Study Guide

Objective

Business leaders need to be able to develop digital business and to perceive what is happening in the global business context. They need to understand how complex business environment evolves in order to be competitive also in the future. Environmental changes trigger planning instead of the predefined and regular planning occasions. Planning in digital economy consists of actions and forecasts. The future leaders need to comprehend different levels of planning in a large organization and how they are linked together. In order to succeed in the current turbulent business environment, the leaders need to understand the different horizons of planning and foresight tools. Foresight is a value-creation tool that enables companies to survive in a competitive, ever-changing business environment. Foresight can be perceived as a company's capability to commit to continuous environmental scanning and respond quickly to discovered market threats and opportunities. Therefore, business leaders should understand how the companies should conduct foresight as a continuous activity.

The objective is that after completing the course, the student is future oriented and capable of understating the different horizons and levels of planning and using different foresight tools in order to analyze global and regional trends influencing the business context. He/she is also able to retrieve, analyze and produce information and evaluate it critically.

Content

Planning and horizons of the digital economy course provides students with knowledge and skills to understand and apply knowledge relating to organisational planning practices from strategy and business planning to product and service development planning. The course provides knowledge from various foresight tools such as roadmapping and horizon model that the students can use to create and develop plans and alternative scenarios for the future in order to succeed in the future business endeavors.

Location and time

Wed 11.1.2023 at 13:00 - 16:00 Tornio / online Zoom
Tue 28.2.2023 at 17:00 - 20:00 Online Zoom
Wed 22.3.2023 at 17:30 - 20:30 online Zoom
Wed 5.4.2023 at 17:00 20:00 online Zoom
Wed 12.4.2023 at 17:30 - 20:30 online Zoom

Teaching methods

The objective of the course is that the student is future oriented and capable of understating the different horizons and levels of planning and capable using different foresight tools in order to analyze global and regional trends influencing the business context.

Teaching method: Online contact sessions, discussion, individual and group learning.

Further information

- Saari, Leila; Suomalainen, Tanja; Kuusela, Raija. Foresight process in software businesses. International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, Vol. 20 No. 2, (2019), p. 195-220.
- Saari, Leila; Suomalainen, Tanja; Kuusela, Raija; Juntunen, Marko, Moqaddamerad, Sara. A Cookbook for Predicting the Future – Introduction of Foresight Tools. DIMECC Publications, Series no 13, Dimecc result publications 2/2017 (online), p. 79.
- Suomalainen, Tanja; Xu, Yueqiang. Continuous planning through the three horizons of growth. International Journal of Agile Systems and Management (IJASM), Vol. 9, No. 4, (2016), pp. 269-291.
- Ph.D. Dissertation: Suomalainen, Tanja. Changing the planning for agile and lean software development: From roadmapping to continuous planning. 2016, VTT, Espoo, 108 p. + app. 126 p. VTT Science: 132. ISBN 978-951-38-8446-8; 978-951-38-8445-1.

Additionally, literature consist of relevant research articles as well as case studies recommend by the teachers or uploaded by students.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Grade 0: The student did not submit the assignment or the assignment is not meeting the minimal quality requirements for the coursework.

Grades 1-2: The student has delivered the assignment, which is prepared in general according to the defined requirements. The student understands mostly correctly the subject matter concepts and is able to apply them. However, there is room for development regarding the content of the assignment and the recommendations are rather general and are not elaborated in detail.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Grades 3-4: The student has delivered the assignment, which is prepared according to the defined requirements. The student understands very well the subject matter concepts and is able to apply them correctly. The student also understands well the different levels and horizons of planning and understands the value of the foresight tools and is able to ably them correctly. Additionally, the student is able to give useful development recommendations in relation to organisational planning and foresight tools utilising their knowledge and skills.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Grade 5: The student has submitted the assignment and it is prepared according to the defined requirements. The student understands deeply the subject matter concepts and is able to apply them correctly. The student also understands well and is able to analyse critically different foresight tools to be used in the area of digital business. Moreover, the student is able to provide useful and relevant development recommendations with proper argumentation considering the context of the case company.

Assessment methods and criteria

0: The student does not participate in the course or he/she doesn´t meet the minimum requirements for course approval.

1-2: Student
- can acquire futures related information and find suitable information sources about the current trends and weak signals for planning activities.
- understands the concept of agile and iterative planning.
- knows the future oriented planning methods.
- understands the basics of foresight tools to be used in the digital business environment.

3-4: Student
- can utilize information from futures studies and future related information sources in development and innovation activities.
- can develop future related information for planning purposes.
- can use the future oriented planning methods and foresight tools.
- understands the different horizons of planning and understands the value of the foresight tools and is able to ably them correctly.
- is able to apply the acquired knowledge of planning and foresight tools in decision making.
- is able to give useful development recommendations in relation to organisational planning and foresight tools for the selected business area.

5: Student
- can synthesize and analyze information from futures studies and future related information sources in planning and innovation activities.
- can apply the future oriented planning methods and foresight tools and evaluate the foresight process and its outcome.
- is able to independently evaluate and utilize different foresight tools.
- is able to analyse critically different foresight tools to be used in the area of digital business.
- is able to provide useful and relevant development recommendations relating to foresight with proper argumentation considering the context of the selected business area.