Overview
The unit is designed to familiarize students with the world of entrepreneurship, innovation and start-ups. It examines the nature and roles of entrepreneurship, innovation and the entrepreneur in society. You will identify the key factors for entrepreneurial success and how to evaluate these factors. You will also learn the stages that entrepreneurs go through in taking the seed of an idea through to planning for the growth of a successful business. Emphasis is placed on planning, financing, starting and managing new start-ups.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Completion of 48 credit points in first year of study.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student Survey
Pehaps for the assessment 2, providing more resources or examples for pitch
A guide on how to pitch the business idea should be provided/uploaded in the unit's Moodle.
Feedback from Student Survey
The lecturer explained everything in detail about assessments
An updated guide, along with a recorded video, should be uploaded in Moodle, providing details on each assessment. In addition, the lecturer/s should dedicate at least five minutes in each workshop to answer students' questions related to assessment.
- Demonstrate an understanding of entrepreneurship, innovation and new start-ups through critical review and synthesis of knowledge and current developments in the field
- Synthesise knowledge and exercise critical thinking to appreciate the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation within society
- Critically analyse and synthesise the knowledge, qualities and skills needed to become a successful entrepreneur in start-up ventures
- Demonstrate creative skills and critical thinking to identify a new start-up opportunity and evaluate its feasibility
- Synthesise knowledge and exercise critical thinking to apply appropriate frameworks that evaluate the preferred business model for the start-up opportunity
- Apply technical skills to formulate a business plan for the launch of a start-up venture.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 60% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 60% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures, Updated Global Edition, 6th edition
Updated Global Edition, 6th edition (2021)
Authors: Bruce R. Barringer R Duane Ireland
Pearson
ISBN: 9781292402826
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.zhang@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Chapter
Barringer & Ireland (2019): Chapter 1
Events and Submissions/Topic
Learning Objectives
- Describe entrepreneurs, corporate entrepreneurship, and the characteristics of entrepreneurial firms.
- Discuss three main reasons people decide to become entrepreneurs.
- Identify four main characteristics of successful entrepreneurs.
- Explain five common myths regarding entrepreneurship.
- Describe three types of start-up firms.
Discuss the changing demographics of entrepreneurs. - Discuss the positive effects of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial firms on economies and societies.
- Explain the entrepreneurial process.
Module/Topic
Developing the Business Idea: Recognizing Opportunities and Generating Ideas
Chapter
Barringer & Ireland (2019): Chapter 2
Events and Submissions/Topic
Learning Objectives
- Explain the difference between opportunities and ideas.
- Describe the three general approaches entrepreneurs use to identify opportunities.
- Discuss the personal characteristics of entrepreneurs that contribute to their ability to recognise business opportunities.
- Identify and describe techniques entrepreneurs use to generate ideas.
Module/Topic
Developing the Business Idea: Feasibility, Industry and Competitor Analysis
Chapter
Barringer & Ireland (2019): Chapters 3 and 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Learning Objectives
- Explain what a feasibility analysis is and why it’s important.
- Describe the four stages of feasibility analysis, including Product/Service Feasibility, Industry/Target Market Feasibility, Organizational Feasibility, and Financial Feasibility, and the major issues to consider in each stage of feasibility analysis.
- Describe a feasibility analysis template.
- Explain the purpose of an industry analysis and identify the five competitive forces that determine industry profitability.
- Identify the five primary industry types and the opportunities they offer.
Module/Topic
Developing an effective business model
Chapter
Osterwalder, A., & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business model generation: a handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers. John Wiley & Sons.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Learning Objectives
- Describe business models and discuss their importance.
- Identify and describe types of business models.
- Explain the components of the Business Model canvas that entrepreneurs can use to develop a business model for their firm.
Module/Topic
Writing a business plan
Chapter
Barringer & Ireland (2019): Chapter 6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Learning Objectives
- Explain the purpose of a business plan.
- Understand who reads a business plan and what they’re looking for.
- Discuss the guidelines to follow to write an effective business plan.
- Identify and describe a suggested outline of a business plan.
- Explain how to effectively present a business plan to potential investors.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Building a new-venture team
Chapter
Barringer & Ireland (2019): Chapter 9
Events and Submissions/Topic
Learning Objectives
- Explain the concept called liabilities of newness.
- Describe a new venture team and discuss the primary elements that form such a team.
- Identify professional advisers and explain their role with a new-venture team.
- Explain why a new venture team might use consultants to obtain advice.
Assessment 1: New business idea and feasibility study Due: Week 6 Monday (21 Apr 2025) 11:45 am AEST
Module/Topic
Financial viability and funding
Chapter
Barringer & Ireland (2019): Chapters 8 and 10
Events and Submissions/Topic
Learning Objectives
- Learn about the importance of understanding the financial management of an entrepreneurial firm.
- Identify the four main financial objectives of entrepreneurial firms.
- Describe the process of financial management.
- Identify and describe the various sources of financing available to entrepreneurs.
Module/Topic
Marketing for startups
Chapter
Barringer & Ireland (2019): Chapter 11
Events and Submissions/Topic
Learning Objectives
- Explain the three steps (segmenting the market, selecting a target market, and establishing a unique market position) entrepreneurial firms use to identify their customers.
- Define a brand and explain why it is important for an entrepreneurial firm’s marketing efforts.
- Identify and explain the 4Ps of marketing activities (product, price, promotion, and place) used by entrepreneurial firms.
- Describe the seven-step sales process an entrepreneurial firm uses to identify prospects and close sales.
Module/Topic
Ethical and Legal foundations for startups
Chapter
Barringer & Ireland (2019): Chapter 7
Chapple, et al. (2016). Company Law (1st ed.): Chapter 1.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Learning Objectives
- Discuss the actions founders can take to establish a strong ethical culture in their entrepreneurial ventures.
- Describe actions taken in new firms to effectively deal with legal issues.
- Identify and describe the different forms of organization available to new firms.
Module/Topic
The importance of intellectual property
Chapter
Barringer & Ireland (2019): Chapter 12
Select reading material from Australian Government resources given on the Unit Moodle site
Events and Submissions/Topic
Learning Objectives
- Define the term “intellectual property” and describe its importance.
- Explain what a patent is and describe different types of patents.
- Describe a trademark and explain the process entrepreneurs use to obtain one.
- Describe a copyright and identify what a copyright can protect.
- Describe a trade secret and understand the common causes of trade secret disputes.
Module/Topic
Growing and managing the entrepreneurial firm
Chapter
Barringer & Ireland (2019): Chapters 13 and 14
Events and Submissions/Topic
Learning Objectives
- Describe how firms can properly prepare for growth.
- Discuss the six most common reasons firms pursue growth and explain the importance of being able to manage the stages of growth.
- Describe the challenges of firm growth.
- Discuss the internal growth strategy for entrepreneurial firms.
- Discuss different types of external growth strategies.
Module/Topic
Wrap-up and reflections
Chapter
No readings
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
This assignment requires you to compose a business report of approximately 1800 words (+/- 10%), offering a practical application of the theoretical concepts discussed in this Unit by developing a new business idea. Your report should begin with a succinct description of your business idea, followed by a discussion of the methodology used in its development. Additionally, you should integrate a review of academic literature to identify the essential skills required for successful entrepreneurship. The assignment also involves conducting a feasibility study to evaluate the practicality of your business idea within society and a further review of the literature to underline the significance of your idea in the field.
