Overview
Think Big is a unit about generating, developing, and evaluating ideas for the introduction of innovative and viable new ventures. Think Big entails a process of discovery designed to develop creation of dynamic and impactful enterprises. You will learn about innovative business concepts and the design of performance-differentiating business models. The unit will assist you to generate new marketable ideas and develop skills in innovative thinking, and market assessment in digital, commercial, service and social contexts. This unit will also introduce you to the concept of ideation and horizon thinking, and explore how creative and innovative ideas are generated through teamwork and by brainstorming or workshopping ideas. You will be able to apply the principles of lean entrepreneurship and appreciate what is involved when starting a business or a social enterprise, as well as how to pitch business ideas to potential investors as part of an entrepreneurial team. The unit has a strong practice and market disruption focus.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Students and unit coordinator
Overall, the student feedback from the students about their learning experience is positive, and it supports the current learning and teaching practices in the unit.
The recommendation is to maintain the current learning and teaching philosophy and practices.
Feedback from Students and unit coordinator
Students have expressed a desire for stronger connections between the unit and industry practices. They suggested more integration of real-world problem-solving scenarios.
The recommendation is to collaborate with local businesses and entrepreneurs to bring real-world challenges into the classroom. Invite entrepreneurs as guest speakers to share the problems they face and the solutions they've implemented in their successful ventures. This approach will help students apply their learning in practical settings and better understand industry standards.
Feedback from Students and unit coordinator
The unit is open to students from all disciplines, but its content is primarily explained from business and management perspectives. This makes it challenging for students without business backgrounds to relate the concepts to their own fields.
The recommendation is to incorporate examples and case studies from a wider range of industries, e.g., engineering, agriculture, nursing, healthcare, etc., to illustrate entrepreneurial concepts. This will help students from diverse backgrounds see how entrepreneurship applies across various sectors and make the content more relevant to their own disciplines.
Feedback from Students and unit coordinator
Students have noted that the one-hour pre-recorded lecture videos can be difficult to digest in one sitting.
The recommendation is to provide a table of contents under each lecture video on Moodle, indicating the time slots for each subtopic. This approach will help guide students to the necessary content, making it more accessible and easier to follow.
- Develop, through independent research, an advanced and integrated understanding of the key concepts of innovation, business models, and new ventures in commercial, digital, service, and social contexts
- Critically analyse cases of disruptive innovation by applying lean entrepreneurship principles
- Generate, evaluate and communicate creative ideas for new ventures, both as independent learners in teams and as leaders of teams, to a variety of audiences
- Research and apply established theories related to ideation processes, business model design principles, and forecasting
- Critically discuss and reflect on the technical, financial, and organisational constraints for innovative new ventures.
Not applicable.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Report - 30% | |||||
| 2 - Report - 30% | |||||
| 3 - Group Work - 40% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | |||||
| 2 - Communication | |||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||||
| 4 - Research | |||||
| 5 - Self-management | |||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||||
| 7 - Leadership | |||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
Business Model Generation: A handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers
Edition: 1st (2020)
Authors: Osterwalder, A., & Pigneur, Yves.
Wiley
ISBN: 9780470876411
Entrepreneurship
5th Asia-Pacific Edition (2018)
Authors: Howard Frederick, Allan O'Connor, and Donald Kuratko
Cengage
ISBN: 9780170411752
New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century
Edition: 10th (2015)
Authors: Stephen Spinelli, Rob Adams
McGraw Hill
ISBN: 9780077862480
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.zhang@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to Think Big- What is entrepreneurship?
Chapter
Kuratko, Donald, & O'Connor, Allan. (2019, 5th Asia-Pacific edition). Entrepreneurship: Theory /Process /Practice. Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia. Chapter 1.
Blank, Steve. (2013). Why the lean start-up changes everything? Harvard Business Review, 91(5), 64.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Lecture: Introduction to Think Big
Workshop: Perspectives on the lean entrepreneur (and intrapreneur)
Module/Topic
Business Model Deconstruction- The Business Model Building Blocks
Chapter
Osterwalder, A. & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business Model Generation: A handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Chapters on 9 building blocks.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Lecture: Business Model Deconstruction
Workshop: Investigating the building blocks of a business model
Module/Topic
Advanced Manufacturing and Design Thinking
Chapter
Kuratko, Donald, & O'Connor, Allan. (2019, 5th edition). Entrepreneurship: Theory /Process /Practice. Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia. Chapters 6 & 7.
