Outline

Overview

This unit aims to provide the skills by which students analyse business innovation in different companies and provide recommended strategies for improvement. Topics covered include types of innovation, the S-Curve, idea generation, recognising opportunities, moving innovation to market, enhancing creativity, and the role of the leader in innovation. This unit provides students with an opportunity to learn and apply a variety of innovation tools and apply them directly to contemporary organisational contexts.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	SMBA6114
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Stefan Meisiek, stefan.meisiek@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 7 August 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Interactive oral	Innovation Director Hot Seat The student is the newly appointed Director of Innovation at an established, complex organization. They have been in the role for six months and have designed a pilot project. Now, they must defend their progress and structural choices.	30%	Formal exam period Due date: 30 Sep 2026 at 23:00 Closing date: 30 Oct 2026	15min	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Experimental design	The Experimentation Log In this individual portfolio, students must design and track a real or simulated "business experiment" addressing a specific friction point within a complex business problem.	40%	Multiple weeks Due date: 25 Aug 2026 at 23:00 Closing date: 18 Sep 2026	3x500	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Research analysis	The Innovation Audit & Blueprint Teams of 4–5 students select an established, complex organization. They act as external strategic advisors tasked with auditing the firm’s current innovation architecture and designing a holistic "Innovation Blueprint."	30%	Week 06 Due date: 25 Aug 2026 at 23:00 Closing date: 24 Sep 2026	2500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

The Innovation Audit & Blueprint:

Teams of 4–5 students select an established, complex organization (e.g., an incumbent facing significant technological or sustainability transitions, avoiding early-stage startups). They act as external strategic advisors tasked with auditing the firm’s current innovation architecture and designing a holistic "Innovation Blueprint."

Part A (Audit): Analyze how the firm currently organizes for innovation, maps its ecosystem, and measures outcomes. Identify the core friction points between their stated strategy and execution.
Part B (Blueprint): Develop an integrated, actionable proposal. Students must explicitly define the executive stewardship required, the recommended innovation process, how teams shoudl be formed, and how the organization must structure its internal units to deliver on the strategy.
Deliverables: A 2,500-word executive report

The Experimentation Log: In this individual portfolio, students must design and track a real or simulated "business experiment" addressing a specific friction point within a complex business problem.

The Task: Students select a concrete business problem (either from a provided list of complex corporate case studies or a pre-approved live organization). They must document their journey of applying the course's tactical tools:
- Log 1 (Strategy ;Process Selection): Formulate Target, Scope and Advantage and justify the selection of a specific innovation process (e.g., stage-gate vs. agile vs. open innovation) to tackle it.
- Log 2 (Experimentation & Measurement Design): Design a rigorous business experiment. They must outline the metrics—clearly distinguishing between input, throughput, and output metrics—used to evaluate success.
- Log 3 (The Pivot/Persevere Framework): Based on simulated or real data/feedback, write a strategic justification for whether the organization should pivot, persevere, or kill the initiative, utilizing the language of risk mitigation.
Deliverables: A three-part structured portfolio (approx. 500 words per log).

Innovation Director Hot Seat: The student is the newly appointed Director of Innovation at an established, complex organization (e.g., an incumbent airline struggling to implement a radical new sustainable catering and waste-reduction process, or a manufacturing giant trying to integrate AI into its production line). They have been in the role for six months and have designed a pilot project. Now, they must defend their progress and structural choices.

Minutes 0–5: The Progress & Architecture Briefing The student delivers a crisp, 5-minute briefing to their superiors. Using a single slide or visual framework, they present their pilot's architecture, explicitly justifying: The specific innovation processes selected for the pilot (and why traditional business-unit processes were bypassed). How they have organized the team (the mix of internal corporate insiders and external ecosystem partners). The metrics they are using to track early stage throughput, rather than standard ROI.
Minutes 5–15: The Cross-Examination (The Friction Points) This is where the interactivity oral exam happens. The educator plays the role of a skeptical superior during this phase to test the student’s ability to navigate organizational complexities.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Penalties follow the USYD standard rules.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Innovation Strategy	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 02	Executive Stewardship	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 02	Business Experimentation	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 03	Selecting Innovation Processes	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 03	Mastering Innovation Processes	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 04	Measuring Innovation Activities and Outcomes	Lecture (4 hr)
	Leading Innovation Journeys	Lecture (4 hr)
	Forming Innovative Teams	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 05	Organizing for Innovation	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 05	Building Innovation Ecosystems	Lecture (4 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recordings: All lectures and seminars are recorded and will be available on Canvas for student use. Please note the Business School does not own the system and cannot guarantee that the system will operate or that every class will be recorded. Students should ensure they attend and participate in all classes.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Describe an integrative framework for leading business innovation derived from class materials.
LO2. Analyze business innovation issues taking into account strategy, processes, capabilities and limitations.
LO3. Collaboratively apply conceptual models from class materials, and develop potential solutions to leading business innovatorion problems.
LO4. Persuasively communicate, explain, and defend a position on issues in business innovation

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Changes made following student feedback, especially to address students need to be prepared for the job market they are entering following their full time studies.

Additional information

Business School Policies

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

FMBA5010: Leading Business Innovation

Intensive July - August, 2026 [Block mode] - Castlereagh St, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links