ME2803 Growth - Managing Your Firm 7.5 credits

• Educational level

  Second cycle

• Academic level (A-D)

  C

• Subject area

  Industrial Management
  

• Grade scale

  A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

• Course page on KTH Social

Learning outcomes

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 organisations of all sizes and types.

Course main content

The course focuses on the decisions and actions owner-managers take in recognising 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 organisation becomes larger and more complex.

Structure

There will be 2 weekly sessions lasting 3 hours each for 7 weeks. Each session will involve a mix of teaching methods, see below.

Teaching methods

A blend of teaching methods including lectures, guest lectures, case analysis and presentations, and group discussions will be used for the course.

Eligibility

Programme students at KTH must have a minimum of 120 ECTS, especially in the areas of technology, economics, medicine or biomedicine. Experience with administration/management from a practical or theoretical perspective may be valuable, but is not required.

For all other students 180 hp is requires as well as English A + B, or equivalent.

Prerequisites

Programme students at KTH must have a minimum of 120 ECTS.

Literature

Will be announced at the start of the course.

Examination

• PRO1 - Project, 7.5 credits, grade scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Requirements for final grade

Flexible assessment is used. This means that some of the assessment is compulsory while other parts are optional. The following is a tentative assessment structure. Compulsory parts include:
Class Contribution (e.g. to case discussions)
Group Pre-Class Case Analysis
Post-Class Learning Summary of Two Cases or Series
Field Project
The optional assessment consists of one or both of the following:
Written exam
Individual Pre-Class Case Analysis
Your grade will be based on total credits/total credits attempted. You will NOT be punished for attempting optional assessment, should your score on that assessment be below the average of your other assessment.                                           Attendance is compulsory.

Offered by

ITM/Industrial Economics and Management

Contact

Lisa Thorén-Forsanker, lisa.thoren@sses.se

Examiner

Terrence Brown <terrence@kth.se>

Supplementary information

Established 2003-11-25.

Replaces 4D1524

All registration queries should be addressed to the SSES Education Registrat at registrar@sses.se.

The course is offered within the framework of The Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship.

Version

Course plan valid from: Autumn 10.
Examination information valid from: Autumn 07.