ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

(Department of Business Administration)

WARNING

1. PLAGIARISM OR HIRING OF GHOST WRITER(S) FOR SOLVING THE ASSIGNMENT(S) WILL DEBAR THE STUDENT FROM AWARD OF DEGREE/CERTIFICATE, IF FOUND AT ANY STAGE.
2. SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT(S) BORROWED OR STOLEN FROM OTHER(S) AS ONE’S OWN WILL BE PENALIZED AS DEFINED IN “AIOU PLAGIARISM POLICY”.

Course: Innovation Management (9552) Semester: Spring, 2025

Level: PGD

Guidelines FOR ASSIGNMENT No. 1 & 2:

You should look upon the assignments as a test of knowledge, management skills, and communication skills. When you write an assignment answer, you are indicating your knowledge to the teacher:

• Your level of understanding of the subject;
• How clearly you think?
• How well you can reflect on your knowledge & experience?
• How well you can use your knowledge in solving problems, explaining situations, and describing organizations and management?
• How professional you are, and how much care and attention you give to what you do?

To answer a question effectively, address the question directly, bring important related issues into the discussion, refer to sources, and indicate how principles from the course materials apply. You must also be able to identify important problems and implications arising from the answer.

For citing references, writing bibliographies, and formatting the assignment, APA format should be followed.

ASSIGNMENT No. 1

Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 50

Q. 1 How do incremental and discontinuous innovations differ, and why is managing both types essential for achieving competitive advantage? (20)

Q. 2 What are the challenges faced by firms in managing disruptive innovations according to Christensen’s theory, and how can companies adapt to them? (20)

Q. 3 How do national systems of innovation influence the competitiveness of firms, particularly small businesses, in the global market? (20)

Q. 4 What role do alliances and collaborations play in the commercialization of innovations, and how can firms effectively manage these partnerships for learning? (20)

Q. 5 In what ways can the organizational structure, culture, and leadership of a company contribute to building an innovative organization? (20)

ASSIGNMENT No. 2

Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 50

This assignment is a research-oriented activity. You are required to submit a term paper and present the same in the classroom prior to the final examination. Presentation component is compulsory for all students. You will have to participate in the activity fully and prepare a paper of 6000 to 8000 words on the topic allotted to you. The students are required to prepare two copies of Assignment No. 2. Submit one copy to your teacher for evaluation and the second copy for presentation in the classrooms in the presence of your resource persons and classmates, which will be held at the end of the semester prior to the final examination.

Include the following main headings in your report: -

1. Introduction to the topic
2. Important sub-topics
3. Practical aspects with respect to the topic
4. Review of theoretical and practical situations
5. SWOC (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges) Analysis of the organization with respect to your topic
6. Conclusions and recommendations
7. Annex, if any

You should also develop a PowerPoint Presentation. You are also required to select one of the following topics according to the last digit of your roll number. For example, if your roll number is D-3427185 then you will select topic No.5 (the last digit): -

Topics:

Here are 10 presentation topics based on the course outline You have to select one topic:

1. The Role of Incremental Innovation in Achieving Sustainable Competitive Advantage
2. Exploring the Impact of Disruptive Innovation on Traditional Business Models
3. Strategies for Developing a Successful Innovation Management Process in Organizations
4. The Significance of Technology and Competitive Analysis in Innovation Strategy
5. National Systems of Innovation: How Different Countries Foster Innovation and Competitiveness
6. Managing Technological Trajectories: How Firms Can Stay Ahead in Revolutionary Technologies
7. The Role of Corporate Ventures in Learning and Innovation within Large Organizations
8. Creating an Innovation Strategy for Small Firms: Opportunities and Challenges
9. Building an Innovative Organization: Key Factors like Leadership, Structure, and Culture
10. Collaboration and Alliances: Essential Strategies for Successful Innovation Commercialization

INNOVATION MANAGEMENT

Course Outline (9552)

