ENTREPRENEURSHIP &

INNOVATION
 COURSE OUTLINE

 
February – June 2020
 INTRODUCTION

• This course seeks to develop

students into social and business
entrepreneurs with deeper
knowledge of business challenges as
presented from the angle of the
both the entrepreneur and the
professional manager.
• Students will interact with most of
the issues that affect business
management, planning, growing
enterprises and developing
strategies for repositioning
enterprises.
• Making the decision to go into
business can be very daunting.
• This course outline provides
students with an insight into the
skills and resources required to set
up a business and thus take some of
the fear out of the business start-up
process.
The idea generation techniques
developed during the lectures and
discussions are of particular help
to those who would like to be
innovative and work by
themselves but do not yet have a
definite business idea.
• The lectures will be a stepping stone
to start your own business, for
those that are as yet unsure
whether or not self employment is
the route for them.
• Many people starting up new
businesses have expertise in their
chosen profession but may lack the
business knowledge to run a
successful business.
• The lectures are designed to help
students prepare to set up and/or
run their businesses for growth.
• The lectures introduce entrepreneurs
and owner/managers to the tools
required to become more
competitive in a challenging
environment and to develop a range
of skills to help run a better business.
• The aim of the course is to help
students to understand the
management hurdles that exist
when establishing a business.
• While there has been an increase in
the number of women
entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe, there
are still issues remaining which
deter women from starting up and
developing businesses.
• The lectures are designed to help
overcome some of these issues
through access to business
information, confidence building,
networking and personal
development.
• The lectures introduce students to
the tools required to become more
competitive in a challenging
environment and to develop a range
of skills to help run a better
business.
• Ultimately, the objective of the
course is to prepare female students
to set up and/or run their
businesses for growth.
• The course suits those students who
may wish to develop a career in
entrepreneurship.
• It also benefits students majoring in
other areas who want to broaden
their studies to include business and
general management.
 COURSE OBJECTIVES

• Develop an understanding of the general role

of Small – Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
• Develop conceptual skills to enable the
administration of SMEs.
• Inculcate a culture of entrepreneurship in
students.
• Develop skills to start, run and manage SMEs.
• Develop analytical and decision–making skills
for dealing with complex economic issues.
• Create understanding about the reality of
SMEs in different cultural and socio-economic
settings from a managerial and
organizational perspective.
• Demonstrate the role and importance of
SMEs in economic development and in the
creation of value.
 LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the course students should be able

to:
• Understand the different conditions of SMEs in
different countries.
• Have an understanding about general managerial
issues related to SME operations.
• Know how to analyze SME performance.
• Understand how value is created and its relation
to customer value.
TEACHING METHODS:

1. A combination of traditional and action learning

methods will be used.
2. Traditional lecture sessions on the various operations
topics.
- Although the lecture is not an ideal teaching method,
with large classes/groups it is often the only practicable
one.
3. The lectures should aim toward the objective of
maximum learning and development plus maximum
interest for the students.
- The lecturer will endeavour to make the lectures
interesting and informative.
4. Student questions and discussions during
lectures are welcomed. However, active
student participation will take place mainly
during group discussions.
5. Group discussions will be used to work
through the answers to case problems
based on the lecture contents.
6. A wide variety of activities will be used in
role play simulations and case study
presentations.
7. Handouts will be given from time to time
if stationary is available.
8. Two student representatives will be
chosen/elected from the class to collect
comments and information from students
and discuss with the lecturer.
9. The lecturer will be available to discuss
any problems regarding the course or the
teaching materials and students should not
hesitate in asking questions, during and
after the lectures or group discussions.
 ASSESSMENT:

1. Coursework, counting for 30 % of the

total grade for the course.
2. An examination, counting for 70 % of the
total grade of the course.
 COURSE CONTENT:

PART 1:

AN OVERVIEW OF SMALL – MEDIUM BUSINESS

ENTERPRISES

1. Introduction :
• Nature and Role of SMEs Management.
• Definitions of SMEs.
• International comparison of definitions according to the
GEM report(Global Entrepreneurship Monitor)
• Entrepreneurship concept defined and explained.
• Advantages of SMEs.
• Why do people start SMEs
• Problems faced by SMEs.
• Causes of SME failure in Zimbabwe
• SME business management traps.
• The role of SMEs
• Generation of business ideas.
• What makes a successful entrepreneur
 2. Forms of Business Ownership
and How to start them:

• Creating and starting a venture

• New/New approach, New/Old approach, Buying
a going concern, Inheritance, Franchising.
• Greenfield and Existing organizations – their
advantages and disadvantages.
• Franchising and other ways of breaking into a
market
 PART II:

PRINCIPLES OF STRATEGY FORMULATION

3. A Guide to Small Business

Planning:

• What is a business plan?

• Importance of a Business Plan.
• Outline of a business plan.
4. Financing SMEs
• E-Commerce and the Entrepreneur.
• Types of financing
• Short, Medium and Long term loans
• Equity capital and Grants
• Financial Considerations – cash flows, financial
plans and analysis.
• Sources of Funding SMEs – Savings, Venture
Capital, Loans, and IPOs etc.
• Corporate Governance/Ethics in SMEs.
 REQUIRED READING:

 
• Hodget R. & D. F. Huratho; Effective Small Business
Management, 5th Edition, Florida International University,
1982.
• Jones, O; Tiley, F. ; Competitive Advantage in SMEs. Wiley,
London, 2003
• Lind, P: Diagnosing Organizations. Loninkoping University, 2002
• Ronstadt, R. C. : Entrepreneurship. Dover, Lord publishing
Company, 1984
• Zimmerer, Thomas W. and Scarborough, Norman M. (Find
latest edition) Essentials of Entrepreneurship and Small
Business Management. Prentice Hall
• Eksteen, F. R. L. N. and Van Rooyen, A. J. (Find
latest version) Business Economics. Nasou Ltd.
• Strickland Thomas: Strategic Management:
Concepts and Cases. Irwin
• Calvin, Robert J.: Entrepreneurial
Management. Tata McGraw-Hill
• Margerison, Charles and McCam, Dick: Team
Management: Practical New Approaches.
Mercury Books
• Smit, P.J. and Cronje, G. J. de J.: Management
Principles: A Contemporary Edition For Africa, Juta Co.
• Hellriegel, Don, Jackson, Susan E., and Slocum Jr. John
W.: Management. South-Western College Publishing.
• Any Other Resources such as: Internet and Resource
Notes and Modules.
• Local and international news papers and financial
journals.
• Use of e-resources accessible from the university
website and library is a must. 

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