Brown, Tim. (2008). Design thinking. Harvard Business Review, 86(6), 84-141.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Lecture: Advanced Manufacturing and Design Thinking
Workshop: Design thinking for business model innovation
Module/Topic
Disruptive Innovation and Think Big
Chapter
Christensen, C., Raynor, M. E., & McDonald, R. (2013). Disruptive innovation. Harvard Business Review.
Kuratko, Donald, & O'Connor, Allan. (2019, 5th Asia-Pacific edition). Entrepreneurship: Theory /Process /Practice. Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia. Chapt 3.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Lecture: Disruptive Innovation and Technologies
Workshop: Exploring disruptive innovation and technologies to develop alternative models for your business idea
Module/Topic
Ideation: opportunity identification and the creative pursuit of an innovative idea
Chapter
Kuratko, Donald, & O'Connor, Allan. (2019, 5th Asia Pacific edition). Entrepreneurship: Theory /Process /Practice. Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia. Chapt 5.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Lecture: Idea Generation
Workshop: What will it take to develop a viable business idea? Creative thinking and developing a value proposition for a business idea.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The Digital Age and Integration of Value Chains and People's Networks- Greater Connectivity
Chapter
Moodle learning resources
Events and Submissions/Topic
Lecture: The Digital Age and Integration of Value Chains and People's Networks- Greater Connectivity
Workshop: Critical success factors in a business model. Reframing your business idea and value proposition.
Business Report Due: Week 6 Monday (19 Aug 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Feasibility analysis
Chapter
Barringer, B. R. & Ireland, R. D. (2019). Entrepreneurship: Successfully launching new ventures (6th Global ed.). Pearson Education. Chapter 3.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Lecture: Ideation and feasibility
Workshop: Feasibility analysis
Module/Topic
Customer validation and financial planning
Chapter
Barringer, B. R. & Ireland, R. D. (2019). Entrepreneurship: Successfully launching new ventures (6th Global ed.). Pearson Education. Chapters 8 and
Osterwalder, A. & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business Model Generation: A handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. 10.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Lecture: Customer discovery and validation
Workshop: Financial planning and more on business models
Module/Topic
Entrepreneurial teams and reaching consensus
Chapter
Barringer, B. R. & Ireland, R. D. (2019). Entrepreneurship: Successfully launching new ventures (6th Global ed.). Pearson Education. Chapter 9.
Kuratko, Donald, & O'Connor, Allan. (2019, 5th Asia Pacific edition). Entrepreneurship: Theory /Process /Practice. Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia. Chapt 5.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Lecture: Entrepreneurial teams and reaching consensus
Workshop: Reaching a consensus and idea selection. How do you select the 'best' idea?
Idea Generation and Business Model Development Due: Week 9 Monday (9 Sept 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Structuring a Pitch and Pre-pitch checks
Chapter
Kamps, H. (2020). Pitch Perfect Raising Capital for Your Startup (1st ed. 2020. ed.). Chapters 1, 3 and 4.
Moodle resources.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Lecture: Structuring a pitch and pre-pitch checks
Workshop: What do you need to deliver a great Pitch?
Module/Topic
Pitch your business idea
Chapter
No readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Student Group pitch presentations in class
Idea Selection (3A) & Business Pitch (3B) Due: Week 11 Monday (23 Sept 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Reflection on the Unit and concluding remarks
Chapter
No readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Student Group pitch presentations in class
Reflection on the Unit and concluding remarks.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Report
This assignment constitutes 30% of your total grade and involves writing a business report that critically analyzes an organisation's business model, which your lecturer will designate. In your report, you are expected to identify the critical success factors contributing to the organization's sustainability. The word limit for this task is 1,500 words, with a permissible deviation of +/- 10%. Please refer to the resources provided for Assessment 1 on Moodle to guide your analysis.
Week 6 Monday (19 Aug 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 8 Monday (2 Sept 2024)
- Provide a succinct description of the business, the industry in which it operates, the markets and or markets it serves, and the products and or services it provides (10%).
- Deconstruct the business model of the selected business using the nine building blocks in Osterwalder & Pigneur’s (2010) business model canvas (30%).
