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Unit outline_

PMGT5875: Project Innovation Management

Semester 1, 2021 [Block mode] - Remote

Innovation is widely-recognised as a major driver of economic growth. Yet innovation projects can be difficult to manage: they typically involve a high level of uncertainty, and many organisations are unsatisfied with the level of innovation they achieve. In this unit of study, we focus on issues in the management of innovation projects at the individual project level, organisational level and across networks of organisations. Since a systematic approach can and does improve our effectiveness in managing innovation, we begin by exploring several different process models of the stages through which innovation projects are managed. We discuss context and challenges which impact such projects, as well as the concepts of creativity and intellectual property management. Using focused case studies, we analyse best practice in the structures and processes that organisations can provide to enable innovation, as well as to support the search, selection, implementation, dissemination, feedback and evaluation stages of their innovative projects. We also examine the impact of networks on innovation (e.g. collaboration networks), national innovation policies and systems, and trends towards open innovation.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Project Management
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Petr Matous, petr.matous@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Small test In-class quizzes
Short in-class quizzes to review the main points of the course content
18% Multiple weeks 5min * 12
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Peer-review feedback and content reflection
Written feedback on work of other students and reflection on course content
32% Multiple weeks approximately 250 words per submission
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7
Assignment group assignment Innovation research review
Recorded presentation of a research review in innovation project management
15% Week 04
Due date: 28 Mar 2021 at 23:59
10 min
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO7 LO3
Assignment group assignment Innovation case study
Recorded presentation of an innovation project case study
15% Week 08
Due date: 02 May 2021 at 23:59
10 min
Outcomes assessed: LO2
Assignment Professional blog post
Blog post on project innovation management for a professional audience
20% Week 12
Due date: 30 May 2021 at 23:59
800-1200 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

  • Research review presentation: Teams of students describe, critically analyse, and present their assessment on a recent study related to project innovation management
  • Case study presentation: Teams of students conduct a case study of a real innovation management project.
  • Professional blog post: Each student writes a professional blog post on a topic of project innovation management.
  • Essays: Students demonstrate their understanding of the core content of the course in their essays.
  • Peer-review feedback and content reflection​: Via-online discussion boards, students provide constructive written feedback on other students’ work and reflect on main point of the core content. The quality and timeliness of the students’ contributions to online discussions during the semester will be assessed.
  • In-class quizzes: A very short quiz will be administered in each live session to review the main points of the core content.

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

Reserved for exceptional cases when students demonstrate the most outstanding performance (e.g. final written submission could be published by a top level professional PM association, presentations would be considered top quality at a major professional conference, and submissions to discussion boards domenstrate extremely good communication skills, collegiality, and in-depth understanding of the content at a level publishable in reputable magazines of the PM profession.)

Distinction

75 - 84

Awarded when you demonstrate the achievement learning outcomes at a very high standard but not quite at the internationally top-class publishable levels described above.

Credit

65 - 74

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes at a high standard.

Pass

50 - 64

Awarded when you demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes at an acceptable standard. This is the range of marks you receive for assignments in which all prescribed requirements have been met but not significantly exceeded.

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard. This is the range of marks for assignments in which you do not fullfill the prescribed requirements.

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.

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:

In class activities can only be conducted in the respective "live sessions" and cannot be postponed or substituted without a special consideration. For every calendar day up to and including ten calendar days after the due date, a penalty of 5% of the maximum awardable marks will be applied for delays of "submitted work". The penalty will be calculated by first marking the work, and then subtracting 5% of the maximum awardable mark for each calendar day after the due date. Example: Consider an assignment's maximum awardable mark is 10; the assignment is submitted 2 days late; and the assignment is marked as 7/10. After applying the penalty, marks will be: 7 - (0.5 x 2) = 6/10. For work submitted more than ten calendar days after the due date a mark of zero will be awarded. The marker may elect to, but is not required to, provide feedback on such work. Refer to section 7A of Assessment procedures policy available at: http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2012/267&RendNum=0 There may be statistically defensible moderation when combining the marks from each component to ensure consistency of marking between markers, and alignment of final grades with unit outcomes. The University has authorised and mandated the use of text-based similarity detecting software Turnitin for all text-based written assignments.

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.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

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.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction to innovation Online class (1 hr) LO2
Week 02 Innovation process models Online class (1 hr) LO5
Synchronous interactive sessions Workshop (8 hr) LO1 LO2
Week 03 Context and challenges in innovation Online class (1 hr) LO1
Week 04 Managing intellectual property Online class (1 hr) LO2
Week 05 The innovative organisation Online class (1 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 06 Search/Exploration stage Online class (1 hr) LO4 LO5 LO6
Synchronous interactive sessions Workshop (8 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 07 Selection stage Online class (1 hr) LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 08 Implementation stage Online class (1 hr) LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 09 Diffusion and evaluation/feedback stages Online class (1 hr) LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 10 Networks and innovation Online class (1 hr) LO2 LO7
Synchronous interactive sessions Workshop (8 hr) LO6 LO7
Week 11 Open and collective innovation Online class (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO7
Week 12 The role of government in innovation Online class (1 hr) LO1 LO7
Weekly Group projects culminating in group presentations Project (50 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7
Study of the course core material and feedback exchange among students Independent study (50 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7

Attendance and class requirements

Full attendance of live-session is compulsory for both face-to-face and online students.

 

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

The most comprehensive reference for this course is:

  • Joe Tidd and John Bessant, Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change (5th). Chichester, Wiley, 2013. 9781118360637.

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.

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

  • LO1. match innovation, projects and different organisational contexts
  • LO2. identify the impact of innovation in different organisational and business environment
  • LO3. incorporate new methodologies to guarantee a successful project delivery
  • LO4. add new measures to control and monitor projects
  • LO5. add innovation principles to the project management phases
  • LO6. implement new methods to control project phases
  • LO7. interpret different methodologies under different contexts.

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
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

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

This unit has been restructured with updated content and assessments. Major adjustments have been made to accommodate students who may become affected by covid-related restrictions.

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.