This is an assignment which must be completed by students individually. It has two components.

Students must write an essay and then explain their essay's main arguments via a short video presentation. The essay should be a minimum of 1,200 words and no longer than 1,700 words, not including the reference list. The video presentation should be a minimum of 2 minutes in duration and no longer than 4 minutes. Your video submission should be accompanied by a (Word document) transcript of what was said in the video.

THE ESSAY (30% of the total mark for this subject)

The objective of this essay is to develop your understanding of the business model as a concept and how a theoretical understanding of business models can be used to explain value creation, value appropriation and/or the innovation process at firms in real-life. To successfully complete this assessment, you are required to explore the academic literature on business models and to write an essay addressing the following statement:

According to Kodama (2009), Zott and Amit (2010), and Itami and Nishino (2010), who published in Long Range Planning in 2009 and 2010, business models can be conceptualised as activity-based systems. However, these authors developed significantly different models and insights in their papers when they wrote about business models as systems. There is a good reason for this. The way in which firms create and capture value can vary significantly. Much depends on the firm's unique context. In other words, when managers think about their firm's business model it goes without saying they need to understand the firm at a particular point in time, how it may need to change but also the elements that compose it. Business models as activity-based systems provide managers with the flexibility to abstract in all of these ways.

(Links to the above articles can be found on Moodle.)

When you write your essay you should ensure you fully address the above statement and do the following:.

• Define the concept of a business model.
• Explain what is involved when one conceptualises business models as systems.
• Explain how business models as systems can be used to solve static and dynamic problems.
• Explain how business models as systems can be used to understand how firms partner.
• Explain how business models as systems can be used to understand the innovation process.
• Explain Kodama's (2009), Zott and Amit's (2010), OR Itami and Nishino's (2010) arguments in more detail through the use of an example, that is, by explaining the business model of one firm in more detail. (You only need to focus on the articles of one of the articles referred to above, that is, only one business model framework or model.)
• Identify which article you thought helped you understand business models as systems the most and explain why. (You can identify one article, two or all three if you want.)
• Conclude by briefly discussing the significance of your findings for the future of business models.
• N.B. You should feel free to use diagrams to illustrate points in your essay, including develop hybrid frameworks and models of your own based on your research.

THE VIDEO WITH TRANSCRIPT (20% of the total mark for this subject)

The video is based on your essay's findings. The video submission should be accompanied by a (Word document) transcript of what was said in the video.

The objective of this video is to develop your (practical) video production skills and ability to explain difficult theoretical concepts to laypeople.

To successfully complete this part of the assessment, you are required to produce a short video that summarises the key arguments of your essay. However, your video should not just be a verbatim repeat of what was said in your essay. It should be uniquely descriptive and allows you to explain what you learned about business models as systems. You should make clear how you plan to use a business models as systems approach in your future career

To maximise your marks, you should highlight the insights you derived from learning about the firm you discussed in your essay. Make sure your explanations are concise and easy to understand by people with little business training. Students will be rewarded for using the video medium effectively and creatively. You should feel free to use humour or take a more formal approach if this suits you.

You should make sure your transcript makes sense without the accompanying video, that is, it makes sense to someone even if they do not have the opportunity to view and listen to your video submission first.

Hint: It is a good idea to put together a transcript for the video before starting work on the video. You will be able to work faster and more efficiently if you do so.

To reiterate, please note that academic misconduct and late submission penalties will apply to this assessment as per the university policies.

See Moodle for more detailed rubric information.

This is a group assignment that involves two components: a written report and a presentation via PowerPoint.

To successfully complete these two assessment components you are required to join a group. As part of a group you will be developing a business case document. Your group will also be presenting your business case via a PowerPoint presentation. (N.B. In the first few weeks of term, students will be required to self-select into and form groups of 3 to 4 students, maximum of 5 students.)

The business case document should be a minimum of 1,500 words and no longer than 2,500 words. The PowerPoint presentation should be roughly 12 minutes in duration and every group member should contribute (roughly) equally.

THE BUSINESS CASE REPORT (25% of the total mark for this unit)

The business case document should be a minimum of 1,500 words and no longer than 2,500 words (excluding preliminaries, tables, figures, reference list and appendices). The objective of the business case report is to develop your ability to convincingly argue a business case, which is a key function of business development.

