Presentation

Technology is the set of tools, procedures and other arrangements that allow human beings to change the conditions of the environment in order to satisfy their needs. It has a deep impact on the products that an organization develops, produces and distributes. The life cycle of products is shortened and, therefore, the way products are made and released into the markets changes. Technology has also a great impact on the processes of the organization because new technologies are introduced into almost all the areas of organization including supply chain, human resources, finances and others.

Organizations focused on technology or those that have an intensive use of it in their operations show distinct management approaches when compared to traditional organizations. Understanding these approaches and having an open mind to know how to use them is a strategic need for any successful manager.

Innovation is the application of better solutions that meet market needs. It is a vital ingredient of success of any business that can keep organizations ahead of their competitors. New technologies provide organizations with far more business opportunities than any other means. Therefore, to achieve success in the market the organization should have the ability to strategically manage change. Innovation is not just about having good ideas but making them successful. Ideas need to be managed and continuously improved. Innovation requires an ability of understanding and anticipating markets and technologies. Therefore, it is vital to know key mechanisms to promote innovation; recognize and pursue business opportunities connected with it.

Competences

General Competences

• GC1. To control and to integrate the techniques, instruments and methods of management needed in the development of the professional activity.
• GC2. To delve into the business management and into the different administration areas.
• GC4. That the students can communicate their conclusions, present their projects, results, plans, the knowledge and the reasons that support them before a specialized or an ordinary public in a clear and in an ambiguity free manner.
• GC5. That the students are able to integrate their knowledge in the different working areas of the business with information, usually incomplete or limited, in the business environment in order to manage the decision making and troubleshooting processes through complex and multidisciplinary situations.

Specífic Competences

• SC6. To understand the differentiating elements in the business administration, which performance field is continuously changing as consequence of the technological changes. This technological changes alter their market, their products and production or distribution processes, even they can affect some of their functional areas, shorten their products life cycles, generate the necessity to administrate self-generated funds for innovation and to fulfil continuously a technological forecast or to create technological observatories.
• SC7. To know and to use innovation management techniques. To create temporal competitive advantages by innovation.
• SC9. To understand the differences between a functional management and a processes management. Process Management.
• SC10. To know how to define a business process.
• SC11. Learning the existence, the applications and the boundaries of the Information Systems in the processes’ support and control.
• SC12. To understand the functional organization of the business. Areas interrelation. To identify and to understand the factors and dimensions that belongs to the functional part of the business, and the features of its administration system.
• SC13. To understand the impact that telecommunications have on business administration and in the business competitiveness.
• SC14. Learning the existence, the applications and the boundaries of the Information Systems and the impact of they have in decision-making, competitiveness and response promptness.
• SC25. To know how to use the e-commerce tools in the international market and to understand the relationship and the impact of the goods and services international distribution.
  

Transversal Competences

• TC2. Ability to make decisions in a technological changing environment.
• TC3. Being able to use TIC’s Technologies in management and decision-making.
• TC8. To ease the process of transition to the business professional career.
• TC9. To provide the students with learning skills that will allow them to continue their studies in an autonomous manner.

Program

Unit 1. Management of Innovation and Innovative Thinking
Presentation
Introduction, definition, concepts and drivers of innovation
Disruptive innovation and sustainable development
Innovation and entrepreneurship
Innovation through R&D departments
Adoption of innovative ideas by society
Innovation as a business strategy
Innovation through organizational routines
Innovation through network collaboration
Open innovation
Bibliographical References
Master Class

Unit 2. Innovation Methodology
Presentation
Sources for innovative opportunities
Innovation patterns that generate ideas
The architecture of innovation and creation theory
Bibliographical References
Master Class

Unit 3. R-D-i and Product Portfolio
Presentation
Product Life-Cycle
Link between product life-cycle and innovation
Not invented here syndrome
Bibliographical References
Master Class

Unit 4. The Impact of Innovation
Presentation
Impact on people
Impact on products, services and technologies
Impact on processes
Challenges when organizations face innovation
Bibliographical References
Master Class

Unit 5. Benefits of Technology Management
Presentation
Intellectual Property (IP)
Patents in the business strategy
Technological standards
Bibliographical References
Master Class

Unit 6. Policies and Innovation Strategies
Presentation
Innovation strategies of successful organizations
Importance of technological forecasting
Three governance models
National and regional innovation systems
Bibliographical References
Master Class

Methodology

The different tasks and activities programmed during the semester have been developed with the goal of adapting the learning process to the different capabilities, necessities and interests of the students.

The activities included in the subject are:

• Practical cases: will provide the student with actual business situations that will need to analyse and, after that, make decisions, evaluate the consequences and alternatives. They will allow acquiring intellectual skills to face sudden situations or to plan action programs adapted to a changing environment where there is no math logic.
• Participation in events. During the course you will be participating in different events. Some of those events are attendance to online classes, forums, self-evaluation tests.

In the weekly program you can find the specific tasks you need to complete in this subject.

These activities are combined with the following aspects:

• Personal Study
• Tutoring. The tutoring class can be implemented through different tools and means. During the course of the subject, the teacher-tutor plans the individual tutoring on specific days for the resolution of academic-oriented doubts through “Consultation sessions”. Supplementing these sessions, students have also available the “Ask your teacher” forum through which they can formulate questions and check the corresponding answers on general aspects of the subject.  Due to the very nature of the media used, there are no fixed schedules for the students.
• Mandatory on-site final exam

The hours dedicated to each activity are detailed as follows:

Bibliography

Basic bibliography

The necessary texts for the study of this subject have been elaborated by UNIR and are available in a digital format to consult, download or print inthe virtual classroom.

Evaluation and Assessment

The evaluation system is based on the following numerical chart:

The grade is made up of two components:

On-site final exam (60%). At the end of the semester, you need to assist a mandatory on-site final exam. You need to pass the final exam so the grade obtained from the assignments (continuous assessment) is summed up to the final grade of the subject. 

Continuous assessment (40%): this type of assessment will be measured through the different assignments you need to complete during the course:

• Active participation and involvement in forums, online classes.
• Tasks. The completion of the different activities the students need to send through our virtual classroom such as research, critical thinking, practice cases.
• Self-evaluation tests. At the end of each unit, students will find a short quiz which will help the students to check the knowledge acquired during the course.

Remember that you can check the points (value) of each assignment in the weekly program.

Professor

Kateryna Bondar

Education: Kateryna Bondar holds a PhD in Technology and Innovation Management (2013) at the University Bw Munich. She previously studied a MSc in Business Studies (2009) at the University of Amsterdam, and a MSc in Computer Science (2010) at the National Aviation University of Ukraine, specializing in Internet Technologies. Before that, she studied a BSc in International Economics (2009) at Kyiv National Economics University, specializing in International Economic Relations; and a Bsc in Computer Science (2008) at the National Aviation University of Ukraine, specializing in computer programming.

Professional experience: Now working at UNIR, she has worked in other educative institutions as a researcher and professor as for example at the Center for Technology and Innovation Management (CETIM) at the University Bw Munich, at the Innova Institute at La Salle (BES) and as a visiting researcher at the Royal Philips Electronics in Netherlands. She has also worked as commercial officer at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine, and as assistant of Project Manager at the British Council in Ukraine. She has also experience as international coordinator at the West London YMCA and as assistant at UNICEF.

Lines of research: Technology Management, Innovation Management, Entrepreneurship, New Ways of Work, Consulting, Strategy and Organization.

Tips

Studying online means you can organize your study as you wish, as long as you meet the due dates of the different assignments (activities, tasks and tests). In order to help you, we propose the following steps:

1. From our online platform you will have access to each of the subjects you are enrolled. Apart from this, t you can access to the virtual classroom of the master. In this section, you have available all the documents on how to use the different tools included in the virtual classroom, how a subject is organized and you will also have the possibility to organize your study plan with the tutor.
2. Do not forget to check the weekly program. You will see which part of the content of the course you have to work on every week.
3. After knowing your work for the week, go to Units in your virtual classroom. There, you will have access to the study material (theory and practice) from the unit you need to study throughout the week.
4. Start by reading thethe Basic Knowledge of the unit, this section is the basic study material of the unit. Always read the first part of the same, Introduction, as we will show you here all the material you need to study. Visit, as well, the Resources section, you will find here the complementary readings, videos, experiences, etc.
5. Devote some time when doing the Practical Cases and Test. In the subject Program we will detail which are the corresponding activities for each week and the max. grade you can achieve in each one.
6. We strongly recommend to take part in the events of the course (On-site virtual classes, debate forums, etc.). To know the exact date for each one of these events you must visit the communication media on the Virtual Classroom. Your teacher and your tutor will inform of the subjects news.

Remember that in the virtual classroom of the master you can check how the different tools of the virtual classroom work: email, forum, online classes, sending the tasks, etc.