MKT3026 Opportunity Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Your task is to interview an Entrepreneur, relate the content of the interview to theory of Opportunity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and write an individual research report based on the interview.

The task step by step

1.Identify and select an entrepreneur -  Not someone who is from your family or a close friend. Ideally you will choose someone who is growing a business and has real entrepreneurial tendencies, not someone who is just self-employed.  

2.Request an interview – make contact in a professional manner and request the interview at a time and place which is convenient to the entrepreneur

3.Prepare the topic guide – A breakdown of the questions to be asked in the interview.  The content will be discussed in class, your topic guide must be approved by a tutor

4.Consider ethics – read the guidance provided on nile and complete an ethics form to be signed by a tutor before you conduct your interview

5.Conduct and record interview – the interview should last between 30 – 45 mins and must be voice recorded using a back up as well as the main recorder.

6.Transcribe recording – you need to produce a numbered transcript of the interview for analysis.  Examples for how to do this will be shown in class. 

7.Analyse data – The data must be analysed to examine the findings.  Instructions as to how to build a coding frame will be given to assist in this process.  

8.Relate to theory – Relate the content of the interview to the theory and the literature which has been studied in the module

Write up into report – you need to produce a 2000 word write up of your findings, related to the theory.  

The research report is designed to allow students to demonstrate an ability to undertake critical analysis of primary research into a practicing entrepreneurial or innovative venture. The assessment requires each student to identify an entrepreneur or innovator, undertake an interview concerning the opportunity/product/business, and review findings in the light of core theory.   So this assessment is relating theory to practice. The face to face interview will provide data which can be related to the topics discussed in the module to include entrepreneurial traits and tendencies, opportunity spotting and propensity to innovate. 

This assessment is designed to be valuable for your employability and job searching as you will gain interview practice by conducting one yourself and by making the contact with the entrepreneur to invite them to interview.  You will learn qualitative interviewing and analysis techniques which can also be used within your dissertation.  You are required to synthesise the information gained through the interview and to relate this to the theory – again an invaluable skill for your dissertation.

It is important to get started early in order to have enough time to complete all of the tasks required and that you read the assignment brief carefully.  It is a sequential process, ensure that you get your topic guide and ethics forms approved before conducting your interview.  It is designed to be a face to face interview, not a telephone interview.  If you want to use an online facility this must be agreed with a tutor.

ALL the support for this assignment will be provided in class during the planned support sessions when additional help will be given on interview techniques, writing topic guides, transcribing the interview, coding the transcript and relating the theory to the practice.  Ensure that you make good use of these sessions.

Reading lists are provided on nile, this should be supplemented with your own research using academic sources.

The learning outcomes that are being assessed in this assignment are:

a)Critically understand the meaning of business opportunity and its centrality to innovation and entrepreneurship.

b)Critically evaluate a range of current practices in the management of innovation and entrepreneurial endeavours

c)Analyse an existing business, with a view to evaluating its propensity / readiness for entrepreneurial and innovative opportunities 

e)Communicate effectively with a specialist audience and identify, select and critically evaluate appropriate information for inclusion in a written research report