Introduction to Entrepreneurship

This course is not intended primarily to train students who aim to start their own businesses. Rather, it is an introductory course designed to help students learn the basic ways of thinking needed to identify customer issues that exist in society and everyday life, understand the essence of those issues in a structured manner, and express them as value propositions.

Using familiar products, services, and everyday behaviours as learning materials, the course focuses on the process of paying attention to customers’ actions, dissatisfaction, and sense of discomfort, and then verbalising and organising these observations. In addition to lectures, students will acquire the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship in a way that is accessible to beginners through simple individual exercises and group work.

As the final outcome of this course, students are required to submit an entry to the Shibaura Business Model Competition (SBMC).

The language of instruction for this course is Japanese.

Entrepreneurship refers to an entrepreneurial or corporate spirit that involves not only starting a business but also creating new ventures and solving social issues through innovative value creation. This course will help students understand the importance of entrepreneurship, learn the fundamentals of business, and develop practical problem-identification skills.

As a final output, students will work in groups to develop business ideas and submit them to the Shibaura Business Model Competition (SBMC). The experience gained in this process will also be beneficial for future career development and job hunting.

1. Students will be able to observe customers’ behaviours, dissatisfaction, and unmet needs, and describe them in concrete terms.
2. Students will be able to identify and logically explain the essence of issues by considering whose issue it is, in what situation it occurs, and why it occurs.
3. Students will be able to propose evidence-based directions for solving identified issues.
4. Students will be able to clarify and present their own ideas through group discussions and presentations.

The overall grade will be determined by evaluating students’ performance in the following areas according to the indicated weightings. The course is graded out of 100 points, and 60 points is the minimum passing score.

* Engagement with and contribution to the course, including active participation and reflection: 30%
* Assignments and quizzes: 30%
* Group activities, including SBMC submission materials, presentation materials, pitches, contribution to group work, and other related outputs: 40%

Assessment Criteria

* 60 points: The student responds to the requirements of the assignment and reaches the minimum target level.
* 70 points: The student responds appropriately and logically to the requirements of the assignment and meets the target level.
* 80 points or above: The student provides an excellent response that goes beyond the requirements of the assignment and exceeds the target level.
* 90 points or above: The student goes well beyond the requirements of the assignment and significantly exceeds the target level.

Attendance: Simply attending class will not result in additional marks. Students will be assessed on their participation in class, including active contributions to discussions, asking questions, and engaging in class activities and group work. Late arrivals and absences will have a negative impact on assessment. Marks will also be deducted if students do not follow the conditions and rules for taking the course stated above.

* Attendance will be checked using students’ smartphones.

Students who are absent four or more times out of the 14 class sessions, or who fail to submit assignments three or more times, will not pass the course unless they have a valid reason. In cases where there are special circumstances, and only when an application is made in advance and approved by the instructor, on-demand participation may be treated as attendance. However, synchronous online participation cannot be handled in the same way as in-person participation.

Japanese

Textbook:

* Masayuki Tadokoro, *Introduction to the Science of Startups*, 2019, Nikkei BP.

Reference Books:

The following books are recommended as reference materials. Other useful books and materials will be introduced during the course as appropriate.

* Hitotsubashi University Institute of Innovation Research, *Introduction to Innovation Management, New Edition*, 2022, Nikkei Publishing Inc.
* Tatsuyuki Negoro et al., *Business Models*, 2021, SB Creative.
* Yasumi Kurashima, *World-Standard Presentation Techniques for Communicating Logic Clearly*, 2014, Kodansha.

* Classes will, in principle, be conducted in person.
* Students are required to bring a PC and a smartphone to class.
* This course is an active-learning-based course and will include a substantial amount of group work and practical exercises. To ensure that all group members can express their opinions with confidence, students should listen actively to one another and should not dismiss or reject others’ comments. Students are also expected to help create a team environment in which members feel comfortable asking questions whenever they do not understand something.
* This course also involves learning the basic concepts of business. Before taking the course, students are encouraged to learn about and reflect on what companies are and how business works in society.

There are conditions and rules for taking this course, as well as criteria for earning credits. These will be explained in the first class, so students must attend the first session.

• Appointments may be arranged after class or by email. The email address will be announced during the course.

Non-regionally-oriented course

• Course that cultivates an ability for utilizing knowledge
• Course that cultivates a basic interpersonal skills
• Course that cultivates a basic self-management skills
• Course that cultivates a basic problem-solving skills

Most classes are interactive

• 1.NO POVERTY
• 2.ZERO HUNGER
• 3.GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
• 4.QUALITY EDUCATION
• 5.GENDER EQUALITY
• 6.CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
• 7.AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
• 8.DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
• 9.INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
• 10.REDUCED INEQUALITIES
• 11.SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
• 12.RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION & PRODUCTION
• 13.CLIMATE ACTION
• 14.LIFE BELOW WATER
• 15.LIFE ON LAND
• 16.PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
• 17.PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS