26833 Venture Growth and Internationalisation

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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Business
Credit points: 3 cp

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

In this subject, students learn how to leverage the international growth opportunity for their startup. It investigates the dynamics of launching and managing a business in different international environments, as well as the additional oversight challenges that come with growing an existing business into new territories. The subject provides a global lens through which to test and validate an emerging business idea or startup and an understanding of how the role of a start-up leader changes in a fast-growing business environment.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1.	Appraise the dynamics that underpin successful, global start-up ecosystems
2.	Assess the suitability of global markets and develop an internationalisation strategy for a particular start-up
3.	Understand how the role of a start-up leader evolves over time, and how this is impacted by the management of international operations

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This subject is designed to integrate advanced knowledge of global markets, industries and start-up ecosystems with leading entrepreneurial practices. It develops the ability to assess and strategically pursue international growth for early-stage ventures and scale-ups. This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attribute:

Social responsibility and cultural awareness
Professional and technical competence

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject is offered in blended learning mode during the short teaching periods of six weeks duration. The teaching and learning approach is a mix of online learning and in-class seminars typically scheduled over three evenings or as weekend seminars. Classes are based on blended and flipped learning approaches: students engage with learning materials (including papers, book extracts, videos, etc.) before attending seminars. Seminars include guided critical discussion of learning materials, group work on contemporary case studies, scenarios, workshops, peer discussions and learning from students own professional experiences. Discussions and application of theory, case studies and best practices are supported by online learning and communication tools and the UTS learning management system.

Students are guided in understanding startup internationalization and growth-related issues and devising strategies towards desired outcomes as they relate to their startup. Students also reflect on the effects of such strategies including relevant leadership, team management and other operational demands.

A formative assessment provides students with feedback to direct their self-study. Ongoing general and individual feedback will be provided throughout the subject via consultation seminars. A summative assessment provides feedback on students' comprehension and application of learning. Students also receive formal feedback on assessment tasks.

Students engage with a broad range of material, including relevant chapters in recommended books, videos, slide decks, practitioner literature, news articles, academic journal articles and online content. Each learning module contains a list of readings and background material provided in advance on UTS Canvas. Students are expected to review and engage with materials before attending the relevant class to stimulate in-class discussion and to explore how the content affects their startup enterprise.

Content (topics)

Startup ecosystems
International strategy and growth
Remarkable global ventures and entrepreneurs
Leading startups through growth

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Ecosystem Presentation and Report (Group)*

Objective(s):	This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1
Weight:	30%
Length:	The Presentation is no longer than 10 mins with a further 10 mins for questions. The report is maximum 1,500 words long.
Criteria:	Demonstrates insights from a range of perspectives and tenacity to compose and discuss perspective considering referenced, primary and secondary research. Shows understanding of what makes the ecosystem work and concludes which factors are indicative of its performance. Offers a perspective on how the ecosystem will evolve over time. Logically structured, correctly referenced, written/presented well, and clearly establishing relevant insights and conclusions. *Note: Late submission of the assessment task will not be marked and awarded a mark of zero.

Assessment task 2: Project Report (Individual)

Objective(s):	This addresses subject learning objective(s): 2 and 3
Weight:	70%
Length:	Pre-class statements are 400 words each. The final project report is maximum 2,000 words long.
Criteria:	Identifies and articulates a strategy/activity plan that breaks out the various elements of work necessary for effective international expansion. Application of frameworks, tools and techniques that support decision-making and the management of disperse teams to the specifics of the venture. Reflection on the role of a start-up leader, taking into consideration the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, the factors that underpin success in developing into new markets and setting that against own strengths and skills. Structure and format enable intuitive and rapid deployment, with a clear set of staged actions for the venture, that are well-reasoned and referenced.

Minimum requirements

Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.

References

Alvedalen, J., & Boschma, R. (2017). A critical review of entrepreneurial ecosystems research: Towards a future research agenda. European Planning Studies, 25(6), 887-903.

Batjargal, B. (2008). The difference between Chinese and Russian entrepreneurs. Harvard Business Review 86(10): 32-32.

Bingham C.B.(2009). Oscillating Improvisation: How Entrepreneurial Firms Create Success in Foreign Market Entries Over Time, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 3, 321-345.

Brown, R., & Mason, C. (2017). Looking inside the spiky bits: a critical review and conceptualisation of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Small Business Economics, 49(1), 11-30.

Chandra Y., Styles C. and Wilkinson I. (2007). The Recognition of First Time International Entrepreneurial Opportunities: Evidence from Firms in Knowledge-Based Industries, International Marketing Review, 26(1), 30-61.

Chetty, S. and Campbell-Hunt, C. (2004). A Strategic Approach to Internationalization: A Traditional Versus a “Born-Global” Approach. Journal of International Marketing. Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 57-81.

Isenberg, D. J. (2008). The global entrepreneur. Harvard business review 86(12): 107-111.

Khanna, T., & Palepu, K. (2006). Emerging Giants: Building World-Class Companies in Emerging Markets. Harvard Business Review October

Kuckertz, A. (2019). Let's take the entrepreneurial ecosystem metaphor seriously! Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 11, e00124.

Oviatt, B., and McDougall, P., (2005). Defining international entrepreneurship and modelling the speed of internationalization. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 29(5), 537-553.

Sipola, S., Puhakka, V., & Mainela, T. (2016). A start-up ecosystem as a structure and context for high growth. In Global entrepreneurship: Past, present & future: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Spigel, B., & Harrison, R. (2018). Toward a process theory of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 12(1), 151-168.