Developing Creativity and Innovation: Learning Outcomes and Individual Essay

L1. Critically evaluate the development of creativity and innovation and its impact on sustainable organisations.

L2. Develop extensive and critical knowledge of the criteria for creating an innovative organisation.

L3. Critically review the structures needed to create an organisational environment that facilitates creative work practices in order to enhance business effectiveness.

L4. Develop an in-depth knowledge of the contribution of other business functions in enhancing  organisational innovation and creativity.

L5. Develop rigorous yet creative and original research skills that can inform future business practice.

The purpose of this test is to encourage engagement in the module half-way through and to assess knowledge and understanding of key aspects of the module material.  It should pose no problems for anyone who is engaged in reading the module material. We ask you not to confer with anyone else or to try and check answers online while doing it although the time limit would in case make this difficult.

Write an essay of no more than 2,500 words answering the following question: 

Entrepreneurship is all about opportunity recognition and exploitation. Innovation needs entrepreneurship to flourish and enter markets. Discuss how environmental and contextual factors promote or constrain entrepreneurial practice with reference to appropriate examples.

1. Answer demonstrates a critical understanding of the module concepts according to the literature. This is the most important element and should be found throughout the text. Critical understanding means to be able to take a position and defend it by evaluating and analysing ideas by argument and with reference to evidence. As there is an abundance of potential material, one of the skills necessary to demonstrate is the ability to be selective and to use appropriate support. It is entirely possible – and often desirable - to write well and incisively on a small area or a single example if it is well-argued and linked to the bigger picture and of course relevant source material.
   
   
2. Evidence of research/ widerreading – this is assessed indirectly by the argument produced but more directly by not just the number of references used but also that they are of good quality; relevant and well used. Markers know when essay writers are just bashing in any old reference to make it look good. It’s better to use fewer references that you have found yourself well than to use a myriad of references that are badly formatted, irrelevant or from dubious sources i.e. free essay sites.
   
   
3. Use of relevant examples– it’s not just about sprinkling in live examples to support your work but they must be used well and relevant. Like references above, less can be more. A single example used well is better than lots that aren’t. You need to decide what approach you choose and show that it is the right one by the argument you make.
   
   
4. Referencing, presentation and structure –10 marks for quite a lot of basic but essential work. References should be in a standard format and consistent. This is not difficult, but it can be time consuming. Use reference software if you like – or do it manually. We prefer UWS Harvard as found on the University’s website. Make references clean and consistent. The idea is that you are writing in a standard universally accepted format so that an interested reader could find your original source if they wanted to. Sometimes assessors do want to believe it or not. If your references are not in a standard format or missing essential information then this is not possible or easy. This feeds into the presentation. Clear, meaningful text which is free from errors in spelling, grammar or design will be rewarded with good marks. Poor presentation lets down the authority of your work in general and good technical presentation of written work is an essential skill in life and work.