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BMGT45560

Academic Year 2024/2025

Digital Strat &Transformation (BMGT45560)

Subject:
Business Management
College:
Business
School:
Business
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Luca Pistilli
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This course aims at analyzing how firms use technology and innovation to position themselves strategically, from the perspective of a Senior Executive. For this purpose, we rely on a mix of real business cases and theoretical models, dealing with firms that have faced the challenges of managing innovation and technology strategy.
We begin with an understanding of how technological systems evolve, with particular emphasis on the emergence of standards, and then turn to how firms adapt to different disruptions, gaining a long-run competitive advantage. Then, we highlight the inertial barriers that impede technological change within incumbent organizations. Moreover, we explore how firms develop new products, how they can leverage the knowledge of consumers in the innovation process, and which organizational structures are best suited to foster or hamper innovation. Finally, we cover some hot topics in the strategic management of innovation and technology.
The module provides some essential tools on how to set the most appropriate strategic direction of firms, relevant not only for hi-tech companies. Among other, this module addresses how to ensure long-run survival when external environmental conditions change (dynamic capabilities), how to properly balance today's needs with tomorrow's demand (ambidexterity), how to set and maintain a dominant design (network effects), how to successfully establish a climate of "cyber-hygiene" (managerial cybersecurity), how to benefit from ideas that originate out of the traditional organizational boundaries (open innovation).

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have obtained:
- valuable knowledge of the theories that describe the innovation process
- the ability to explain the causes of success vs failure in leading enterprises
- the ability to manage radical and transformative innovations
- the competence to design organizations capable of innovation
- the necessary understanding to lead creative and innovative enterprise
- the knowledge about recent innovation techniques and how to apply them in real-life contexts
- enhanced team working, creativity, project management and problem-solving skills
- the capacity to understand and disentangle the different types of innovation, and the related implications
- a high degree of familiarity with theoretical models which help explain and contextualize technological change
- the ability to recognize the different managerial approaches to innovation and how to handle change

The learning outcomes of this module are aligned with the learning outcomes of the MBA Programme; hence, this module will help you to further develop a coherent and strong MBA profile.

Indicative Module Content:

- Course Introduction
- Preliminary Discussion on Technology & Innovation
- Technological Change and Dynamic Capabilities
- Disruptive Innovations
- Organizational Ambidexterity
- Network Effects
- Open Innovation
- Leadership and Organizational Integration
- Radical Organizational Transformations
- Imitation and Low IPR Regimes O GUEST?
- Managerial Cybersecurity

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Specified Learning Activities

25
Autonomous Student Learning

76
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This course aims at analyzing how firms use technology and innovation to position themselves strategically, from the perspective of a Senior Executive. For this purpose, we rely on a mix of real business cases and theoretical models, dealing with firms that have faced the challenges of managing innovation and technology strategy. We also expect to have some external, high-profile guest speakers to get a concrete business perspective of the core contents.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered

Not yet recorded.

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

1) CASE STUDIES:
- Kodak
- Eli Lilly and Co.: Innovation in Diabetes Care
- IBM Network Technology (A)
- Adobe Systems, Inc.
- Houston, We Have a Problem: NASA and Open Innovation (A)
- Transforming Company Culture at Amgen Italy
- Organizational Revolution: The Radical Transformation of Roche Italy
- Cyber Breach at Target

2) ACADEMIC PAPERS:
- Available on Brightspace

3) LECTURES SLIDES:
- Available on Brightspace after each session
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