CMI Unit 711 Entrepreneurial Practice (D/617/1769) Assignment Brief 2026

CMI Unit 711 Assignment Brief

Assignment Aim

The aim of this unit is to enable leaders to explore the principles of entrepreneurial practice, understand the different contexts in which entrepreneurship can flourish and the characteristics of entrepreneurial leadership.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

LO1 – Understand entrepreneurship in strategic contexts

Assessment criteria

1.1 Critically appraise the forms and contexts of entrepreneurship with reference to theoretical concepts and contemporary thinking

1.2 Assess multi-dimensional issues which impact on entrepreneurial practice in different contexts

1.3 Formulate approaches to removing barriers to entrepreneurial practice using an evidence-based justification

Indicative content

1.1 Forms: Entrepreneurship. Intrapreneurship. Social entrepreneurship.

Contexts: Existing organisation. New business start-up. Product, service or process development. New capability development. Social enterprise. Local, international, global.

Theoretical concepts and contemporary thinking: Wolcott and Lippitz Taxonomy, Four Generic

Intrapreneurship Models (2007). The Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurship: A Neoclassical Approach (Lowery and Ling, 2003). Equilibrium Destruction Theory (Schumpeter, 1999). Alert entrepreneur (Kirzner, 1997).

Theory of the firm (Spender et al, 1996). Presenting ideas – To the point (Minto 1996).

Sociological/anthropological theories, (Reynolds P, 1991). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Model (Carroll, 1991). Theories of entrepreneurship (Marz, 1991). The Visual Display of Quantitative and qualitative data and Information (Tufte, 1990s). Opportunity based theories, (Drucker P, 1985). Emergent Strategies (Mintzberg, 1985). Value chain (Porter, 1980s). Formal Project Management Approaches (Project

Management Institute, 1990s). Schultz Approach (1975), The human capital approach, constituted by

Theodor W. Schultz (1975). Entrepreneur Function in Modern Enterprise (Knight, 1971). Psychological

Theories, (McClelland D, 1970s). Resource based theories of the firm, (Penrose, 1959). Ashby’s Law of Requisite Variety (1950s). Entrepreneurship as a mental act (Mises, 1949). Economic theories, (Cantillon R, 1770s).

1.2 Multi-dimensional issues: Strategic direction. Strategic position. Intent of an organisation. Characteristics and attributes of organisation to entrepreneurship. National/international policy cascade (national/international). People (current and future competencies). Industry types. Economic and environmental. Culture and climate. Home country effect. International/global context. Funding, emerging and disruptive technologies. Regeneration projects. Industry types. Population demographics. Legal and social responsibility. Diversity. Culture.

1.3 Barriers: Commercialisation and viability of the process/idea/opportunity. Measurement of success. Entrepreneurship in education (potential conflict between theory and practice). Serial and habitual entrepreneurialism (managing the volume of ideas). Cultural dimensions (diversity, ethnic and gender divide to entrepreneurial practice). Networking. Communities of Practice (CoPs), the ‘Amoeba effect’. Groupthink.

Communications and confidentiality. Value proposition. Time, Finance. Commitment. Own motivation. Theory of constraints. The entrepreneur as a disruptor and the use of disruptive technologies.

LO2 – Understand the principles of entrepreneurial practice

Assessment criteria

2.1 Critically appraise the characteristics and attributes of entrepreneurial leadership

2.2 Propose a course of action to achieve an entrepreneurial aim using an evidence-based justification

Indicative content

2.1 Characteristics and attributes:

●    Behavioural competences: Leadership behaviours. Ability to lead and inspire others.  Motivation. Ability to reflect. Self-awareness. Achievement. Long term perspective. Identify fracture lines (breakpoints) in

the market place. Being holistic. Deal with ambiguity. Passionate. Initiates change. Builds commitment. Encourages diversity. Moral action. Takes risks. Explores new territories. Builds long term relationships.

Views employees as a strategic resource. Innovation orientation. Formulates a vision. Brave,

Knowledgeable. Ability to generate new ideas. Tolerance and respect for different opinions. Vigour and efficiency, perseverance in overcoming difficulties. Independence of judgement. Creative thinking. Measured approach. Reformulate existing knowledge and ideas. Problem structuring (dealing with wicked, messy, unbounded problems). Bias towards action. Open to advice from others. Communication skills. Collaborative. Consultative. Learn from failures. Systemic and systematic thinking.

●      Managerial competencies: Understanding of the function of the business (for example, operations, finance, HR). How the organisation operates. Culture. Markets. Climate (viable systems model). Ability to apply and leadership competencies.

●      Know hows: Professional knowledge. Domain of expertise. Design thinking. System thinking. Process thinking. Organisational and legal guidelines, TRIZ (Altshuller, 1946). Prototyping. Concept design. Concept mapping. Diffusion of innovation (experience curve) organisational maturity curves. New Capability Development (NCD) Cycle. New Product Development (NPD) cycle. Dealing with emergent properties and interaction between new ideas and the environment. Design thinking. Process thinking. Systems thinking.

2.2 Course of action: Formal or informal and refers to design. Implement and manage.  Identify opportunity/idea generation (deductive, inductive, basic, applied, quantitative, qualitative research). Feasibility study (cost benefit analysis). Value proposition. Business case includes assessment of finance, risk, demand, niche markets, new and emerging markets/opportunities, disruptive technologies, benefits to the organisation. Approval to proceed (including finance, capital, risks, intellectual property). Concept and detailed design and evaluation. Incubate and grow opportunity/ideas, scaling, Business Model Canvas (Osterwalder and Pigneur, 2010). Implementation and commercialisation; Changing organisational systems – people, processes and structures. Decision making: Attribute Trade Off Analysis (Tarbors et al 1986). Perceived User Value Curves (Bowman, 1998). Pugh Matrix (1981). Communications theory including formal, informal, written, verbal, digital, simulation, modelling, Visualisation (Tufte 1990s), (Shannon and Weaver, 1947).

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