g
Exc e lle n t , c o m p re he nsive c o m p re he nsive a n d in -d e p t h ,
a rg u m e n t . Syste m a tic o rd e rin g o f Exc e lle n t p re c isio n in Ha rv a rd st yle . A t t e n t io n t o sp e llin g ,
72,75,78 u n d e rst a n d in g a n d c ritic a l re le va nt re a d in g , in c lu d in g
id e a s, c o n c e p t s a n d m a t e ria ls is re fe re n c in g a n d b ib lio g ra p h y p u n c t u a t io n a n d / o r g ra m m a r
a na lysis sp e c ia list a c a d e m ic jo u rn a ls a n d
e xc e lle n t fo rm a t is e xc e lle n t
b o o ks
Ve ry g o o d e v id e n c e o f
Ve ry g o o d b a la nc e a n d c la rit y in Ve ry g o o d p re c isio n in Ve ry g o o d a c a d e m ic w rit in g
Ve ry g o o d , c o m p re he nsive c o m p re he nsive a n d in -d e p t h ,
UPPER a rg u m e n t . Syste m a tic o rd e rin g o f p re se n t a t io n . Ve ry g o o d p re c isio n st yle . A t t e n t io n t o sp e llin g ,
62,65,68 u n d e rst a n d in g a n d c ritic a l re le va nt re a d in g , in c lu d in g
SECOND id e a s, c o n c e p t s a n d m a t e ria ls is in Ha rv a rd re fe re n c in g a n d p u n c t u a t io n a n d / o r g ra m m a r
a na lysis sp e c ia list a c a d e m ic jo u rn a ls a n d
v e ry g o o d b ib lio g ra p h y fo rm a t is v e ry g o o d
b o o ks

G o o d b a la nc e a n d c la rit y in G o o d e v id e n c e o f c o m p re he nsive G o o d p re c isio n in p re se n t a t io n . G o o d a c a d e m ic w rit in g st yle .

G o o d , c o m p re he nsive
LOWER a rg u m e n t . Syste m a tic o rd e rin g o f a n d in -d e p t h , re le va nt re a d in g , G o o d p re c isio n in Ha rv a rd At t e n t io n t o sp e llin g ,
52,55,58 u n d e rst a n d in g a n d c ritic a l
SECOND id e a s, c o n c e p t s a n d m a t e ria ls is in c lu d in g sp e c ia list a c a d e m ic re fe re n c in g a n d b ib lio g ra p h y p u n c t u a t io n a n d / o r g ra m m a r
a na lysis
g ood jo u rn a ls a n d b o o ks fo rm a t is g o o d

Sa t isfa c t o ry e v id e n c e o f
Sa t isfa c t o ry b a la nc e a n d c la rit y in Sa t isfa c t o ry p re c isio n in Sa t isfa c t o ry a c a d e m ic w rit in g
Sa t isfa c t o ry, c o m p re he nsive c o m p re he nsive a n d in -d e p t h ,
THIRD a rg u m e n t . Syste m a tic o rd e rin g o f p re se n t a t io n . Sa t isfa c t o ry p re c isio n st yle . A t t e n t io n t o sp e llin g ,
42,45,48 u n d e rst a n d in g a n d c ritic a l re le va nt re a d in g , in c lu d in g
CLASS id e a s, c o n c e p t s a n d m a t e ria ls is in Ha rv a rd re fe re n c in g a n d p u n c t u a t io n a n d / o r g ra m m a r
a na lysis sp e c ia list a c a d e m ic jo u rn a ls a n d
sa t isfa c t o ry b ib lio g ra p h y fo rm a t is sa t isfa c t o ry
b o o ks

We a k b a la nc e a n d c la rit y in We a k e v id e n c e o f c o m p re he nsive We a k p re c isio n in p re se n t a t io n . We a k a c a d e m ic w rit in g st yle .

