COURSE SYLLABUS
Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Growth, 7.5 credits
Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Growth, 7,5 högskolepoäng
Course Syllabus for students Autumn 2017
Course Code: JIGR25
Confirmed by: Council for Undergraduate and Masters Education Feb 4, 2015
Revised by: Jun 9, 2017
Valid From: Aug 21, 2017
Version: 3
Reg number:IHH2017/2394-313
Education Cycle: Second-cycle level
Disciplinary domain: Social sciences
Subject group: NA1
Specialised in: A1N
Main field of study: Economics

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

On completion of the course the students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

1. Describe interrelations between R&D, entrepreneurship, innovations, and economic renewal on the level of firms, regions and nations.
2. Explain heterogeneity among firms in the same industry as a consequence of differences in firms’ R&D strategies.
3. Understand the role of innovations and technological change in the transformation of an economy and its GDP growth in the short run and the long run.
4. Describe the role of innovation system and knowledge networks in combining internal knowledge with local and global knowledge sources.

Skills and abilities

5. Employ firm-level models and analytical tools in the analysis of firms’ innovation and economic performance.
6. Employ empirical analysis in understanding the role of technological innovation and the associated institutional innovation in the process of economic transformation
7. Assess the policy and institutional settings needed to foster innovation and technological catch-up.

Judgement and approach

8. Describe the implications of innovation processes and entrepreneurship that give rise to creative destruction where some regions and occupations come out as winners, whereas others experience welfare losses.
9. Demonstrate the role of institutional setting in technological change and growth.

Contents

The objectives of the course is to provide knowledge and understanding of firms’ R&D and innovation strategies and their economy-wide consequences for development and growth. The course literature illuminates the current difficulties of empirical studies to establish a consistent picture of the relationship between R&D, innovation, entrepreneurship, and growth. The course aims at clarifying how persistent differences between firms can be related to sustaining differences in the innovation strategies that firms apply, where strategies comprise plans for building up and maintaining capabilities to carry out innovation activities. In this context firms also make use of internal and external knowledge sources that are unevenly distributed across space. These issues also extend the context to include development of trade flows and to new patterns of location.

Important elements of the course are the following:

• Innovation strategies.
• Networks of multinational corporations and R&D collaboration.
• Knowledge spillovers in a geographic context.
• The effects of innovation on competitiveness on firm, industry and aggregate level.
• Innovation system and policies.
• The role of innovation and entrepreneurship for economic renewal and long run growth.

Type of instruction

The course is structured around a number of seminars. The course entails writing an individual assignment and group work assignments.

The teaching is conducted in English.

Prerequisites

Bachelor’s degree in Economics (or the equivalent).

Examination and grades

The course is graded A, B, C, D, E, FX or F.

The student is examined on all specified skills and abilities, the grade is a compound measure on student performances. The course is examined through group work and an individual written assignment. A summation of the grade on the group work assignments during the course (maximum 40 points) and the grade on the final assignment (maximum 60 points) leads to an overall examination grade (100% of credit). To pass the course, all assignments have to be passed.
The ILOs 1-9 will be examined through the group work and individual assignment.

Registration of examination:
Name of the TestValueGrading
Examination7.5 creditsA/B/C/D/E/FX/F

Course evaluation

It is the responsibility of the examiner to ensure that each course is evaluated. At the outset of the course, evaluators must be identified (elected) among the students. The course evaluation is carried out continuously as well as at the end of the course. On the completion of the course the course evaluators and course examiner discuss the course evaluation and possible improvements. A summary report is created and archived. The reports are followed up by program directors and discussed in program groups and with relevant others (depending on issue e.g. Associate Dean of Education, Associate Dean of faculty, Director of PhD Candidates, Dean and Director of Studies). The next time the course runs, students should be informed of any measures taken to improve the course based on the previous course evaluation.

Other information

It is not possible to take this course simultaneously with the first cycle course Innovation, Trade and Location.

Academic integrity
JIBS students are expected to maintain a strong academic integrity. This implies to behave within the boundaries of academic rules and expectations relating to all types of teaching and examination.

Copying someone else’s work is a particularly serious offence and can lead to disciplinary action. When you copy someone else’s work, you are plagiarizing. You must not copy sections of work (such as paragraphs, diagrams, tables and words) from any other person, including another student or any other author. Cutting and pasting is a clear example of plagiarism. There is a workshop and online resources to assist you in not plagiarizing called the Interactive Anti-Plagiarism Guide.

Other forms of breaking academic integrity include (but are not limited to) adding your name to a project you did not work on (or allowing someone to add their name), cheating on an examination, helping other students to cheat and submitting other students work as your own, and using non-allowed electronic equipment during an examination. All of these make you liable to disciplinary action.

Course literature

Literature

Selected academic articles.