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 3.5 minutes in duration and no longer than 4 minutes. It must reflect the arguments of your essay. Your video submission should be accompanied by a (Word document) transcript of what was said in the video.

THE ESSAY (50% of the total mark for Assignment 1)

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 Zott, Amit and Massa who reviewed the state of business model research in their paper entitled, The Business Model: Recent Developments and Future Research in 2011, there are "at least three concepts that might warrant distinct consideration: (1) e-business model archetypes, (2) business model as activity system, and (3) business model as cost/revenue architecture. These distinct concepts could all be fruitfully investigated - individually, as well as in relation to each other - under the umbrella theme of the business model." For the business student, this statement suggests that there are potentially a number of ways in which one could approach the problem of effective business model analysis, and design or re-design. Likewise, it suggests that the business model concept, when considering real world problems, must be approached with the specific business context in mind and to what extent change is inevitable.

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 referring to the notion of an e-business archetype, business model as an activity system AND a business model as a cost-revenue architecture.
• Explain how these business model conceptualisations can be used to analyse and solve static and dynamic problems, including business model design/re-design problems.
• Explain what is meant by the term business context and the notion that change in business is inevitable.
• In regard to the latter, you should ground your arguments through the use of an example. The example you use should refer to an organisation that has been impacted by either one or a combination of the following phenomena: the rise of 'big data', the necessity to reconfigure the organisation's value chains, technologies becoming more integrated and the introduction of 'cities of the future' initiatives.
• You need to explain how the organisation's business model has been impacted by change and what this means for managers when making decisions about the organisation's business model.
• Conclude by briefly discussing the significance of your findings for the future of business models research and practice.

• 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.
• Please note that the link to the above article can be found on Moodle.
• On-campus students will be briefed on how to approach the essay in the first weeks of the term. It is highly advisable that on-campus students attend the briefing. Online students will have the opportunity to discuss the essay topic in an online workshop early in term at a mutually convenient time negotiated with their lecturer. Likewise, it is highly advisable that online students attend the virtual briefing.

THE VIDEO WITH TRANSCRIPT (50% of the total mark for Assignment 1)

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 reflect your essay's arguments, albeit in a way that laypeople can understand. You should explain how what you learned can help a manager make decisions with foresight.

To maximise your marks, you should highlight the insights you derived from learning about the organisation 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's policies.

See Moodle for more detailed rubric information.

This is a group assignment that involves two components: a written report and a group 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.) On-campus students are also required to be observed workshopping their business case report and presentation in class.

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 (50%of the total mark for Assignment 2)

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 or one that you use at work. 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.

On-campus students will have the opportunity to work on the business case document in class from week 6. Indeed, group presentation marks for on-campus students will depend, in part, on how well group classmates workshop the business case project in class.

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 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 items in an appendix 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. It is a requirement that on-campus students be observed workshopping their business case group project. 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 (50% of the total mark for Assignment 2)

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.

Please note that it is a requirement that on-campus student groups not only present their own business case but that they have the courtesy to listen to other student group presentations. Students learn from other groups' presentations. In the real world of work, it is an expectation that colleagues will listen to their co-workers' presentations in the workplace. Penalties will be imposed on on-campus teams that fail to participate as audience members.

See Moodle for more detailed rubric information.