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Responsible institution
The Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship
7.5 credits, The Stockholm School of Economics
Course Director
Assistant professor Mikael Samuelsson, Stockholm School of Economics
Aim
The objective of this course is to provide students with insights into the problems
and opportunities involved in managing growth in entrepreneurial ventures. The
course is designed to introduce a series of concepts, frameworks, and heuristics
that enable people to manage entrepreneurially in organizations of all sizes and
types.
Contents
The course focuses on the decisions and actions owner-managers take in
recognizing and choosing opportunities, obtaining and allocating resources,
challenging and directing personnel, and adapting personal goals and corporate
strategies to changing personal and business conditions. In this process, the
course examines management challenges that are typical of different stages in
the business’s development – start-up, growth, change of direction, etc. Using
this framework, the course will discuss issues of particular importance to rapidly
growing firms such as developing networks, managing with limited resources,
cash planning, delegation, and professionalizing the business as it grows, dealing
with crises, while at the same time being careful to avoid stifling the
entrepreneurial spirit as the organization becomes larger and more complex.
Structure
There will be approximately two weekly sessions lasting approximately 2,5 hours
each for 7 weeks. Each session will involve a mix of teaching methods, see
below. The course will be finalized with a field report and presentations.
Teaching methods
A blend of teaching methods including lectures, guest lectures, case analysis and
presentations, and group discussions will be used for the course.
Prerequisites
Students must have a minimum of 80 university points (120 ECTS), especially in
the areas of technology, economics, medicine or biomedicine. Experience with
Examination
Compulsory parts include:
M ax point s
Individual pre-class case 5 cases, each could have 10 points 50
analysis
T ot al 100
Grading
Every school has its own system and different grading system may apply. In
general the grading will be conducted as described below:
There is no given textbook for this course. The reason is that there is a lack of
good books and instead of having you buying a very expensive American
textbook. You have to create your own readings. You are required to find and
read relevant texts during the course. Readings could be of several different
types and of different length. Basically they include
Each library has a range of resources for this purpose. In addition to google and
google books. Typically you are required to find a relevant theory and definition
of a concept. And then your job is to describe it and apply it on the real life cases
that we have in the course.
Cases
I expect you to be prepared to each class. Read through the material, answer
questions and solve the cases BEF O RE the module is discussed in class. It is an
absolute requirement in order to make learning effective. It is also part of your
grading. Each individual should prepare a written case report before class. This
is typically a one to two page summary of your solution. Eac h c ase should be
up loaded on t he c ourse w eb. Typically maximum 2 pages at the due date.
Late submissions will only receive 50 per cent of the maximum point on any
given assignment.
Field project
In order to create a live learning situation we give you the opportunity to take
learning out of the classroom and into the workplace in faculty-supervised field-
based learning. These field study and Individual Student Research projects are
designed to help students deepen their knowledge in a particular area of
interest. The field project presents an opportunity for you to study a growth
related topic of interest in depth. This learning experience has become more
popular as students link independent field-based learning to their career
planning and job search. Field-based learning is a remarkable opportunity for
students to truly personalize their education as they make connections and gain
experience in their chosen field. The field report is a two part assignment. The
first part is a survey and a report the second is a report based on a topic
identified as crucial for the organizations you investigate. Important is that you
contact one growing firm with at least 3-5 employees during the first week of
the course and give them an opportunity to fill in the questionnaire before you
pay them a visit. T he f ield projec t should be uploaded on t he c ourse w eb!
Literature review
Your assignment is to pick one book from a literature list and read and review
that particular book. You should prepare a 2 page review focusing on aspects
such as content, knowledge building, sources of facts, usefulness, and important
issues concerning growth. Hand in at the date specified in the schedule. You
should be able to specify three key learning points in you summary. If you don’t
find a book that interests you in the literature list, feel free to pick any other
book that have to do with business growth. Your review should include, what
theory could you isolate in the book. I.e., what do the book intend to explain. If
there are several theories, choose one. Describe the theory and/or the model and
how it works. In which situations could you apply it and why do you think it
might work?
AL L AS S IGN M EN T S AN D H AN D- IN S S H O U L D BE U PL O ADED O N
T H E C O U RS E WEB. N O E- M AIL S N O PAPER.
Course director
Name: Mikael Samuelsson
Role: Course director and responsible for operative issues
and questions regarding the course, lectures,
information, and personal student issues.
E-mail: Mikael.Samuelsson@hhs.se
Room: SSE business lab, Saltmätaregatan 19 a
Course assistant
Name: Andreas Giallourakis
Role: Course assistant
E-mail: andreas.giallourakis@sses.se
Phone: +46-704 417654
Modules overview
The course Growth – Managing your Firm, is a case based course divided into a
sequence of modules. Each module is led by a lecturer who has full responsibility
for content and evaluation. A typical module is based on theory, a case that is
prepared before class, a case discussion and a lecture part. There is a written
hand-in to each module to be up loaded at the course web.
Note! The structure, for Mikael Samuelsson you get a case at the leacture and
report back the lecture afterward. For Peter Kelly, you get the case before class
and report at the class. Everything you need for the course is at the course web.
Schedule
Available at the SSES course web. This is the only relevant schedule and you
should update yourself on a regular basis.
