This course will explore the complexities of small business development in healthcare settings and utilizing the entrepreneurial mindset within a larger organization (Intrapreneurship). Students will engage with theories of, and practical approaches to, strategic decision making and leadership. Course topics will include such key skills as developing business plans, assessing the risk of business concepts, and identifying strategies for success in competitive, traditional, and emerging markets. The course will culminate in a business plan, feasibility study, market analysis report, or other projects for the student’s professional goals.
The intent of this course is to give students the tools to analyze the healthcare environment, establish a direction for creating a new venture, quantify market need, identify organizational risk and challenges, create a strategy to enter the market, and ultimately create a business plan/feasibility study/market analysis of a new venture within a current organization or as a stand-alone entity.
Your weekly discussion posts throughout this course – both initial and response posts – should be substantive, thoughtful, respond to the instructions, and integrate and refer to the course material. You should prioritize course content and limit references to external sources.
Gain a sense of the “big picture” for your organization. Finalize the development of a Business Plan. Please do some research on business plan proposals to support your statements. You should be attempting to combine the prior week’s learning into one coherent final proposal of your innovative entrepreneurial/intrapreneurial idea and how to launch it, what new solution it provides, and how it adds value to the healthcare market. You will be working toward a Business Plan Proposal throughout the term.
Choose a concept for either a new business, change in your organization’s present operations, or a new opportunity for a healthcare business.
Review and refine your assignment from last week to include strategic analysis, a competitive analysis, and a clearer definition of the innovation relative to your organization’s future.
Review and refine your business concept to include an analysis of the changes in your industry, your organization, and projected changes that will be necessary to support the new venture proposition you are developing for the final project.
Evaluate your current proposal this week utilizing Porter’s Five Forces Model.
Add to your concept for a new business initiative based on core competencies and value proposition analysis.
Building on the assignments you’ve completed throughout the term, deliver a business plan summary for an innovative business/business unit.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Assessment Item | Points |
Weekly discussions (8 at 3.75 points each) | 30 |
Week 2 Assignment: Concept Development | 10 |
Week 3 Assignment: Refinement of Concept | 10 |
Week 4 Assignment: Change Analysis | 10 |
Week 5 Assignment: Proposal Evaluation | 10 |
Week 6 Assignment: New Business Initiative | 10 |
Week 7 Assignment: Business Plan Summary | 20 |
Total | 100 |
Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Course learning modules are divided into weeks. Each week starts on Wednesday at 12:00 AM Eastern Time (ET) and closes on Wednesday at 11:59 PM ET, with the exception of Week 8, which ends on Sunday at 11:59 PM ET. All assignments must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on their due date.
Week 1: Oct 19 – Oct 26
Week 2: Oct 26 – Nov 2
Week 3: Nov 2 – Nov 9
Week 4: Nov 9 – Nov 16
Week 5: Nov 16 – Nov 23
Week 6: Nov 23 – Nov 30
Week 7: Nov 30 – Dec 7
Week 8: Dec 7 – Dec 11
Learning Modules | Topics | Assignments Due |
---|---|---|
Week 1 |
Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship; definition, traits, need in the organization |
Week 1 Discussion: Initial post due by Sunday, Responses due by Wednesday |
Week 2 |
Traditional and emerging markets/trends in healthcare |
Week 2 Discussion: Initial post due by Sunday, Responses due by Wednesday Week 2 Assignment: Concept Development, due by Wednesday |
Week 3 |
Strategy for developing new ventures |
Week 3 Discussion: Initial post due by Sunday, Response due by Wednesday Week 3 Assignment: Refinement of Concept, due by Wednesday |
Week 4 |
Leading Change Management |
Week 4 Discussion: Initial post due by Sunday, Responses due by Wednesday Week 4 Assignment: Change Analysis, due by Wednesday |
Week 5 |
System Thinking – Porter’s Five Forces Model |
Week 5 Discussion: Initial post due by Sunday, Response due by Wednesday Week 5 Assignment: Proposal Evaluation, due by Wednesday |
Week 6 |
Need identification – Voice of the Customer |
Week 6 Discussion: Initial post due by Sunday, Response due by Wednesday Week 6 Assignment: New Business Initiative, due by Wednesday |
Week 7 |
Developing a Business Plan |
Week 7 Discussion: Initial post due by Sunday, Response due by Wednesday Week 7 Assignment: Business Plan Summary, due by Wednesday |
Week 8 |
Lessons learned/Reflection |
Week 8 Discussion: Initial post due by Wednesday, Response due by Friday |
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Questions? Visit the Student Support Healthcare Administration page
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Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
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Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
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Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.