MPhil - MoTI (Michaelmas and Lent terms)
MoTI: Management of Technology and Innovation
MOTI represents an introduction to a range of management ideas and concepts relevant to innovative or technology-intensive organisations. The MOTI course is delivered by faculty at Judge Business School, supplemented by guest speakers as appropriate. MOTI is shared by five MPhil programmes, and therefore represents a unique opportunity for students to mix with participants from other disciplines and programmes. Lectures take place in the evenings during Michaelmas and the early part of Lent Term and the consultancy project runs throughout the Lent Term. Each subject course comprises 8 hours, taught in 2 hour sessions.
MOTI equips students with an understanding of how their science, engineering and technology knowledge can be transformed into commercial products and services, and the pathways by which innovations reach the market place. The course provides a basic grounding in the domains of strategy, organisation, marketing, finance and accounting, microeconomics and commercialisation of innovation.
In each area, the focus is on issues particularly relevant to managing innovation – be it in products, processes or in the strategy and direction of an organisation. Following a comprehensive introduction to a range of management tools, concepts and cases, students put the teaching into practice, working in groups on a consulting project addressing a real problem for a client organisation.
NOTE: We recommend that students take at least six out of the nine courses available, but you may take all of them if you wish. Students who plan to undertake a Business project as part of the MPhil in Micro and Nanotechnology Enterprise are strongly recommended to attend all of the MoTI sessions. Those courses marked with an asterisk (*) are highly recommended; attendance at the others is optional.
The components of MoTI are:
Microeconomics*- Dr Jochen Runde
The purpose of this course of lectures is to provide you with an introduction to microeconomics and to familiarise you with some basic concepts, tools and models relevant to management and business in general and, where possible, the management of technology and innovation in particular. Topics covered include some basic price theory, the firm, market structure, game theory, transactions costs, market power and externalities
Commercialising Science - Dr Alan Hughes and Michael Kitson
Designed to provide an in-depth analysis of the factors affecting the extent and mode of commercialisation of innovations from the science base. It will include coverage of the factors affecting the choice of mode and the factors affecting the likelihood of success within each mode. It will analyse the different cultures involved in conducting research in a university and business setting , their implications for the commercialisation process and the extent to which convergence in systems of research is developing. It provides an overview of patterns of commercialisation and through the development of the concepts of sectoral systems of innovation, the nature of small business and spin-off aspects of commercialisation; the characteristics of large company involvement in commercialisation from the science base; and finally the importance of applying a sectoral systems of innovation approach to commercialisation opportunities arising from different scientific fields.
Decision Theory: case study - Dr Chris Hope
The objectives of this module are to introduce you to methods of decision-making including environmental economics, cost-benefit analysis and probabilistic modelling. To see how these methods can be applied to the analysis of climate change. The strengths and limitations of the techniques will be illustrated with examples from real policy decisions.
Finance and Accounting* - Dr Amir Amel-Zadeh
By the end of this module students should be able to interpret financial statements, including the income statement, cash flow statement and balance sheet; understand key financial metrics, such as return on equity and free cash flow; understand the basics of corporate finance; apply financial statement data in business valuation and understand some financial reporting, financing and business valuation issues specific to technology companies
Organising Behaviour - TBC
By the end of this module students should be able to understand the role of individual values and attitudes for organisational effectiveness; understand the distinctive social dynamics underpinning groups and teams, and how leadership affects team performance; understand the processes though which structure and culture provide the context for innovation and understand the key individual and organisational challenges involved in managing change
High Tech Marketing* - Dr Eden Yin
By the end of this module, students should develop a greater understanding of the nature and the practice of marketing strategies; the uniqueness of high-tech markets and its marketing implications and the similarity/differences between the marketing strategies in the two technology-intensive industries
Technology Strategy - Dr Shahzad Ansari
By the end of this module students should develop a greater understanding of strategy in hi-tech markets; the dynamics of the “network economy”, and the strategies needed to succeed in it; why some technologies become widely accepted while others do not; how some firms are able to develop competitive advantage around their technologies; how are some firms able to ‘lock-in’ markets and what are the public policy implications of this and some understanding of the organizational challenges involved in implementing strategy.
Management of Technology* - Dr Tim Minshall
The objectives of this module are to: Explain the firm-level processes of bringing a technology to market.; introduce the tools and techniques to help manage this complex process; position this process within the ‘bigger picture’ of the changing technological, industrial, and economic contexts.
By the end of this module students should be able to: understand the key technology management processes and the activities that take place within each process; demonstrate awareness of the range of tools and techniques available to support effective technology management.; appreciate the importance of consideration of the changing technological, industrial, and economic contexts as an integral part of effective technology management.
Entrepreneurship* - Dr Shai Vyakarnam
This module provides an introduction to entrepreneurship by combining two seemingly very distinct perspectives – that of the individual and their personal role as an entrepreneur and that of the entrepreneurial opportunity or business idea that they intend to bring to commercial fruition. Through a series of four two hour sessions we will combine elements of very practical business know-how with the more individual and personal behaviours, qualities and skills of successful entrepreneurship. In reality, these two elements need to come together seamlessly and effectively in order to successfully realise an opportunity.
Each session will combine both theory and practice, with the first 30 minutes of each session providing the theoretical overview while the second part of the sessions will focus on the practical perspective. For first three sessions, students will then join ‘Enterprise Tuesday’ to hear how theory and models are being translated into practice, from entrepreneurs talking about their business ventures and the challenges of getting these off the ground. This will be followed by networking with fellow attendees and the speakers – as networking is such a key skill for entrepreneurs! During the final session there will be an opportunity for students to test out another key skill for entrepreneurs – that of communicating ideas effectively – or pitching.
Sessions run from 6.00pm until 8.00pm followed by networking.
Consultancy Project
First-hand experience of the reality of innovation, project management and entrepreneurship. Students work with local companies and will apply analytical skills in a real-world context using some of tools and concepts from the taught component of MOTI. It provides opportunities to build a network of contacts with the Cambridge technology community. Students work in teams of 4-5 for the six weeks of the project, supervised by a faculty member or PhD student.