Courses NonDegree Display 2024-2025

Course Description To PDF
Course title Business Innovation and Sustainable Development
Course code EBC4106
ECTS credits 6,5
Assessment Whole/Half Grades
Period
Period Start End Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
5 14-4-2025 8-6-2025 X X
Level Advanced
Coordinator Van Vuong
For more information: v.vuong@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Language of instruction English
Goals
The educational goal of this course is to develop a holistic understanding of today's business world. Sustainability refers to the relationship between business, society, and planet. Understanding these connections, and connecting them to business decisions is the first milestone of this course.

Based on this holistic view, the ultimate objective of the course is for every student to develop his or her own personal synthesis and approach for identifying and solving the key problems that they will face in the business world, be it as entrepreneur or as a member in an existing corporation. There is an increased need in the business world for people being able to plan strategic innovation for a sustainable future.
Description
As we move toward the third decade of the 21st century, the very nature of corporate and competitive strategy is undergoing radical transformation. Business will become increasingly focused on transformation rather than continuous improvement, as the global challenges of sustainability come to dominate the competitive landscape.

Forces such as the accelerating rate of technological change, the mounting environmental crisis or the widening gap between rich and poor - to mention only a few – will make clearly defined competitive strategies allowing for long terms competitive advantage practically impossible. Indeed, over the next decade or two, we will witness some important changes in existing industries which will be restructured, with many incumbents losing their positions to new entrants emerging from beyond traditional industry boundaries.

There is a personal and skill development aspect to this course. Competencies that students need to mobilize include team work, analytical skill, and multitasking between theory and practice.
Literature
Book, articles and case studies. Occasionally, this will be supplemented by videos.
Prerequisites
This course is in transition for the:
* master International Business specialisation Entrepreneurship and Business Development
* master Business Research - No specialisation
* master Business Research - Operations Research

The following rule applies to master Business Research - Operations Research students who started the programme prior to academic year 2024-2025.
TRANSITIONAL REGULATION (EBC4106):
The master Business Research has been discontinued.
Courses of the Business Research master’s programme will continue to be offered until and including academic year 2025-2026 with exam opportunities running until and including 2026-2027.

The following rule applies to master students who started the programme prior to academic year 2023-2024.
Specifically:
* Master Business Research - No specialisation (Note: only if you are taking "Entrepreneurship and Business Development" disciplinary courses!)
* Master International Business - Entrepreneurship and Business Development
TRANSITIONAL REGULATION (EBC4106):
In 2024-2025 students are allowed to repeat the examination and resit.
Use AskSBE to register.


PREREQUISITES:
* Excellent command of English, spoken and written.
* Basic understanding of strategic management and business economics. E.g. basic concepts such as ROA or the five forces should be known.
* Basic understanding (in terms of reading rather than actually doing) of statistics, allowing you to properly understand regression analysis and other types of statistical analysis in academic articles.
Teaching methods (indicative; course manual is definitive) PBL / Presentation / Lecture / Assignment / Papers / Groupwork
Assessment methods (indicative; course manual is definitive) Final Paper / Attendance / Participation / Assignment / Presentation
Evaluation in previous academic year For the complete evaluation of this course please click "here"
This course belongs to the following programmes / specialisations
Master Business Research - No specialisation Transitional Regulation
Master Business Research - Operations Research Transitional Regulation
Master Economics and Strategy in Emerging Markets Elective Course(s)
Master Human Decision Science Elective Course(s)
Master International Business - Accounting and Business Information Technology Elective Course(s)
Master International Business - Entrepreneurship and Business Development Transitional Regulation
Master International Business - Managerial Decision-Making and Control Elective Course(s)
Master International Business - Information Management and Business Intelligence Elective Course(s)
Master International Business - Marketing-Finance Elective Course(s)
Master International Business - Organisation: Management, Change and Consultancy Elective Course(s)
Master International Business - Strategic Corporate Finance Elective Course(s)
Master International Business - Strategic Marketing Elective Course(s)
Master International Business - Strategy and Innovation Compulsory Course(s)
Master International Business - Supply Chain Management Elective Course(s)
Master International Business - Sustainable Finance Elective Course(s)
SBE Exchange Master Master Exchange Courses
SBE Non Degree Courses Master Courses