Field report
In order to create a live learning situation we give you the opportunity to take
learning out of the classroom and into the workplace in faculty-supervised field-
The report typically includes 15-25 pages and this document should be based on
your observations and should be something that the organization can use. You
should make tangible, useful observations about and potential improvements for
the organization, clearly state the issues and surrounding situations – why are
they issues? What contributes to the issues? What is the organization doing
well? What works within the organization? What doesn’t work? In addition, you
should clearly state your recommendations based on your observations and
implementation strategies for your recommendations.
When it comes to theory, you are required to develop a theoretical model for
each aspect of your field project. It should answer the “why” question. For
example, if you think people is the answer to a particular company problem.
Then you need to specify which theory you are applying and why. Lets say, you
think the company should have a board of directors. Then there are four broad
theories explaining that. Steward, Resource based view for example. In short
steward theory explain why firms with an external board is more successful
because the board acts like a steward, RBV, explains that firms with dynamic
capabilities are more successful. Then you need to specify your solution to a
particular problem. It should be easy to follow your argument and it should be
based on an analysis.
The field project company will be introduced to you during the first lecture in
the course.
Good luck!
Allen, Terry (2001) No Cash No Fear: Entrepreneurial Secrets For Starting Any
Business With No Money John Wiley & Sons (ISBN 0471415324)
Block, Zenas & Ian C MacMillan (1995) Corporate Venturing: Creating New
Business Within The Firm Harvard Business School Press (ISBN 0875846416)
Buckland, William & Andrew Hatcher & Julian Birkinshaw (2003) Inventuring:
Why Big Companies Must Think Small McGraw Hill (ISBN 0077103793)
Carlock, Randall S & John L Ward (2001) Strategic Planning for the Family
Business Palgrave MacMillan (ISBN 0333947312)
Charan, Ram & Noel M Tichy (2000) Every Business Is A Growth Business
Random House USA (ISBN 0812933052)
Collins, James C & Jerry I Porras (2000) Built To Last: Successful Habits of
Visionary Companies Random House Business Books (ISBN 071266968X)
Collins, Jim (2001) Good To Great Random House Business Books (ISBN
0712676090)
Ehrenfield, Tom (2001) The Startup Garden: How Growing A Business Grows
You McGraw-Hill (ISBN 0071368248)
Fritz, Roger (2000) The Small Business Troubleshooter: 152 Solutions To The
Problems Faced By Every Growing Company Unlimited Publishing (ISBN
1588320014)
Gersick, Kevin E & John A Davis & Marion McCollom Hampton & Ivan
Landsberg (1997) Generation to Generation: Life Cycles of Family Business
Harvard Business School Press (ISBN 0875847555X)
Gladwell, Malcolm (2002) The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A
Big Difference Abacus (ISBN 0349113467)
Harvard Business Review (1998) Strategies For Growth Harvard Business School
Press (ISBN 0875848850)
Hawkey, John (2003) Exit Strategy Planning: Grooming Your Business For Sale
or Succession Gower Publishing (ISBN 0566084988)
Hisrich, Robert D (2004) Small Business Solutions: How To Fix & Prevent The
13 Biggest Problems That Derail Business McGraw-Hill (ISBN 0071414355)
Jolly, Adam (2003) The Growing Business Handbook Kogan Page (ISBN
0749440767)
Kaplan, Philip J (2002) F’d: Spectacular Dot-Com Flameouts Simon & Schuster
(ISBN 0743228626)
Kaplan, Jerry (1996) Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure Penguin USA (ISBN
0140257314)
Kishel, Gregory & Patricia Kishell (2000) Growing Your Own Business: Growth
Strategies for Meeting New Challenges and Maximizing Success Authors Choice
Press (ISBN 0595147925)
Komisar, Randy (2001) The Monk and the Riddle McGraw-Hill (ISBN
1578516447)
Matthews, Jana & Jeff Dennis (2003) Lessons From The Edge: Survival Skills
For Starting & Growing A Company Oxford University Press (ISBN 0195168259)
Moltz, Barry J (2003) You Need To Be A Little Crazy: The Truth About Starting
and Growing Your Business Dearborn Trade Publishing (ISBN 079318018X)
Moore, Geoffrey A (2002) Living on the Fault Line Harper Business (ISBN
0060086769)
Norman, Jan (1999) What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own
Business Dearborn Trade Publishing (ISBN 1574101129)
Sutton, Robert I (2001) Weird Ideas That Work The Free Press (ISBN
0743212126)
Timmons, Jeffry A & Andrew Zacharakis & Stephen Spinelli (2004) Business
Plans That Work McGraw-Hill (ISBN 0071412875)
Treacy, Michael (2003) Double-Digit Growth: How Great Companies Achieve It-
No Matter What Portfolio (ISBN 1591840058)
Treacy, Michael & Fred Wiersema (1997) The Discipline of Market Leaders
Perseus Publishing (ISBN 0201407191)
Webb, Philip & Sandra Webb (2001) The Small Business Handbook: The
Entrepreneur’s Definitive Guide to Starting and Growing a Business Prentice
Hall (ISBN 0273654322)
Zook, Chris & James Allen (2001) Profit From The Core: Growth Strategy in an
Era of Turbulence Harvard Business School Press (ISBN 1578512301)
Zook, Chris (2004) Beyond the Core: Expand Your Market Without Abandoning