This course covers different topics of organization related to innovation and creativity. It thereby touches upon both formal organizations as social entities as well as processes and practices of organizing. Foundational and contemporary concepts of innovation and creativity will be presented and linked by drawing on research-based literature and practical business cases throughout the classes. The cases of organizations, such as startup.com, Pixar & Disney, Cirque du Soleil, Chef Ferran Adriá and elBulli, P&G, among others, will allow to discuss challenges, paradoxes and balancing acts in organizing for creativity and innovation in large corporations, entrepreneurial ventures as well as collaborative forms that involve platforms and crowds. The course will count also with a role play, an innovation workshop as well as video cases to illustrate certain phenomena.

The following topics will be discussed in more depth:

• Importance of Creativity and Innovation for Organizations
• Distinguishing Different Forms and Contexts of Novelty (e.g. new categories, emergence of organizational forms; new products and services; new products and business models; management and social innovation)
• Managing Processes of Innovation
• Organization and organizing in the Creative Industries
• Challenges, paradoxes, and balancing acts in organizing creativity and innovation

The overall objective of this course is to provide an overview on multiple aspects of innovation and its practical relevance for organizations and organizing. By completing this course, students will deepen their understanding of theoretical foundations of organization and will train their skills to apply this knowledge to practical cases and real-world-examples. This course aims at equipping the students with relevant skills to apply theoretical knowledge to practical business cases in order to practice creative and innovative thinking in organizational realities. Discussing various conceptual perspectives and cases, the students will be prepared to critically reflect on organization theories as well as critically analyze processes of innovation in multiple organizational contexts.

Moreover this course fosters the students’ abilities to

• work and communicate effectively in teams
• contribute to discussions in a constructive and substantial manner
• improve their written and oral communication and presentation skills
• apply conceptual and theoretical knowledge to practical real-life cases

In order to achieve the learning outcomes, multiple teaching and learning formats will be applied. The course design combines lectures, reading & case assignments, discussions, group work and presentations.

• Lectures aim at presenting foundational and contemporary theoretical and practical knowledge, which will be discussed and reflected upon.
• Relevant literature for defined topics will be uploaded on LEARN@WU before the sessions so that students can prepare and follow-up on each topic.
• Through written and video case studies, role play, and group work students will have the opportunity to practically engage with typical questions and challenges by applying theoretical knowledge to real-world cases.
• Student presentations will train their ability to present a line of argument and reasoning in relation to the topics of the course.

Carefully selected reading assignments support the student’s intellectual involvement with the course literature in order to foster learning, active participation and informed discussions in the classroom.

Written report on group work: 40%

Presentation of group work: 20%

Final written exam: 40%

Successful completion of Specialization in Business Administration Course I (Basic Course) - Organization and Governance

Positiver Abschluss von Grundkurs 1 - Organisation und Governance

Silviya Svejenova is Professor in Leadership & Innovation at the Department of Organization at Copenhagen Business School. She is Guest Professor at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, and an Adjunct Professor (Professor II) at BI Norwegian Business School. She has a PhD in Management from IESE Business School, and has been on the faculty of ESADE Business School (Spain), Cranfield School of Management (UK), and University of Economics – Varna (Bulgaria), as well as visiting scholar at Stanford University and Harvard Business School (USA). Her research is on the emergence and institutionalization of new categories, the development of innovative roles, projects and practices that cross boundaries, and the drivers of innovation in the creative industries, among others.