E-Entrepreneurship - The Enterprise of the Future

Faculty

Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences

Version

Version 1 of 03.02.2025.

Module identifier

22B1768

Module level

Bachelor

Language of instruction

English

ECTS credit points and grading

5.0

Module frequency

only summerterm

Duration

1 semester

 

 

Brief description

The digital transformation of todays businesses and society represents a key factor for success in the world of tomorrow. Both the optimization potentials of digitalizing the value-chain of enterprises as well as offering intelligent products and services will enable future companies to be competitive and resilient to external influences.

Therefore it is most relevant for students to understand how a company can be designed along the digital value-chain and how innovative and intelligent products and services can be created for the ever challenging market of tomorrow.

Goal of this module is to enable students to identify and specify intelligent products and services, to model a digital-optimized company and to setup resilient business plans in real world settings.

Teaching and learning outcomes

1. eEntrepreneurship - An Introduction

2. Common Business Models

3. Business Models based on Digital Technologies and Intelligent Products and Services

4. The Design of Digital Business Models and Intelligent Products and Services

4.1 The Innovation and Ideation Process: From the Idea to an Intelligent Product and Service

4.2 The Value Proposition Design: Meeting Customers and Markets Expectations

4.3 The Business Model Generation: Specifying the Buildings Blocks of a Digital Company

5. Transforming Business Models into Concrete Startups

5.1 The Business Idea and Strategy

5.2 The Offer - Intelligent Products and Services

5.3 Digital Technologies as a Backbone of the Startup and its Products and Services

5.4 Market- and Competitors in the Startups-Environment

5.5 Customers specification

5.6 Marketing in the Digital World

5.7 Organizational Setup - Organizational Structure, Processes, IT-Organization

5.8 Finance Plan for a sound and growing perspective

Overall workload

The total workload for the module is 150 hours (see also "ECTS credit points and grading").

Teaching and learning methods
Lecturer based learning
Hours of workloadType of teachingMedia implementationConcretization
45LecturePresence-
Lecturer independent learning
Hours of workloadType of teachingMedia implementationConcretization
65Work in small groups-
25Exam preparation-
15Preparation/follow-up for course work-
Graded examination
  • Written examination or
  • Homework / Assignment or
  • Portfolio exam
Remark on the assessment methods

The portfolio exam covers 100 points and consist of a written examination (HA) and a presentation (PR). The HA is weighted by 70 points and the PR is weighted by 30 points.

Exam duration and scope

Written examination: in accordance with the valid study regulations

Written paper: approx. 10-15 pages

PFP:

  • Written paper: approx. 10 pages
  • Presentation: approx. 15-30 minutes

The requirements are specified in the respective lectures.

Recommended prior knowledge

Fundamental knowledge in business informatics / information management as well as in the functional areas of business management.

Knowledge Broadening

Students can specify the building blocks of digital enterprises.

Knowledge deepening

Students can detail on specific characteristics of intelligent products and services.

Knowledge Understanding

Students can reflect current methods and models of digital businesses with respect to the digital society and its challenges and future.

Application and Transfer

Based on the shown methods, student can setup digital business models and concretize them into business plans to setup concepts for startups.

Academic Innovation

Students apply and explain current research methods of business modelling and digital entrepreneurship in the context of the digital society. From that they derive new research questions relevant to the environment, e.g. with regard to data security and data analysis.

Communication and Cooperation

Students develop new business models in concrete startup-settings, e.g. group-work. They communication and collaborate together among the group members and reflect and argue versus the whole semester-group as well as internal and external experts.

Academic Self-Conception / Professionalism

Students take positions in the modeled digital business startups such as CEO, Marketing, Development, Operations and Sales Managers. As such they argue, evaluate and reflect their tasks and responsibilities within the proposed startup.

Literature

Bieger, T. / Zu Knyphausen-Aufseß, D. / Krys, C. (2011): Innovative Geschäftsmodelle: Konzeptionelle Grundlagen, Gestaltungsfelder und unternehmerische Praxis. Verlag:  Springer

Gassmann, Oliver; Frankenberger, Karolin; Csik, Michaela: The St. Gallen Business Model Navigator, Working Paper, https://www.bmilab.com/business-model-navigator-full-paper/

Gausemeier, Jürgen; Wieseke, Jan; Echterhoff, Benedikt; Isenberg, Lukas; Koldewey, Christian; Mittag, Tobias; Schneider, Marcel: Mit Industrie 4.0 zum Unternehmenserfolg – Integrative Planung von Geschäftsmodellen und Wertschöpfungssystemen. Heinz Nixdorf Institut, Universität Paderborn (Hrsg.), Paderborn, 2017

Kollmann, Tobias: Digital Entrepreneurship: Grundlagen der Unternehmensgründung in der Digitalen Wirtschaft. aktuelle Auflage, Springer Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden, aktuelle Auflage

Mitchell, Donald; Coles, Carol: The ultimate competitive advantage of continuing business model innovation. Journal of Business Strategy, 24 (5), 2003, S. 15–21

Osterwalder, Alexander; Pigneur, Yves: Business model generation - A handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers. Wiley, Hoboken, N.J., current edition

Osterwalder, Alexander; Pigneur, Yves; Bernarda, Greg; Smith, Alan: Value Proposition Design. Campus-Verlag, Frankfurt, current edition

Schallmo, Daniel: Geschäftsmodelle erfolgreich entwickeln und implementieren. Springer, Gabler, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2013

Schmidt, Andreas: Wissenszentriertes Kundenbeziehungsmanagement – Wie Customer Artificial Intelligence Ihr Unternehmen smart macht. Kohlhammer Verlag, Stuttgart, 2021

Weill, Peter; Woerner, Stephanie L.: Optimizing your digital business model. MIT Sloan Management Review, Cambridge, 2013

Linkage to other modules

This module connects to preceeding basic modules in the field of business management studies as described in the chapter of "Empfohlene Vorkenntnisse" such as business informatics / information management and the functional areas of marketing, operations, human ressources and controlling.

The knowledge aqciured in those modules allows to build upon fundamental topics in this module such as business modelling and business plan development.

Applicability in study programs

  • International Business and Management
    • International Business and Management, B.A.

  • International Management
    • International Management, B.A.

  • Business Administration and Management
    • Business Administration and Management, B.A.

    Person responsible for the module
    • Schmidt, Andreas
    Teachers
    • Schmidt, Andreas