Students

MQBS1100 – Business Innovation Challenge

2023 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-infrequent, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Rebecca Bachmann
rebecca.bachmann@mq.edu.au
Room 343, Level 3, 4ER
Refer to iLearn
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Permission by special approval
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The capacity to identify and solve business problems is a sought after skill. Businesses seek employees who can identify and systematically assess the problems they face, propose innovative solutions, and evaluate the impact of solutions on business performance. This unit provides participants with the opportunity to directly interact with business partners and work on authentic, challenging business problems. In this unit, participants will work individually and in teams on business challenges to innovatively solve authentic problems posed by a business. Participants will develop knowledge of basic theories and skills related to teamwork, problem-solving, business analysis, and time management. Participants will also learn how to assess the significance and relevance of different solutions and their impact on social, economic and environmental factors.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Identify and apply methodologies to analyse a business problem.
  • ULO2: Work in teams and individually to identify and solve business problems.
  • ULO3: Communicate in both written and oral form to diverse stakeholders about business problems and solutions.
  • ULO4: Critically self-reflect on personal business problem-solving practices.

General Assessment Information

Late assessment submissions must be submitted through the appropriate submission link in iLearn. No extensions will be granted unless an application for Special Consideration is made and approved. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late. Late submissions will not be accepted after solutions have been discussed and/or made available.

This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Special Consideration is made and approved. Note: applications for Special Consideration must be made within 5 (five) business days of the due date and time.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Stakeholder Analysis 20% No TBC
Group Solutions Presentation 40% No TBC
Reflective Journal 40% No TBC

Stakeholder Analysis

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: TBC
Weighting: 20%

 

Students will be required to identify the range of different stakeholders both impacting and impacted by the client problem. Analysis of stakeholder perspectives on the problem will be documented in 1000 words.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and apply methodologies to analyse a business problem.
  • Work in teams and individually to identify and solve business problems.
  • Communicate in both written and oral form to diverse stakeholders about business problems and solutions.

Group Solutions Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: TBC
Weighting: 40%

 

Over the course of the program students will present/interview the client twice as well as pitching their final idea at the end. All client engagements will require preparation, organisation and delivery.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and apply methodologies to analyse a business problem.
  • Work in teams and individually to identify and solve business problems.
  • Communicate in both written and oral form to diverse stakeholders about business problems and solutions.

Reflective Journal

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: TBC
Weighting: 40%

 

The reflective journal will be the key individual assessment item. It will take the form of an individual report of no more than 1500 words.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and apply methodologies to analyse a business problem.
  • Work in teams and individually to identify and solve business problems.
  • Communicate in both written and oral form to diverse stakeholders about business problems and solutions.
  • Critically self-reflect on personal business problem-solving practices.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Required Text No textbook required
Unit Web Page The web page for this unit can be found at: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/
Technology Used and Required

Students are required to have access to a personal computer, Microsoft Teams and familiarise themselves with iLearn (https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/).

iLearn will be used to post lecture slides, assessment details, student grades and as a means of communication between staff members and students.
Delivery Format and Other Details The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/
Recommended readings Recommended readings are provided via the links on the iLearn Unit page
Inherent Requirements None

Unit Schedule

Day Date Lecture Topic*
  TBC Pre-Briefing, Reading
0 TBC

Morning session: Business Problem Analysis & Innovation, Team Introductions, Ice-breakers

Afternoon session: Introducing the Client & the Business Problem
1 TBC

Morning session: Understanding Modern Japan

Afternoon session: Doing Business in Japan
2 TBC

Morning session: Group Project Work – Interview preparation

Afternoon session: Client Interviews
3 TBC

Morning session: Framing problems – STEEP & Systems perspectives

Afternoon session: Mentor Interviews
4 TBC

Morning session: Stakeholder Analysis

Afternoon session: Mentor Interviews
5 TBC

Morning session: 2nd round of Client Interviews

Afternoon session: Report & Pitch Coaching
6 TBC

Morning session: Group Project Work

Afternoon session: Group Project Work
7 TBC

Morning session: Submit report for distribution to client

Afternoon session: Pitch preparation
8 TBC Morning session: Team Pitch Symposium

*Subject to change, please refer to iLearn for final program details.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2023.05 of the Handbook