Outline

Overview

Social enterprises use business solutions to make a positive impact on the world. Oftentimes for-profit entities, they make money by solving social problems. Through working on a local project with social entrepreneurs, this unit provides students with the opportunity to learn how to apply their business knowledge and skills to address complex social and environmental problems such as those described in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Social entrepreneurs are committed to furthering a social mission and rank social, environmental or cultural impact on a par with, or even above, profit. At the intersection of business and not-for-profit organisations, these social entrepreneurs are now visible and having an impact on a global scale. This unit is structured around engaged inquiry-based learning, providing students with the opportunity to learn from theory and practice. Topics include critically reviewing concepts, challenges of growing a social enterprise, frameworks for understanding, sourcing funds from a variety of stakeholders, understanding and measuring social impact, as well as collaboration and leadership.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	IBUS3108
Academic unit	Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	Completion of at least 48 credit points
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jarrod Vassallo, jarrod.vassallo@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Jarrod Vassallo, jarrod.vassallo@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Jared Harrison, jared.harrison@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Problem identification pitch presentation	10%	- Due date: 02 Jun 2020 at 17:00 Closing date: 29 Jun 2020	2 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Engagement and participation Ongoing workshop engagement and participation	15%	Ongoing	Ongoing
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Practice and final pitch Video presentation	35%	Week 12	2x 10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Group report Report	40%	Week 13 Due date: 29 May 2020 at 17:00 Closing date: 18 Jun 2020	4000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Problem identification pitch: This assessment––comprised of a short pitch––requires you to identity an opportunity that you and your team can pursue with your project sponsor. Emphasis is placed on compiling compelling evidence that demonstrates that you’ve identified and evaluated a social enterprise opprtunity.
Practice and final pitch: The assignment will comprise of creating and recording a video ‘pitch’ presentation in which you showcase your business plan (or investor memorandum), including the strategic vision, strategy, operational details, and funding plan that will attract the resources needed for launching and growing the enterprise.
Final report: The final report documentation will be the business plan (or investor memorandum), including the strategic vision, strategy and funding plan that will attract the resources needed for launching and growing your social enterprise. The document should provide sufficient operational detail to show how the product or service can be brought to market, and be supported with a financial spreadsheet forecasting the financial implications of the business strategy.
Workshop engagement and participation: You are expected to prepare readings prior to class; engage with guests, lectures, and fellow students; initiate discussion and work for your projects; and foster a community of learning and practice. Volume of interaction is worth less than quality. You will be assessed throughout the semester based on active participation. To pass this Assessment Task you are expected to attend more than 80% of classes, have prepared all readings each week, and be able to coherently participate in discussions.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (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 sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

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.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

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.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Mid-semester break	No class	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 01	Introduction; Why social entrepreneurship? Distinctions between social entrepreneurship/social innovation/social enterprise	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 02	Action Research Workshop	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 03	Social enterprise business models and kick-off calls	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 04	Social enterprise strategy (Indigenous workshop)	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 05	Social impact - understanding and measuring it	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 06	Action research week (no class, students to conduct own research)	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 07	Social enterprise funding and financing	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 08	Project sponsor meetings (students to pitch their ideas and receive feedback)	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 09	Leadership within and outside the social enterprise	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 10	Social enterprise marketing - gaining traction	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 11	'Pitch Doctor' session	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 12	'Report Doctor' session	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 13	Social entrepreneurship - reflections and critique	Workshop (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recording: 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.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

In addition, we recommend the “The Social Entrepreneur's Playbook, Expanded Edition: Pressure Test, Plan, Launch and Scale Your Social Enterprise (Expanded Edition, 2013)” e-book by Ian C. MacMillan and James D. Thompson, which is available for download from the University of Sydney Library.

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. identify and evaluate social entrepreneurship opportunities
LO2. develop strategy for a social enterprise
LO3. prepare and present documentation to secure stakeholder support
LO4. develop the skills and attitudes required of a successful social entrepreneur relevant to not-for-profit as well as for-profit social enterprises locally and internationally
LO5. reflect on social entrepreneurship theory and practice.

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.

Due to larger student numbers, the pitch assessment will now be submitted as a video recording.

Additional information

More information can be found on Canvas.

Business School Policies

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

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

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

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

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

IBUS3108: Social Entrepreneurship

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

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

Media

Student links

About us

Connect