Digital Business and New Technology
Module title | Digital Business and New Technology |
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Module code | BEM3016DA |
Academic year | 2025/6 |
Credits | 30 |
Module staff | Dr Yuxi Heluo (Convenor) |
Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Duration: Weeks | 12 |
Number students taking module (anticipated) | 40 |
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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 technologys 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 Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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32 | 40 | 228 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 25 | Masterclass: Faculty-led workshops and seminars |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 7 | Webinars: Online action learning set facilitated by module lead |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 40 | Professional development to underpin WBL project: Guided independent study through online learning activities. Reading, case studies, professional practice forums |
Placement | 228 | Time at work |
Formative assessment
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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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)
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
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100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Essay | 50 | 2,000 words | 1-9 | Written |
Presentation | 50 | 3,000-word 10 minutes with up to 10-minute Q&A | 1-9 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
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Essay | Essay (2,000 words, 50%) | 1-9 | Referral/deferral period |
Presentation | Presentation (10 minutes with up to 10- minute Q&A, | 1-9 | Referral/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 value | 30 |
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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 |