Unit 1 Key Issues in Innovation Management

1.1 Innovation and Competitive Advantage

1.2 Types of Innovation

1.3 The Importance of Incremental Innovation

1.4 Innovation as a Knowledge-based Process

1.5 The Challenge of Discontinuous Innovation

1.6 Christensen’s Disruptive Innovation Theory

1.7 Other Sources of Discontinuity

1.8 Innovation Is Not Easy

1.9 Innovation Is Imperative

1.10 New Challenges, Same Old Responses

Unit 2 Innovation as a Management Process

2.1 Innovation as a Core Business Process

2.2 Evolving Models of the Process

2.3 Consequences of Partial Understanding of the Innovation Process

2.4 Can We Manage Innovation?

2.5 Successful Innovation and Successful Innovators

2.6 What Do We Know About Successful Innovation Management?

2.7 Roadmaps for Success

2.8 Key Contextual Influences

2.9 Beyond the Steady State

2.10 Beyond Boundaries

Unit 3 Developing the Framework for an Innovation Strategy

3.1 Rationalist’ or ‘Incrementalist’ Strategies for Innovation?

3.2 Technology and Competitive Analysis

3.3 Assessment of Porter’s Framework

3.4 The Dynamic Capabilities of Firms

3.5 Innovation Strategy in Small Firms

Unit 4 Positions: The National and Competitive Environment

4.1 National Systems of Innovation

4.2 Coping with Competitors

4.3 Appropriating the Benefits from Innovation

4.4 Positioning of Small Firms

Unit 5 Paths and Processes

5.1. Exploiting Technological Trajectories

5.1.1 Major Technological Trajectories

5.2 .2 Revolutionary Technologies: Biotechnology, Materials and IT

5.3 .3 Developing Firm-specific Competencies

5.4 .4 Technological Paths in Small Firms

5.2. Processes: Integration for Strategic Learning

5.2.1 Locating R&D Activities – Corporate versus Divisional

5.2 .2 Locating R&D Activities – Global versus Local

5.2 .3 Allocating Resources for Innovation

5.2 .4 Technology and Corporate Strategy

5.2 .5 Organizational Processes in Small Firms

Unit 6 Learning from Markets and Through Alliances

6.1 How Do Technology and Markets Affect Commercialization?

6.2 Differentiating Products

6.3 Creating Architectural Products

6.4 Marketing Technological Products

6.5 Commercializing Complex Products

6.6 Forecasting the Diffusion of Innovations

6.7 Why Collaborate?

6.8 Forms of Collaboration

6.9 Patterns of Collaboration

6.10 Effect of Technology and Organization

6.11 Managing Alliances for Learning

Unit 7 Managing the Internal Processes

7.1. Enabling Effective Search

7.2 Enabling Strategy-making

7.3 Enabling Effective Knowledge Acquisition

7.4 Enabling Implementation

7.5 Launch

7.6 Enabling Learning and Re-innovation . . .

7.7 Beyond the Steady State – Making It Happen under Discontinuous Conditions

7.8 Beyond the Boundaries

Unit 8 Learning through Corporate Ventures

8.1 What is a Corporate Venture?

8.2 Reasons for Corporate Venturing

8.3 Managing Corporate Ventures

8.4 Structures for Corporate Ventures

8.5 Learning through Internal Ventures

Unit 9 Building the Innovative Organization

9.1 Shared Vision, Leadership and the Will to Innovate

9.2 Appropriate Organization Structure

9.3 Key Individuals

9.4 Stretching Training and Development

9.5 High Involvement in Innovation

9.6 Effective Team Working

9.7 Creative Climate

9.8 External Focus

9.9 Extensive Communication

9.10 The Learning Organization

9.11 Beyond the Boundaries and Steady State

9.12 Sources of New Technology-based Firms

9.13 University Incubators

9.14 Profile of a Technical Entrepreneur

9.17 Growth and Performance of Innovative Small Firms

Recommended Textbook:

Tidd, J., and Bessant, J. Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change, Wiley, latest edition.

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