Discussion: View Thread

  • 1.  MBA Entrepreneurship

    Posted 04-03-2007 12:14

    Hello All,

     

    At the risk of monopolizing the list with teaching issues, given the training in risk taking NOT discussion and Fred Fry's inquiry about starting businesses rather than writing business plans, I'd like to add one more thread to the conversation.  Does anyone have any suggestions for teaching an MBA-level Entrepreneurship class, especially to students who are primarily mid-level managers?

     

    I will be teaching a 9-week course in this shortly, and I plan to assign writing a business plan for either a proposed or existing new venture.  Based on some recent conversations, I will also include some corporate entrepreneurship discussion, and given my interests, some social entrepreneurship issues.  I've taught both the traditional undergraduate business plan course and doctoral seminars in entrepreneurship, but this will be the first time through with MBAs.

     

    My specific questions include:

     

    1. Based on your experience, how much guidance do students at this level need in writing a business plan?  Is assigning a resource about business plan basics enough, or do you devote some or significant class time to business plan issues?

     

    1. Are there any topics (other than those mentioned) to which MBA students respond particularly well?

     

    1. Are there any outstanding cases (either short or comprehensive) with which you have had success in discussing key issues (e.g., opportunity recognition, cash flow, corporate entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship)?

     

    1. How much development would you expect in a business plan in nine weeks from working students?

     

    Thanks for any insights you can provide.

     

    Best regards,

     

    Franz Lohrke

     

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Franz T. Lohrke
    Associate Professor of Management and
       Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator
    School of Business, 301 DBH
    Samford University
    800 Lakeshore Drive
    Birmingham, AL 35229
    Office: (205) 726-2373
    Fax:    (205) 726-2464
    http://faculty.samford.edu/~ftlohrke 
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



  • 2.  MBA Entrepreneurship

    Posted 04-03-2007 16:37

    The English have an interesting view.  I was invited to give a lecture to all incoming PhD student at <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Ulster</st1:placename> (<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Belfast</st1:place></st1:city>) to lecture on the concept of Academic Entrepreneurs.  There position that entrepreneurship was the willingness to take risk (in research and teaching) and in trying out new and generally untried approaches to research and teaching.  The same would apply to mid-level managers.

    Dick Teach

     

    From: Entrepreneurship Division Listserv [mailto:ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Lohrke, Franz T.
    Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 12:14 PM
    To: ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Subject: [ENTREP] MBA Entrepreneurship

     

    Hello All,

     

    At the risk of monopolizing the list with teaching issues, given the training in risk taking NOT discussion and Fred Fry's inquiry about starting businesses rather than writing business plans, I'd like to add one more thread to the conversation.  Does anyone have any suggestions for teaching an MBA-level Entrepreneurship class, especially to students who are primarily mid-level managers?

     

    I will be teaching a 9-week course in this shortly, and I plan to assign writing a business plan for either a proposed or existing new venture.  Based on some recent conversations, I will also include some corporate entrepreneurship discussion, and given my interests, some social entrepreneurship issues.  I've taught both the traditional undergraduate business plan course and doctoral seminars in entrepreneurship, but this will be the first time through with MBAs.

     

    My specific questions include:

     

    1. Based on your experience, how much guidance do students at this level need in writing a business plan?  Is assigning a resource about business plan basics enough, or do you devote some or significant class time to business plan issues?

     

    1. Are there any topics (other than those mentioned) to which MBA students respond particularly well?

     

    1. Are there any outstanding cases (either short or comprehensive) with which you have had success in discussing key issues (e.g., opportunity recognition, cash flow, corporate entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship)?

     

    1. How much development would you expect in a business plan in nine weeks from working students?

     

    Thanks for any insights you can provide.

     

    Best regards,

     

    Franz Lohrke

     

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Franz T. Lohrke
    Associate Professor of Management and
       Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator
    <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Business</st1:placename></st1:place>, 301 DBH
    <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Samford</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>
    <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">800 Lakeshore Drive</st1:address></st1:street>
    <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Birmingham</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">AL</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">35229</st1:postalcode></st1:place>
    Office: (205) 726-2373
    Fax:    (205) 726-2464
    http://faculty.samford.edu/~ftlohrke 
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    ************************************** This message is from ENTREP which is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management. Please do not post messages with attached files. Commercial messages or spammed messages are not allowed on the list. The use of auto-responder "out-of-office" messages may also lead to your removal from the list. You can manage your subscription options, including joining or leaving the list here: http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=entrep&A=1 If you have questions or need help, please contact Dr. John Bunch jbunch@benedictine.edu. Ventures HO!


  • 3.  MBA Entrepreneurship

    Posted 04-03-2007 18:41

    I've been teaching an MBA introduction to entrepreneurship course at GSU for several years.  Almost all the students are working professionals, and that does pose some challenges for group work.  I structure the course from idea to exit/harvest, over 12 sessions.  The key assignments are interview an entrepreneur, write an essay analyzing the speakers series (minimum 5 speakers over the semester), and doing a group feasibility analysis.

    If you are teaching a 9 week entrepreneurship class, I would suggest NOT doing the business plan.  You can get virtually the same educational benefits (from an entrepreneurship perspective) by assigning a feasibility analysis.  I expect the MBAs to investigate the proposed business idea from industry, market/customers, competitors and financial perspectives. If applicable, technical feasibility is the also included. The students are forced to collect and analyze quality data, but we don't go into creating the detailed plans and strategies of a business plan. Let's face it, most businesses don't require a formal business plan anyway.

    I find that with our part-time working MBAs, forcing them to collect secondary and primary data creates a valuable experience.  Somehow they have avoided this necessity as much as possible in their previous course work.  I make sure they meet librarians; and I require them to interview a minimum number of customers and industry insiders.  I have found that I cannot assume that they have the knowledge or skills to do this, but it doesn't take a lot of class time either. 

    (Our discussion on action is very relevant here.  It can't possibly be an issue of risk taking -- this is only an assignment!--  but they do seem to avoid action in 'new' or uncertain situations. I find students hesitate to call customers or do interviews, but I force them to.  And they all learn the value of action in the process.)

    Pro forma financial statements seem to be the bane of students' lives.  Most students just can't do them without significant coaching. I do a refresher class, and try to convince them to send me a draft early so I can help. Doesn't work usually, though!

    Other ideas for working MBA students:

    The classic "interview an entrepreneur" works very well. 

    I use lots of speakers, taking care to cover a diverse set of role models (different industries, different gender, different firm size, different ambitions, etc.). This is usually the most appreciated feature of the course, and many students end up approaching the speakers for advice on their businesses later on.

    professorjournal.com entrepreneurship archives can help you find lots of mini-cases from Wall Street Journal articles, if you prefer shorter cases. (Also a great resource for writing exams.)

    Good luck!

    Alice




    Alice de Koning, PhD
    Managerial Sciences/Entrepreneurship
    Georgia State University
    P.O. Box 4014
    Atlanta, GA 30302-4014
    404-651-2989
    ************************************** This message is from ENTREP which is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management. Please do not post messages with attached files. Commercial messages or spammed messages are not allowed on the list. The use of auto-responder "out-of-office" messages may also lead to your removal from the list. You can manage your subscription options, including joining or leaving the list here: http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=entrep&A=1 If you have questions or need help, please contact Dr. John Bunch jbunch@benedictine.edu. Ventures HO!