MSING009: Managing High-Technology Organisations

Course Organiser: Keith Willey

Keith Willey is Associate Professor of Strategy and International Management and Entrepreneurship at the London Business School. 

Aims

This module considers the challenges faced by small firms that are aiming to become big ones. This is an is an integrative course that concentrates on the general management challenges facing founders or managers in entrepreneurial, high-growth, high-tech businesses.

The main objectives are to:

  • Give students an insight into what running an early stage growing business actually entails.
  • Provide an overview of the major strategic and operational issues that typically confront young growing businesses

Provide frameworks for anticipating the likely growth issues in the business.

Content

Topics covered include:

  • Barriers to growth and strategies to overcome them
  • Finance for high-growth enterprises – including cash management, funding growth
  • Organising for growth
  • Stakeholder perspectives in a growing business
  • Growth models, adaptation and evolution and managing transitions
  • Non-organic growth – e.g. roll-ups, buy/sell businesses

Texts

The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses by Amar Bhide, Oxford (2003)