We a k, c o m p re he nsive
a rg u m e n t . Syste m a tic o rd e rin g o f a n d in -d e p t h , re le va nt re a d in g , We a k p re c isio n in Ha rv a rd At t e n t io n t o sp e llin g ,
35 u n d e rst a n d in g a n d c ritic a l
id e a s, c o n c e p t s a n d m a t e ria ls is in c lu d in g sp e c ia list a c a d e m ic re fe re n c in g a n d b ib lio g ra p h y p u n c t u a t io n a n d / o r g ra m m a r
a na lysis
wea k jo u rn a ls a n d b o o ks fo rm a t is w e a k

Po o r b a la nc e a n d c la rit y in Po o r e v id e n c e o f c o m p re he nsive Po o r a c a d e m ic w rit in g st yle .

Po o r. c o m p re he nsive Po o r p re c isio n in p re se n t a t io n . Po o r
FAIL
a rg u m e n t . Syste m a tic o rd e rin g o f a n d in -d e p t h , re le va nt re a d in g , At t e n t io n t o sp e llin g ,
25 u n d e rst a n d in g a n d c ritic a l p re c isio n in Ha rv a rd re fe re n c in g
id e a s, c o n c e p t s a n d m a t e ria ls is in c lu d in g sp e c ia list a c a d e m ic p u n c t u a t io n a n d / o r g ra m m a r
a na lysis a n d b ib lio g ra p h y fo rm a t
p oor jo u rn a ls a n d b o o ks is p o o r
Lit t le t o n o e v id e n c e o f
Lit t le t o n o b a la nc e a n d c la rit y in Lit t le t o n o p re c isio n in Lit t le t o n o a c a d e m ic w rit in g
Lit t le t o n o c o m p re he nsive c o m p re he nsive a n d in -d e p t h ,
a rg u m e n t . Syste m a tic o rd e rin g o f p re se n t a t io n . Lit t le o r n o p re c isio n st yle . A t t e n t io n t o sp e llin g ,
15 u n d e rst a n d in g a n d c ritic a l re le va nt re a d in g , in c lu d in g
id e a s, c o n c e p t s a n d m a t e ria ls is in Ha rv a rd re fe re n c in g a n d p u n c t u a t io n a n d / o r g ra m m a r
a na lysis sp e c ia list a c a d e m ic jo u rn a ls a n d
m issin g b ib lio g ra p h y fo rm a t is a b se n t
b o o ks
No b a la nc e a n d c la rit y in No e v id e n c e o f c o m p re he nsive
No c o m p re he nsive No p re c isio n in p re se n t a t io n . No No a c a d e m ic w rit in g st yle . No
a rg u m e n t . No syste m a tic o rd e rin g a n d in -d e p t h , re le va nt re a d in g . No
0 u n d e rst a n d in g a n d c ritic a l p re c isio n in Ha rv a rd re fe re n c in g a t t e n t io n t o sp e llin g ,
o f id e a s, c o n c e p t s a n d m a t e ria ls is sp e c ia list a c a d e m ic jo u rn a ls a n d
a na lysis a n d b ib lio g ra p h y fo rm a t p u n c t u a t io n a n d / o r g ra m m a r
a b se n t b o o ks
Individual Applied Case Study

This is a compulsory formal assessment worth 40%. The applied case study (2,500 words not including bibliography and/
or appendices).

Your case study should answer the following:

Using Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas, construct the business model used by your chosen company. What
role does innovation play in your company's business model? How can innovation be improved in your
company?

You may find the following points useful in completing your case study.

 Your case study should display the ability to blend the theoretical concepts and frameworks introduced in the
course with the ‘real world’ data and knowledge gained from your chosen company
o It should be critical in orientation i.e. can you choose appropriate concepts and frameworks to apply to
your company? Have you highlighted the most significant aspects of innovation in your company? Are you
able to make recommendations for improvement based on your analysis of the company?
 Your case study should provide a holistic picture of your company and its approach to innovation by giving insight
into the innovation-based processes/activities of your company:
o How does your company create innovation and where does this fit in terms of overall corporate strategy?
o How does your company manage innovation internally (and externally)?
o How does your company appropriate and exploit innovation?
 As an aid to constructing your case study, think about the following:
o What are the key innovation processes and how are they managed?
o What is the strategy to source, capture and exploit innovation?
o How does what you find in your company relate to theoretical concepts/frameworks?
o What can your company do better in terms of innovation?
Applied Case Study Marking Criteria: