MGT607 Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship Case Study 1 Sample

MGT607 Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship

Context:

Innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship can come in many different forms and be successful for many reasons. As such, being able to recognise these will broaden your understanding and appreciation for the important role of entrepreneurship and innovation in society today. This assessment requires students to critically analyse a case study utilising the theory learnt in Module 1 and Module 2. It is important you draw on the concepts of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship and link them to the case study to support your discussion and any

Instructions:

You must select ONE of the following three case studies below for your assessment. These case studies provide different examples of entrepreneurship and innovation.

1. Why entrepreneurship flourishes in the countryside
https://www.ted.com/talks/xiaowei_r_wang_why_entrepreneurship_flourishes_in_the_cou ntryside

2. Robin Chase: Excuse me, may I rent your car?
https://www.ted.com/talks/robin_chase_excuse_me_may_i_rent_your_car

3. How an entrepreneurial potter helped restore beauty to a city
https://www.ted.com/talks/emma_bridgewater_how_an_entrepreneurial_potter_helped_restore_beauty_to_a_city 

You will be required to watch the video and prepare a business style report. You must ensure that you incorporate the theories, which you learn in Module 1 and Module 2 to support your discussion.

Specifically some of the questions you should be considering are:

• How does the case specifically demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset?

• How does the case adopt theories of creativity to solve the specific problem?

• How does the case show an innovative approach to meeting a customer need?

Whilst the format may vary for your report, below is suggested format for you to follow:

• Cover page

• Background [approximately 150 words]. This will provide an introduction to your case study.

• Main Discussion / Opportunity [500-600 words]. This section should use the questions above as the basis for your discussion.

• Recommendations / Conclusion [200-300 words] Is there anything you think could have been done differently?

• What are your key learnings, which you have taken away from the case study?

• Appendices where applicable.

Your case study will be assessed based on the Rubric below and is limited to a word count of 1,000 words excluding the cover page.

Solution

Introduction/ Background 

The case study which I’ve selected is “Why entrepreneurship flourishes in the countryside?”

Innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship can come in various forms, and many reasons are responsible for their success. As per the MBA Assignment Expert, Today, innovation and entrepreneurship play an essential role in society. This study discusses the concept of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship through the case study “Why entrepreneurship flourishes in the countryside”. According to Xiaowei R Wang, a coder, artist, and organizer, viewing and understanding the countryside for everyone is a tricky part of moving towards a more comfortable future (Wang, 2020, case study). Also, observed that in the world's rural communities, some thoughtful and careful innovation is happening, such as Chinese Chicken farmers improving their supply chain transparency using blockchain and biometrics tracking. They also support a new perspective on the countryside, making the place a centre of humble innovation rather than lacking digital media and technology (Wang, 2020). Innovation in the countryside provides a positive impact on sustainability and community.

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Entrepreneurship provides digital tools and technologies to develop the countryside and reduce unemployment, migration, and poverty. 

In addition, the case study gave some meaningful insights into the entrepreneurial mindset that develops in the countryside, where digital tools are not very active. Through the case study, small towns and regions in the countryside are creative and innovative as they understand the problem and develop solutions per the available resources. It is not wrong to say that many of the innovations are the brainchild of culture and experiences to solve issues, which are developed countryside. Taking the example from a case study of paddy fields, where fertilizers were monitored, after which organic and thoughtful innovation was done by farming on the terrace on a rotation basis (Wang, 2020). The farmers solved the issue of rice cultivation in hill lands and sold paddy through the internet. Hence, making the problem converted into a business opportunity. This indicates that the development of an Entrepreneurial mindset includes the thought processes, knowledge, and beliefs that access entrepreneurial behaviour. An entrepreneur identifies an opportunity and takes practical actions to act on that opportunity (Bosworth et al., 2023). Thus, the case study advocated that it is not technology; natural creativity and innovation should be considered entrepreneurial mindset. This contrasts existing perspectives that the entrepreneurs provide innovation in technical training, retailing, professional, recreation facilities, tourism, industrial applications, sports, off-farm work possibility, value-added products, consultancy servicing, wholesaling, and retailing. Hence, technology helps in scaling and supporting efficiencies. 

Application of Creativity Theories

There are many theories of creativity, one of which is the Intelligent theory, which has six elements: intelligence, knowledge, thinking styles, personality, motivation and the presence of the physical environment. Different examples given in the case study, such as the conversion of farms into pearl ponds and paddy fields and the use of biometrics and blockchain in the countryside, relate to Intelligent Creativity Theory as the people in the countryside are intelligent as they apply critical thinking to solve issues for self-sustaining and scaling up for business venture (Hillman & Baydoun, 2020). In addition, working and living in crisis conditions or lacking resources, people acquire knowledge and can apply it to solve critical problems to support living costs (Wang, 2020). The government sometimes gives motivation through grants and knowledge, while in many cases, it could be intrinsic. Also, every countryside is different. Thus, thinking styles, personalities and the nature of the environment will vary. The village of paddy cultivation within the case study did not have flat land. Hence, the physical environment was not supportive. Although the villagers used terrace farming to yield higher, they locally produced organic farming equipment while rotating the paddy plantation to safeguard fields(Wang, 2020). Thus, different examples in the case study related to the creative process and Intelligent theory. 
 

An Innovative Approach To Meet Customer Needs

Innovation is an approach that defines changes as an opportunity for various services and businesses. The innovation approach improved the current situation and met customer needs. In this view, entrepreneurial mindset and +creativity led to an innovative approach that helped the countryside adopt customer needs. Take the example of chicken farms, where farmers used blockchain and biometrics to improve supply chain transparency. This would help to improve customer trust, manage quality and understand needs (Wang, 2020). The case study also highlighted collaboration with the countryside to improve the production and cultivation of pigs to meet meat demands. One of the significant approaches is that technology supports creativity but does not entirely depend on it to solve varied issues. 

Conclusion and Recommendations

This study effectively defines the concept of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship through the case study that defines entrepreneurship flourishes in the countryside. Today, entrepreneurs in the countryside can use innovative and digital technologies to make their life easier and help overcome the challenge in their businesses.

Some valuable recommendations are suggested that help to make the countryside more innovative and creative. The countryside is characterized by a labour shortage, a low-density economy, and a lack of innovative technologies to help the people of the countryside to overcome their challenges and improve their livelihood.

• I would collaborate with the government for more support to improve existing innovation. 

• Also, since these areas lack digital literacy, educating farmers and other people on using technologies was essential. 

• Distributed manufacturing is helpful for centralized factories and transforms their traditional manufacturing processes into decentralized ones. Hence, for developing entrepreneurial activity would be necessary, I would make use of expert advice to help people develop businesses from innovation. 

•  I will help build digital connectivity that will help the countryside communities get online and provide adequate support for their business growth.

Key Learnings

The key learnings from this case study are

- The new process, service, and product success depend on innovation irrespective of urban or countryside location. 

- Creativity provides new ideas and thoughts to solve the problem effectively, which may or might not be backed with digital tools. 

- Innovative approaches provide practical approaches and methods to meet customers' requirements. 

- Places and regions with little or no access to money, the internet and related sources are also surviving by tracking, monitoring progress, and developing alternate solutions.

- Every person is creative and can solve issues as people did for paddy fields.

References

Bosworth, G., Whalley, J., Fuzi, A., Merrell, I., Chapman, P., & Russell, E. (2023). Rural co-working: New Network Spaces and new opportunities for a smart countryside. Journal of Rural Studies, pp. 97, 550–559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.01.003

Duxbury, N. (2020). Cultural and creative work in rural and remote areas: An emerging international conversation. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 27(6), 753–767. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2020.1837788

Hillman, J. R., & Baydoun, E. (2020). Innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship in academia: A Review. Higher Education in the Arab World, pp. 13–71. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37834-9_2 

Wang, X. R. (2020). Why entrepreneurship flourishes in the countryside. TED Talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/xiaowei_r_wang_why_entrepreneurship_flourishes_in_the_countryside    (Retrieved March 14, 2023)

Yin, X., Chen, J., & Li, J. (2022). Rural Innovation System: Revitalize the countryside for sustainable development. Journal of Rural Studies, pp. 93, 471–478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.10.014