Innovation in Projects and Networks

Course Information

Course Responsible: Jonas Söderlund, Professor, Department of Leadership and Organizational Behaviour, BI Norwegian Business School
Course Institution: BI Norwegian Business School
ECTS: The course (both parts together) gives 7,5 ECTS points
Grading: The course is graded with pass/fail.
Course Description
Course Overview (PDF)

Course Registration

To register for the course use the BI application portal.
Use the “Apply now” button.

Course Faculty

Part 1:
Professor Jonas Søderlund, BI Norwegian Business School
Professor Andrew Davies, UCL
Part 2:
Professor Jonas Søderlund, BI Norwegian Business School
Professor Amir Sasson, BI Norwegian Business School
Professor Hans Georg Gemunden, BI Norwegian Business School/Technical University Berlin

Course application

To apply for this course you have to use BI Norwegian Business School’s application portal.External candidates (non-BI students) use the portal to register for single course at BI Norwegian Business School. External candidates will be asked to attach confirmation letter of admission to a PhD programme when signing up for a course.

Course Program and Reading List

Program
Please click here to downdload program and readinglist
Articles (most of them, not all) are available for download from Dropbox. Email Birte for access.

Preliminary Schedule Overview Part 2:
In room C2-005 all 3 days.

Day 1: May 22nd 2019 Faculty: Amir Sasson
09:30 Coffee
10:00 – 12:00 Lectures -Session 1: Introduction to network theories and the classics
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch 7th Floor (tapas – reserved tables)
13:00 – 17:00 Lectures -Session 2: Workshop on networks and innovation

Day 2: May 23rd 2019 Faculty: Hans Georg Gemünden and Jonas Söderlund
08:30 Coffee
09:00 – 12:00 Lectures
•Session 3a: The informal side of innovation and networks, focus on key individual roles in innovation networks, champions, relationship promotors, and technological gatekeepers, and project managers as networkers.
•Session 3b: The organizational side of innovation and networks, i.e. network competence, and its antecedents and performance effects.
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch 7th Floor (coupons – reserved tables)
13:00- 17:00 Lectures
•Session 4a: The role of project characteristics in managing networks, the ability and limitations to control of international R&D projects and programs by means of design structure matrices, the usefulness of combining weak and strong ties.
•Session 4b: Innovation networks and open innovation in project-based settings

17:30 – Social activity – dinner and a drink at Xeast Restaurant in Nydalen.  Please let us know if you are planning to attend. Choose a main course from this menu in advance. Norsi will pay for your main dish and a drink.

Day 3: May 24th 2019 Faculty: Jonas Söderlund
08:30 Coffee
09:00-12:00 Lecture – •Session 5: Workshop on impact on own research
12:00-13:00 Lunch 7th Floor (coupons – reserved tables)
13:00 16:00 Lecture – Session 6: Lessons learned and formulation of research questions targeting the frontiers of innovation in projects and networks

Preliminary Schedule Overview Part 1:

In room C2-095 all 3 days.
Day 1: April 2nd

09:30 Coffee
10:00 – 12:00 Lecture
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch 7th Floor
13:00 – 17:00 Lectures

Day 2: April 3rd
08:30 Coffee
09:00 – 12:00 Lecture
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch 7th Floor
13:00- 17:00 Lecture

18:00 – Social activity TBA

Day 3: April 4th
08:30 Coffee
09:00-12:00 Lecture
12:00-13:00 Lunch 7th Floor
13:00 16:00 Lecture

Detailed schedule

Part I: Projects in innovation April 2-April 4 2019

Day 1 April 2 2019
Faculty: Andrew Davies and Jonas Söderlund
Session 1: Introduction
 Presentation of aim and outline of the course
 Presentation of faculty
 Presentation of participants
Session 2. Innovation contexts
 Overview of the field of projects
 Overview of the field of innovation
 Workshop on innovation contexts

Day 2 April 3 2019
Faculty: Andrew Davies and Jonas Söderlund
Session 3. The nature and dynamics of innovative projects
 Introduction to innovative and vanguard projects
 Handout assignment
 Group work to analyze selected innovation projects
 Presentation of analysis
Session 4: Megaprojects and innovation
 Introduction to megaprojects
 Handout assignment
 Group work to analyze and compare three megaprojects
 Presentation of analysis

Day 3 April 4 2019
Faculty: Andrew Davies and Jonas Söderlund
Session 5. Project-based organizations, capabilities and learning
 Introduction to project-based organizations
 Handout of assignment to literature seminar
 Roundtable among students on selected papers and topics
 Presentation of discussion findings
Session 6. Publishing on innovation and projects
 Introduction to routines and projects
 Workshop on reviewing and publishing
 Presentation of analysis

Part II: Networks in innovation and synthesis May 22-May 24 2019

Day 1 May 22 2019 Faculty: Amir Sasson
Session 1: Introduction to network theories and the classics
 The seminal work
 Inside the firm
 The role of geography
 Good ideas and patents
Session 2: Workshop on networks and innovation

Day 2 May 23 2019 Faculty: Hans Georg Gemünden and Jonas Söderlund
Session 3a: The informal side of innovation and networks, focus on key individual roles in innovation networks, champions, relationship promotors, and technological gatekeepers, and project managers as networkers.
Session 3b: The organizational side of innovation and networks, i.e. network competence, and its antecedents and performance effects.
Session 4a: The role of project characteristics in managing networks, the ability and limitations to control of international R&D projects and programs by means of design structure matrices, the usefulness of combining weak and strong ties.
Session 4b: Innovation networks and open innovation in project-based settings

Day 3 May 24 2019 Faculty: Jonas Söderlund
Session 5: Workshop on impact on own research
Session 6: Lessons learned and formulation of research questions targeting the frontiers of innovation in projects and networks

Evaluation

Course paper is due on 5 July 2019 before noon (12:00). More information will be given during the course. Please note that the deadline is practised strictly.

Please note that all deadlines are final. A re-sit is only possible when the
course is next offered. In most cases, candidates will need to register and take
the course again as the course content may be updated or changed.

The ID number used for examinations is for external students should use the ID number provided in their course acceptance letter from BI.

The paper / home examination should under no circumstances be submitted directly to the person responsible for the course or any other lecturer. Grades and proof of completion will only be registered in the system when the papers / home examinations are sent in for grading.

Paper Submission
Your paper have to be delivered using BI’s digital exam solution DigiEx. In order to be able to submit your paper you need the log-in information that were sent to you from BI Norwegian Business School when you registered for the course.
Log in here: https://www.bi.no/

With digital assignments, you download the exam paper and submit you exam answer through BI’s digital exam system, DigiEx. You are able to submit the assignment from anywhere – as long as you have online access.

Contact the Exam Administration
In case of problems with the exam, please contact the Exam Administration via:
E-mail: examoslo@bi.no
Phone: 46 41 00 09 (10:00-14:00)

Travel and Accommodation

Accommodation: The closest hotel to BI is Radisson BLU Hotel Nydalen (http://www.radissonblu.com/hotelnydalen-oslo/location). For students that are not members of Norsi we ask you kindly to make your own hotel arrangement. PhD students register for the course that are not part of NORSI will have to cover their own expenses.

Norsi students travel and accommodation
Travel and Accommodation (Hotel) for Oslo – Part 1 and 2: Participants should arrange travel and transport by themselves, however all travel expenses will be refunded for NORSI students. NORSI has reserved a block of rooms for NORSI students at Radisson Nydalen Hotel right next door to BI. To book a hotel room please email Birte with your preferred dates. PhD students register for the course that are not part of NORSI will have to cover their own expenses.

NORSI Travel Refund

As this course is considered a NORSI course all travel expenses etc. will be covered for NORSI students. Same procedure as for other NORSI courses. NORSI students’ refund is dependent upon completion of course work and their status as a NORSI student.

Please not that NORSI does not issues per diem (diett penger) but will refund your food expenses, so save your receipts. In order to receive your travel refund mail/scan in all your original tickets and original receipts (plane, taxi, bus etc.) to Birte.
If your “home” institution has temporarily covered your travel costs, your institution may send BI/Birte and invoice (faktura) asking NORSI to cover your outstanding travel costs with copies of your receipts. (Norwegian: Hvis ditt lokal studiested legger ut for deg så kan det lokale studiestedet fakturerer BI totalt for alle sine NORSI studenter med en totalsum for reisekostnadene. Legg ved kopi av vedlegg). Please ask your institution to specify who (your name) the invoice/travel refund is for and write NORSI on the invoice. If you have any questions about this, please email Birte Horn-Hanssen.

Date & Location

Start date: 02/04/2019
Date physical: Part 1: 2-4 April 2019 (In room C2-095) Part 2: 22-24 May 2019 (In room C2-002)
Location: BI - Norwegian Business School