- Explain the key interrelationships across the nine building blocks (30%).
- Identify and discuss the critical success factors the business has to get right to achieve sustainable success (20%).
- Quality of written submission and APA referencing format. A minimum of 6 relevant peer-reviewed academic journals having discussion sufficiently linked with literature along with non-academic references (websites/databases/news, etc.) used to gather information on the company (10%).
- Develop, through independent research, an advanced and integrated understanding of the key concepts of innovation, business models, and new ventures in commercial, digital, service, and social contexts
- Critically analyse cases of disruptive innovation by applying lean entrepreneurship principles
- Critically discuss and reflect on the technical, financial, and organisational constraints for innovative new ventures.
2 Report
This assignment, valued at 30% of your overall grade, requires you to craft a detailed report of your original business idea, bolstered by research and observational insights that underline its appeal. The report must include a business model canvas, an exploration of the interrelationships among the business model's components critical to its success, and an assessment of the critical risks, assumptions, and overall feasibility of the idea. You are to keep your submission within a 1,500-word limit, with a permissible variation of +/- 10%.
Week 9 Monday (9 Sept 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 11 Tuesday (24 Sept 2024)
- Effective explanation of the customer/market problem that needs solving and/or the need for the innovation (15%). Is it solving a real-world problem?
- Generation of useful idea and customer/client benefits (value) of generated idea (10%). What is your value proposition?
- Brief discussion of the proposed business model for the idea. Include the business model canvas and describe the elements. (10%).
- Brief discussion of the key interrelationships in the business model that will support the success of the idea (15%).
- Critical success factors to be managed during the execution of the idea (15%).
- Identification of critical risks and assumptions (10%).
- Evaluation of the overall feasibility (product/service, target market, organisational and financial feasibility) of the idea (15%).
- Quality of written submission, minimum of 6 relevant peer-reviewed journals and APA referencing format (10%).
- Develop, through independent research, an advanced and integrated understanding of the key concepts of innovation, business models, and new ventures in commercial, digital, service, and social contexts
- Critically analyse cases of disruptive innovation by applying lean entrepreneurship principles
- Generate, evaluate and communicate creative ideas for new ventures, both as independent learners in teams and as leaders of teams, to a variety of audiences
- Research and apply established theories related to ideation processes, business model design principles, and forecasting
3 Group Work
This group assessment, which accounts for 40% of your grade, is divided into two parts: a report worth 15% and a pitch worth 25%. Building upon the work done in Assessment 2, the goal of Assessment 3 is to hone your skills in evaluating which business idea from the previous assessment holds the greatest potential for success. You will then develop a persuasive pitch to present a strong business case aimed at securing financial backing. This process will enhance your understanding of the factors potential investors consider before deciding to invest in a business idea.
Week 11 Monday (23 Sept 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Certification of Grades (1 Novembner, 2024)
Part A Idea Selection Report
- Develop an evaluation framework to compare the ideas developed individually in Assessment 2 (20%).
- Describe and justify, with evidence, how the best idea was selected using the screening template given on Moodle (20%).
- Identify any gaps that need to be addressed before the idea is pitched to an investor (20%).
- Revised business model canvas - Amend the business model canvas from Assessment 2, to incorporate the above revisions (20%).
- Budget (use the startup costing sheet template) and Cash flow projections for the first two years (20%).
Part B Business Pitch
- Presentation Pitch: Overview of the proposed venture idea, including the problem you are trying to solve or the opportunity you are trying to exploit.
- What is your 'Think Big – Lean Entrepreneur' solution (value proposition)? (20%).
- Presentation Pitch: Detailed explanation of the underlying business model and why now (timeliness/relevance)? (20%).
- Presentation Pitch: Detailed explanation of competition, financial projections and key metrics, including assumptions (20%).
- Presentation Pitch: Detailed explanation of the go-to-market plan, scalability of the idea for commercialization (10%).
- Presentation Pitch: What are you seeking from the investor? And what are you offering in return? (10%)
- Quality of presentation: creativity, professionalism and persuasiveness (20%).
- Generate, evaluate and communicate creative ideas for new ventures, both as independent learners in teams and as leaders of teams, to a variety of audiences
- Research and apply established theories related to ideation processes, business model design principles, and forecasting
- Critically discuss and reflect on the technical, financial, and organisational constraints for innovative new ventures.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
