Skip to main content

Study information

Digital Business and New Technology

Module titleDigital Business and New Technology
Module codeBEM3016DA
Academic year2025/6
Credits30
Module staff

Dr Yuxi Heluo (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

12

Number students taking module (anticipated)

40

Module description

We are living and working in a period of continual disruption, which we can define as major changes that unbalance and reorganize the ways that individuals, organizations, societies and their ecosystems connect and act. The 21st century is only 20 years old, and we have already experienced significant shocks and change following 9/11 attacks in 2001, the 2007-8 financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The same period has seen the rise of China as a global and economic power. Technology centred firms like Alibaba, Amazon, Facebook, Google and Tencent have harnessed the potential of the internet to create and dominate new markets in the digital era. Concerns over the future of our planet have risen to be central to the discussions of politicians, decision makers in business and society more broadly.

Organisations of all sizes and missions are facing growing pressure from cost-conscious and eco-aware customers, employees, and governments, who are demanding affordable, yet ethically developed and high-quality products and services. Given that the digital technologies can become a potential business enabler in these contexts, it is doubtful if some of the important topics such as ethical, responsible, and sustainable innovation is currently incorporated in the digitally driven innovation strategies.  Therefore, this module focuses on the dynamic and innovative digital capabilities that business professionals need to develop to meet the modern-day business challenges.

The module therefore aims to address some of the challenges through integrating innovation, the creation of value from ideas, with the digital context enabled by the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”.  Topics will consider how data-driven technologies and services are radically disrupting traditional forms of social and economic value and exchange, presenting significant – perhaps unprecedented – opportunities for innovation to create a more sustainable and ethical business environment.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of the module is to enable you to understand:

1.Core Concepts: Innovation in the digital era • What is innovation and why does it matter? • How does the internet change the context of innovation forever?  • Drivers of the “Fourth industrial Revolution” and & what’s this got to do with innovating? • How organisations are on an innovation journey, through which the build new innovation capabilities • Why is data at the centre of much innovation in the 2020s? • How can we use digital tools to innovate?

2. Managing the Innovation Process  • Exploring business organisation through the pillars of innovation (People, Processes, Technology & Infrastructure) • Searching for opportunities: The sources of innovation • Selecting and building opportunities  • Agile implementation of digital innovation • Risk mitigation and capturing value

3. Building Dynamic Capabilities  • Evolving repeatable innovation capabilities • Strategy: Planning for the future • People: Leadership, teams, organisation • Learning through doing • Making innovation happen

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. Identify current business expectations and issues facing businesses beyond the normal functions from a global perspective
  • 2. Evaluate the significance of innovation and how it could be used for organisational improvement and development
  • 3. Identify dynamic capabilities of innovation and the variety of ways to promote “do better” and “do different” business culture in the digitalized workplace.
  • 4. Understand the risks associated with digital technologies and the barriers to organisational innovation
  • 5. Understand the innovation and digital technology’s impact on data and knowledge management in the business decision-making process

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 6. Integrate digitally enabled, innovative approaches to create value from ideas to overcome challenges and develop business opportunities
  • 7. Use of qualitative and quantitative analysis of information and data to assess factors that could increase the success of innovation projects.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 8. Demonstrate effective written, visual and oral communication skills.
  • 9. Demonstrate effective independent and group study research skills.

Syllabus plan

Core Concepts:

1. Innovation in the digital era

  • What is innovation and why does it matter?
  • Data driven innovation
  • How the internet changes the context of innovation
  • “Fourth industrial Revolution” and innovation
  • How organisations are on an innovation journey, through which the build new innovation capabilities

2. Managing the Innovation Process

  • Exploring the digital innovation space
  • Searching for opportunities: The sources of innovation
  • Selecting and building opportunities
  • Agile implementation
  • Capturing value

3. Building Dynamic Capabilities

  • Evolving repeatable innovation capabilities
  • Strategy: Planning for the future
  • People: Leadership, teams, organisation
  • Learning through doing
  • Making innovation happen

3. Building Dynamic Capabilities

  • Emerging technologies and digital transformation
  • Challenges and risks to using technologies

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
3240228

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities25Masterclass: Faculty-led workshops and seminars
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities7Webinars: Online action learning set facilitated by module lead
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities 40Professional development to underpin WBL project: Guided independent study through online learning activities. Reading, case studies, professional practice forums
Placement228Time at work

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Written and verbal checkpoints Small self-regulated activities designed to reinforce learning?with assessment draft feedback 1-9 Interactive and embedded feedback within ELE, Webinars and Masterclasses.

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay502,000 words1-9Written
Presentation503,000-word 10 minutes with up to 10-minute Q&A 1-9Written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
EssayEssay (2,000 words, 50%)1-9Referral/deferral period
PresentationPresentation (10 minutes with up to 10- minute Q&A,1-9Referral/deferral period

Re-assessment notes

All passed components of the module will be rolled forward and will not be reassessed in the event of module failure.

Deferral – if you have been deferred for any assessment you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Recommended texts:

Basic reading: I suggest you read at least one of the following as way of developing deeper knowledge of some of the core aspects of the module:

1. Kahn, K. B. (2018). Understanding innovation. Business Horizons, 61(3), 453-460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2018.01.011 Adams, R., Jeanrenaud, S., Bessant, J., Denyer, D., & Overy, P. (2016). Sustainabilityâ??oriented innovation: A systematic review. International Journal of Management Reviews, 18(2), 180-205. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12068

2. Huang, Y., (2021), Technology innovation and sustainability: Challenges and research needs, Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy (2021), Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10098- 021-02152-6 Leach, M., Rockström, J., Raskin, P., Scoones, I., Stirling, A. C., Smith, A., Thompson, J., Millstone, E., Ely, A., Arond, E., Folke, C., & Olsson, P. (2012). Transforming Innovation for Sustainability. Ecology and Society, 17(2). http://www.jstor.org/stable/26269052 Tidd, J and Bessant, J (2018). Managing Innovation, Wiley. ISBN 978-1-119-37945-4

These are not required readings as such, but I recommend them as sources for thinking:

1. Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, (2021), UK Innovation Strategy: Leading the future by creating it, Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-innovationstrategy-leading-the-future-by-creating-it/uk-innovation-strategy-leading-the-future-by-creating-itaccessible-webpage

2. Article: “The Psychological Difference between Freemium & Free Trial Plans.” Layered Thoughts (blog). May 25, 2012. www.layeredthoughts.com/startups/the-psychological-differencebetween-freemium-free-trial-plans

3. Article: Needleman, Sarah E. and Angus Loten. “When Freemium Fails.” The Wall Street Journal (WSJ.com). August 22, 2012. Online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443713704577603782317318996.html

 4. Leach, M., Rockstrom, J., Raskin, P., Schoones, I., Stirling, A., Smith A., Thompson, J., Millstone, E., Ely, A., Arond, E., Folke, C, Olsson, P., (2012), Ecology and Society, Vol.17, No. 2., Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26269052

5. Dodgson, M, Gann, D and Phillips, N, (2014), The Oxford Handbook of Innovation Management, Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-969494-5

6. Lim, C., & Fujimoto, T. (2019). Frugal innovation and design changes expanding the cost-performance frontier: A Schumpeterian approach. Research Policy, 48(4), 1016- 9 1029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2018.10.014

7. Esade Business & Law School (2023). Innovation And Sustainability: Allies Rather Than Rivals. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/esade/2023/10/10/innovation-and-sustainability-allies-ratherthan-rivals/

8. The Intersection Between Innovation And Sustainability. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2023/10/03/the-intersection-between-innovation-andsustainability/

9. Kuzma, E., Padilha, L. S., Sehnem, S., Julkovski, D. J., & Roman, D. J. (2020). The relationship between innovation and sustainability: A meta-analytic study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 259, 120745. 10. Senyo, P. K., Liu, K., & Effah, J. (2019). Digital business ecosystem: Literature review and a framework for future research. International journal of information management, 47, 52-64

Key words search

Innovation, Digital, Agile, Transformation Business Model Innovation

Credit value30
Module ECTS

15

Module pre-requisites

None

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

6

Available as distance learning?

Yes

Origin date

07/07/2020

Last revision date

14/07/2025