Note: This assessment requires students to adhere to the guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence tools as specified in the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS) Level 2. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity. AIAS Level 2 (AI Planning) states: AI may be used for pre-task activities such as brainstorming, outlining, and initial research. This level focuses on the effective use of AI for planning, synthesis, and ideation, but assessments should emphasise the ability to develop and refine these ideas independently. You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. However, your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 6 Monday (21 Apr 2025) 11:45 am AEST
A late penalty @ 5% per day will be applied
Week 8 Monday (5 May 2025)
Grade will be released on Moodle
New business idea and feasibility study (40% weighting, i.e. 40 marks)
- Provision of a description of the idea or opportunity (6 marks).
- Identification of the process followed to develop the business idea or opportunity (6 marks).
- Discussion of the skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur (6 marks).
- Evaluation of the viability of the proposed social or commercial enterprise through a feasibility study and concept statement (10 marks).
- Explanation of the importance of the proposed enterprise within society (6 marks).
- Citation of 10-12 relevant academic scholarly sources (journal articles and book chapters) and a minimum of 5-6 industry sources (news articles, websites, industry reports) using the APA referencing style (3 marks).
- Correct use of the essay structure and appropriate conventions of academic writing (3 marks).
- Demonstrate an understanding of entrepreneurship, innovation and new start-ups through critical review and synthesis of knowledge and current developments in the field
- Synthesise knowledge and exercise critical thinking to appreciate the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation within society
- Critically analyse and synthesise the knowledge, qualities and skills needed to become a successful entrepreneur in start-up ventures
- Demonstrate creative skills and critical thinking to identify a new start-up opportunity and evaluate its feasibility
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
2 Written Assessment
This is an individual assignment comprising two components: (i) a 5-minute (+/- 1 minute) pitch presentation and (ii) a formal business report of 2,000 words (+/- 10%) based on the new business idea proposed in Assessment 1.
In this assessment, you will adopt the mindset of a potential entrepreneur, building upon the business idea identified in Assessment 1 to explore how it can be developed into a viable and impactful business venture. This task provides an opportunity to strengthen your skills in research, analysis, critical thinking, and both written and oral communication. Specifically, it focuses on developing a persuasive argument within the context of a business plan and pitch.
Note: This assessment requires students to adhere to the guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence tools as specified in the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS) Level 2. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity. AIAS Level 2 (AI Planning) states: AI may be used for pre-task activities such as brainstorming, outlining, and initial research. This level focuses on the effective use of AI for planning, synthesis, and ideation, but assessments should emphasise the ability to develop and refine these ideas independently. You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. However, your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 12 Friday (6 June 2025) 11:45 pm AEST
A late penalty @ 5% per day will be applied
Grades will be released after the certification of grades date
Pitch/Presentation (10 Marks)
- A 5-minute (+/- 1 minutes) presentation on the selected social or commercial business idea.
- You must be visible in the video recording.
Business Report (50 Marks)
- Company Description: Provide a description of the proposed new business, including a compelling justification for the 'need' for this business idea. Clearly identify whether there is a tangible 'need' for its product or service in the real world and explain how it offers a potential solution to an actual problem. (10 marks)
- Team: Discuss the composition of the Founder Team, outlining the proposed roles of each member in the new venture. (5 marks)
- Legal Structure: Outline the proposed legal structure for your new business venture. (5 marks)
- Business Analysis: Ensure the business plan addresses key aspects such as industry overview, competitor analysis, target market identification, operational plan, and financial plan. (10 marks)
- Business Model Canvas: Use the Business Model Canvas to detail the elements crucial to the development of the proposed social or commercial enterprise. (10 marks)
- Research Quality and APA Referencing: Demonstrate the quality of research conducted and ensure the accurate application of APA referencing throughout the report. (5 marks)
- Report Structure and Academic Writing Conventions: Follow the correct report structure and adhere to the conventions of academic writing. (5 marks)
- Critically analyse and synthesise the knowledge, qualities and skills needed to become a successful entrepreneur in start-up ventures
- Synthesise knowledge and exercise critical thinking to apply appropriate frameworks that evaluate the preferred business model for the start-up opportunity
- Apply technical skills to formulate a business plan for the launch of a start-up venture.
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
