MGB367 Leading Early Stage Ventures


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Unit Outline: Semester 1 2025, Gardens Point, Internal

Unit code:MGB367
Credit points:12
Pre-requisite:MGB162
Pre-requisite:MGB161
Coordinator:Bernd Irmer | b.irmer@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

A critical part of successful ventures is people - how you build and cultivate relationships with your co-founders, collaborators and partners, your mentors, investors, your customers and importantly, your team. This unit will help you develop essential leadership skills that will allow you and the people around you achieve their full potential. You will develop awareness of issues related to managing relationships with co-founders, practice essential coaching skills to facilitate team leadership, explore and learn approaches related to resilience, tolerance for ambiguity, and leading complex and uncertain entrepreneurial contexts. You will apply a set of practical tools, based on research and field-testing to help you as an entrepreneurial leader achieve the strategic priorities of entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial ventures.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Evaluate inter-personal relationships to optimise collaborations in new-venture contexts [HO 2.1]
  2. Critically analyse and reflect on your individual attributes and self-care behaviours that contribute to being a resilient entrepreneurial leader. [KS 1.1, TS 4.1]
  3. Use different sources to make evidence-based decisions as you develop an entrepreneurial venture to facilitate self assessment. [HO 2.2]
  4. Critically reflect on the social, cultural and ethical influences on your entrepreneurial goals, actions and decision-making. [SE 5.1]
  5. Clearly articulate the outcomes of your analysis and reflections to intended audiences. [PC 3.1]

Content

What is leadership?

Leader styles

Entrepreneurial Self-leadership

  • Building a tolerance of "ambiguity”
  • Managing the “dark side” of entrepreneurship
  • Maintaining your mental health and wellbeing
  • Giving and receiving feedback
  • Developing anti-fragility

Leading Start-Ups

  • Managing founder relationships
  • Managing relationships with co-founders
  • Developing positive interpersonal relationships
  • Coaching teams
  • Creating an entrepreneurial culture

Learning Approaches

This unit takes a blended approach to learning and teaching. You will be provided with both eContent and timetabled activities such as workshops and tutorials. eContent will be clearly identified on your Canvas site for you to engage with on a weekly basis before your classes. eContent could include videos, readings, self-reflection and/or peer activities designed to enhance your learning experience. During the timetabled activities, the unit coordinator and/or your tutor will further explain content and you will be provided with opportunities to explore this content in a collaborative learning environment. After your weekly classes, you should continue to engage with unit resources to ensure you consolidate your understanding of unit content. Teaching team members will also be available for one-on-one consultations to assist you with your learning journey.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:

  •  Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, individual consultation
  •  Formal: in writing, such as checklists, rubrics, written commentary
  •  Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation
  •  Indirect: to the whole class

Assessment

Overview

The assessment in this unit will take you on a personal journey that will increase your self awareness of your leadership attributes and ways that you can foster your own resilience. You will also consider the attributes of a partner or co-founder that would work best with you and for your entrepreneurial venture.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Self Leadership Reflection and Match

This assessment requires you to reflect on the individual characteristics and business strategies you identified in previous units and what you have learned about leadership and your preferred approach to managing interpersonal relationships. You are required to 1) reflect on your leadership style and why it might be effective to growing your entrepreneurial venture, and 2) reflect on the characteristics of a co-founder that would complement your approaches to entrepreneurship but also help compensate for some of your identified areas in need of further self-development.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Business Capabilities (AoL goals): HO [2.1], PC [3.1], TS [4.1]

Weight: 50
Length: 2500 words
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 7
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 5

Assessment: Resilience Action Plan

You are required to develop an action plan focused on helping you become a resilient entrepreneur. You will be expected to consider the social, cultural and ethical influences on your ability to develop and enact strategies and approaches you might wish to employ to ensure you are able to maintain your health and wellness during periods of high stress and when dealing with competing priorities.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS [1.1], HO [2.2], PC [3.1], TS [4.1], SE [5.1]

Weight: 50
Length: 2500 words
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 13
Related Unit learning outcomes: 2, 3, 4, 5

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

No additional study requirements

Costs

No additional study costs

Resources

Weekly resources will be made available on the unit Canvas site.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the ordinary risks associated with this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to view the Emergency video.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

QUT Business Capabilities (Undergraduate)

HO (2.1): Critical Analysis

Relates to: ULO1, Self Leadership Reflection and Match

HO (2.2): Independent Judgement and Decision-Making

Relates to: ULO3, Resilience Action Plan

KS (1.1): Discipline Knowledge

Relates to: ULO2, Resilience Action Plan

PC (3.1): Professional Communication (Written)

Relates to: ULO5, Self Leadership Reflection and Match, Resilience Action Plan

SE (5.1): Ethical and Legal Understanding

Relates to: ULO4, Resilience Action Plan

TS (4.1): Self-Reflection and Accountability

Relates to: ULO2, Self Leadership Reflection and Match, Resilience Action Plan