Shaping Frontier Markets

Frontier markets are dynamic, fast-paced, unpredictable, and have high-growth potential. These markets present distinctively exciting entrepreneurial and managerial opportunities. Think of navigating the various market and regulatory environments to build up one of the largest banks in Sub Saharan Africa or doubling-down on a business idea to successfully scale up a technology-enabled rural-urban supply chain in Kenya. This module is dedicated to equipping you with knowledge and tools on how to navigate and shape frontier markets. Specific emphasis is on developing a contextually-sensitive understanding about how business can generate rather than extract value from frontier markets.

This elective module leverages case study material from organisations operating in low-income societies of Sub-Saharan Africa to stimulate class discussions.

“This was one of the best modules I have ever taken in my academic journey. The mix of cases and guest speakers makes what we study come to life in a way that has not been done before. The guest speakers were all fantastic.”

Student testimonial

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, you will be able to:

Evaluate frontier markets in relation to their market opportunities and implementation barriers
Explain and critically reflect on personal assumptions and skills in decision-making when entering frontier markets
Summarise effective organisational approaches in frontier markets
Appraise value generating and value extracting businesses in frontier markets
Develop an equitable organisation that shapes frontier markets in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) priority areas

Learning and Teaching Approach

Teaching is delivered in 8 x 2 hour sessions based on a combination of lectures, class discussion and case studies. 4 x 1 hour session will be held with external guests. This approach encourages the achievement of the various module learning outcomes by ensuring the acquisition of knowledge and skills, as well as the contextualisation through real world examples and lived experiences.

Assessment

The module is assessed by a combination of class participation (20%), an individual written reflection exercise (20%), and a final group presentation (max. 10 minutes; 60%) to measure the achievement of specific learning outcomes.

20%

Class participation

20%

Individual reflection

60%

Group presentation

Module Leader - Tim Weiss

Tim Weiss is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at Imperial College London. His research programme applies an organizational theory lens to studying entrepreneurship phenomena with a specific focus on the changing nature of entrepreneurship and its social effects. His research has been published in top management journals and has been covered by the business press.