Corporate Innovation Concentration

Explores a systems-based perspective on our environment by addressing questions that are fundamental to design practice: What is a system, and what are the different types? How do we observe, analyze, and represent systems? What interactions can we have with systems and what are the different types of interaction? Explores structures and processes for the design of systemic relationships between people, artifacts, environments, and activities. Systems may be physical, virtual, social, or a combination. Through discussion, writing, diagramming, and project exercises, offers students an opportunity to learn principles of systems theory and explore the connection between design methods and systems thinking. Students who do not meet course restrictions may seek permission of instructor or program coordinator.

ARTG 5610 | 4 Hours

Focuses on the main processes needed to develop a complex, high-technology product. Emphasizes the most important techniques and approaches used in a startup environment. Seeks to benefit students of all engineering disciplines including computer science and biomedical, industrial, electrical, mechanical, computer, and chemical engineering. Includes a running practical project in which a new product is designed and executed through a series of small projects for each phase of the product development process. Topics include the product life cycle, new product development processes, project planning and management, new product idea generation, the systems approach to product development, design for manufacturing, market testing and launch, and escalation to manufacturing.

GE 5100 | 4 Hours

Examines the actions that managers must take to stimulate innovation and direct it in ways that allow the organization to accomplish its goals. Topics include what organization forms are most conducive to innovation, what factors hinder innovativeness and how can they be overcome, and what role managers play in bringing about innovation. Focuses on the actions that companies and their managers can take to design their organizations and systems effectively in order to foster innovativeness. Elements of an organization's infrastructure include design, reward mechanisms, communication patterns, boundary spanning, control systems, leadership at all levels, and the organization's culture.

HRMG 6212 | 3 Hours

Examines the leadership and managerial skills required for effectively managing multifunctional teams engaged in product, service, and business process innovation. Incorporates fieldwork, corporate visits, and other experiential learning opportunities. Explores strategies for recruiting, motivating, and retaining high-performance people. Introduces models for leading systematic innovative change within established corporate cultures, including understanding senior management attitudes toward innovation and how to create executive sponsors and mentors.

HRMG 6280 | 3 Hours

Explores how corporate venturing and entrepreneurial teams can quickly and effectively bring new concepts to market. Demonstrates how small technical teams can quickly investigate opportunity spaces, develop and select concepts, and translate these into prototypes. Other topics include industrial design thinking, project teams, prototyping, and commercialization of design. Explores the challenges and solutions to managing a technology-based product within an established corporation and details frameworks on how innovative projects can be inexpensively tested and deployed within the organization.

ENTR 6217 | 3 Hours

Reviews the key theories and tools needed to understand how technological change creates new markets and prompts new business models, how technology-based firms can outcompete rivals in fast-growing markets characterized by high uncertainty, and how the evolution of technology in an industry affects the type of firm capabilities needed to succeed over time.

ENTR 6222 | 3 Hours

Offers students an opportunity to analyze whether, why, and how multibusiness corporations expand their operations into new business areas by questioning decisions to grow globally through mechanisms such as acquisitions or alliances. Uses rigorous case-based discussions, expert readings, and major current events to discuss issues related to the choice of make, buy, or partner. Offers students an opportunity to evaluate how these different corporate entrepreneurial strategies are used to help firms be more competitive and innovative.

ENTR 6225 | 3 Hours

Provides a business perspective on how to design and optimize platform-based business models for growth, value creation, and innovation and a practical analytical toolkit of theories, concepts, and frameworks. Uses case studies from various industries. Many of today's growth enterprises and startups are organized as platforms. Platforms facilitate other actors and support interactions among a wider “ecosystem” of users, services, suppliers, etc., and they have potential for massive growth and value creation. High returns to successful platform business models lead companies to learn to act like platforms. Technology trends toward digitization, big data, automation, etc., accelerate these trends. Aimed at people looking to work within existing companies or those interested in starting or growing new platforms.

INNO 6230 | 3 Hours

Focuses on next-generation products, systems, and services with an integrated framework that applies market innovation, user-centered design, architectural and platform innovation, and business model innovation. Offers students an opportunity to apply these concepts to new product/service/business process innovation opportunities in their own organization with executive sponsorship and faculty guidance.

MGMT 6280 | 3 Hours

Examines innovation in services and the internal management of business processes. Uses a framework of service/process redesign. Emphasizes strategic initiatives and key organizational change elements critical for improving services to customers; increasing profitability; and building long-term customer loyalty across multiple industry sectors, including information technology, healthcare, financial services, and government. Introduces the various strategic aspects of process improvement in the delivery of services, including managing change and the resulting impact on the organization, supply-chain management in the service industry, process improvement, overcoming organizational resistance, customer involvement, empowerment, and the role of leadership in managing operations. Through guided project work, offers students an opportunity to apply these concepts to services and internal business processes at their own organizations.

MGSC 6281 | 3 Hours