To successfully complete the business case report your group is required to undertake the following activities:

• Identify for whom and/or for which organisation you will be writing the business case. (For instance, you might be pitching to an investor or the management of a company). Hint: choose a person/company that at least one of your group members knows well (e.g. a group member's current employer) OR that is in the public eye (i.e. there is a lot of publicly available information about this person/company).
• Identify an innovation that your group believes could be reasonably discussed as the subject of the business case. The innovation you choose should have the potential to be developed sustainably over a commercially viable period of time. (It can be an innovation your team came up with yourselves or something you learned about by reading or watching TV, etc.)
• Consider and evaluate the possible business models that could be used to realise the opportunities inherent in the innovation.
• Develop the business case document based on the business template provided in class. This will require you to write a business case with five separate sections: 1) The problem the innovation can solve; 2) Benefits of the innovation; 3) Strategic response or plan ; 4) Project options analysis; and 5) Delivery of the recommended solution.

Students will have the opportunity to work on the business case document in class from week 6. Each group is required to demonstrate both scholarly independence and academic integrity in undertaking all steps of the business case development process. Students are required to base their analyses on data that is reasonably and ethically sourced, and use assumptions that can be justified in a commercial setting.

Responsibility for structuring, coordinating, and managing processes to finalise the business case lies with each team. Teams are encouraged to work with content beyond Tidd & Bessant (2013) and Osterwalder & Pigneur (2013). Teams must take charge and deliver a business case capable of convincing key or principal stakeholders that a return is assured.

You should have at least 5 refereed journal articles, at least 15 other sources (e.g. statistics, annual reports, industry publications, etc.), appropriate justification or mathematical models (such as, NPV analysis, Wolfram alpha), and business development issues specific to the problem or need expressed. You may utilise appendices to support your business case.

As part of your work in groups, you are required to provide evidence of your team formation and ongoing team work with your business case. Hint: Working evidence of teamwork should be provided in the form of an appendix, e.g. by including team charter and meeting agendas/minutes. At the end of term, you may be asked to evaluate your team members - this may affect individuals' marks of this assessment.

Please note that academic misconduct and late submission penalties will apply to this assessment as per the university policies. If you are an on-campus student and not in a group by Week 3 you will automatically lose ten marks for this assignment. The ability to get into a team and cooperate early reflects what is required of teams in the real world.

"THE PITCH" AND BUSINESS CASE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION (25% of the total mark for this unit)

The final assessment culminates in a group presentation of "The Pitch" and the Business Case. Each team is to present a PowerPoint presentation that summarises the key points of your business case. The presentation contains a brief 'pitch' and a more detailed presentation of the business case. The entire presentation should be roughly 12 minutes in duration. Everyone in the group should contribute to the delivery of the presentation (roughly) equally.

In business, concise yet convincing pitches and solid presentations comprise crucial social occasions where key stakeholders are given compelling reasons why they ought to accept, endorse, and finance the risk component of the business case. The upside gains versus the downside risks are addressed in full, and detail associated with payback (NPV and/or ROI) forms part of the recommendation to action.

Each presentation should begin with a 2 minute pitch of why the business case should be approved. The pitch will give you the opportunity to practise making a case pithily, just in case you do get the opportunity to talk alone with a decision-maker for a short period of time prior to a more formal presentation of your ideas. You should nominate one person to present the 2 minute pitch. The more formal 10-minute PowerPoint presentation should follow the pitch and involve everyone else in your group.

On-campus students: you will present live in class during the final workshop on campus.

Flex students: you have two options:

a) you can choose to deliver your presentation live to the unit co-ordinator via video conference (specific presentation dates and times will be agreed during term time); or

b) you can choose to record your pitch and presentation and submit the video file via Moodle or YouTube. If you select this option, you should record each group member presenting their part of the presentation and then combine the recordings into one single video file. Please note that it is important that you are visible in the video - hence, submitting slides with voice-over is not sufficient. It is recommended you use software such as Camtasia or Zoom, which allows you to be in the video, while also giving you the opportunity to share your PowerPoint slides with the audience.

See Moodle for more detailed rubric information.