Enterprising Futures: Skills to Succeed in a Dynamic Global Economy

Course unit fact file
Unit code	UCIL25521
Credit rating	20
Unit level	Level 2
Teaching period(s)	Semester 1
Offered by	Alliance Manchester Business School
Available as a free choice unit?	Yes

Overview

Each generation defines enterprise and entrepreneurship (EE) according to its own needs and priorities. The idea of enterprising people and entrepreneurs, and their role and impact on society, has not been static over the decades but continues to evolve. According to a survey by The Economist, 81.7% of people with a university degree aspire to become entrepreneurs, compared with 70.9% of people without one. However, nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents agreed that it is more difficult for the current generation to find employment compared with previous generations, while two-thirds (66%) said the same about starting a business. Pandemic-related challenges, alongside uncertainty caused by supply chain disruptions and wider global instability, may be increasing risk aversion and leading many who aspire to become entrepreneurs to instead enter the traditional labour market. In order to equip students with the EE competencies and skills needed in a time of uncertainty, we need to reassess the challenges the world faces and pursue new ways of stimulating EE that respond to today’s needs, challenges, and opportunities.

At the same time, increasing numbers of people are excluded from the wealth created by business as global inequalities deepen and as the environmental and climate consequences of human activity become more significant. It is no longer enough for the world’s largest businesses to think only in terms of efficiency and productivity gains. They will need enterprising and entrepreneurial people who can help minimise negative impacts on the environment and the communities in which they operate, while also improving the effectiveness with which resources and operations are managed.

This unit aims to help students understand these changing conditions and to consider how EE learning can support both personal career goals and the ethical and sustainable addressing of societal challenges. It provides students with intermediate and advanced conceptual and practical learning in EE. Through a mix of online activities and self-selected experiential projects, students will develop the independent research and collaborative capabilities needed to strengthen their enterprising competencies and skills. Whether a student aims to become an intrapreneurial change agent within an established organisation or a start-up founder, this unit combines discussion, reflection, and the application of EE concepts, tools, and frameworks to support that journey. On completion of the unit, students should be better equipped to continue into their own distinctive enterprising or entrepreneurial futures.

Aims

The unit aims to:

Provide students from any background with concepts, frameworks, and tools relevant to enterprise and entrepreneurship (EE), enabling them to contribute to innovation and change in a range of contexts.
Enhance real-world EE learning through the development of relevant competencies and skills required in the AI age to turn problems into opportunities.
Create opportunities for students to discuss, practise, and reflect on the value of being enterprising and entrepreneurial, and on the wider impact of enterprise on society, at both conceptual and practical levels.
Foster an appreciation of the strategy, processes, and operations involved in financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable enterprises.

Learning outcomes

Teaching and learning methods

The unit draws on different approaches to enterprise and entrepreneurship (EE) education, including learning about, through, and for enterprise. It combines structured online content, independent research, and action-oriented learning, enabling students to engage with both conceptual ideas and applied opportunity development.

Students are given the opportunity to develop their enterprising mindset and work on a new business or social impact concept. The unit encourages students to explore opportunities that are entrepreneurial, intrapreneurial, socially oriented, or freelance in nature, depending on their interests, disciplinary background, and future ambitions.

As a fully online unit, learning takes place through pre-recorded content, guided activities, structured reflection, asynchronous discussion, and independent opportunity development. These activities are designed to help students develop ideas, test assumptions, build confidence in using enterprise tools and frameworks, and connect their opportunity development to wider personal, professional, and societal goals.

Students may also choose to engage with relevant co-curricular support offered by the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre, including the Get Started, Freelancer, Social Impact, and Startup pathways. Engagement with these opportunities is optional and sits outside the formal requirements of the unit, but may provide useful additional support for students who wish to develop their ideas further.

The 20-credit version builds on the same core online learning experience as the 10-credit unit but requires additional independent study and assessment development. Alongside the structured report and core reflective work, students complete a longer critical reflection and a voice-over presentation on their opportunity development journey. This requires further time for synthesis, visual communication, and the deeper development of their opportunity over the duration of the unit.

Assessment methods

Category of outcome	Code	Students should be able to:	Method of assessment
Knowledge and understanding	KU1	Apply entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial learning to different organisational contexts.	Formative (F) and Summative 1 (S1)
	KU2	Critically analyse the importance of enterprise in society.	S1 and Summative 2 (S2)
	KU3	Develop and present suitable EE approaches and strategies.	S1 and Summative 3 (S3)
Intellectual skills	IS1	Undertake independent research to inform practice within their own subject discipline.	F, S1, S3
	IS2	Critically evaluate and reflect on their career development objectives.	S2
	IS3	Create strategies for the personal development of EE mindset and competencies for EE action.	S2, S3
	IS4	Reflect on learning from real-world enterprising and entrepreneurial experiences.	S1, S2, S3
Practical skills	PS1	Plan and solve problems appropriately in entrepreneurial and innovative settings.	S1, S3
	PS2	Deploy effective networking and persuasive communication skills.	S1, S3
Transferable skills and personal qualities	TS1	Develop written and oral presentation skills through structured business reports and elevator pitches.	F, S1, S3
	TS2	Work independently and share learning online with peers to develop mindset and capabilities for entrepreneurial success in a complex and changing environment.	S2, S3

Method	Weight
Written assignment (inc essay)	20%
Report	40%
Oral assessment/presentation	40%

Feedback methods

Students will receive feedback in a range of ways across the unit, reflecting the online and developmental nature of the course.

Formative feedback will be provided through weekly online activities, discussion board engagement, and the formative idea submission. These opportunities are intended to help students test ideas early, clarify assumptions, strengthen their research direction, and refine their opportunity over time.

More informal feedback will also arise through engagement with course materials and asynchronous discussions where students can explore questions, share progress, and respond to peer and tutor input.

Summative feedback will be provided within 15 working days of submission for each assessed component.

Feedback will aim not only to explain the mark awarded, but also to support students in understanding how their enterprising thinking, analytical approach, and communication can be developed further.

Students are encouraged to review feedback across assessments in a connected way. In particular, feedback from the formative idea submission and structured business report should inform the development of the reflection and opportunity development presentation.

Students may also contact the unit tutor to discuss their feedback and identify priorities for future improvement.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures	200

Independent study hours
Independent study	200

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Robert Martin	Unit coordinator
Suneel Kunamaneni	Unit coordinator

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