| 授業名 | Introduction to Entrepreneurship |
|---|---|
| Course Title | Introduction to Entrepreneurship |
| 担当教員 Instructor Name | Nigel Konrad Denscombe |
| 科目ナンバリングコード Course Numbering Code | GBA138 |
| 授業形態 Class Type | 講義 Regular course |
| 授業形式 Class Format | On Campus |
| 単位 Credits | 2 |
| 言語 Language | EN |
| 学位 Degree | BBA |
| 開講情報 Terms / Location | 2026 UG Nisshin Term3 |
| コード Couse Code | NUC443_N26B |
授業の概要 Course Overview
Mission Statementとの関係性 / Connection to our Mission Statement
The course was designed to fulfill the NUCB Mission below ;
“The School’s mission is to develop leaders who, through a ‘Frontier Spirit’, are equipped to succeed in the globalized business reality. These leaders will have the ability to bridge the gap between New Asia and the rest of the world, and to bring innovation and high ethical standards to their management practices.”
By integrating these principles, the course aims to cultivate the skills and mindset necessary for participants to thrive as ethical and innovative entrepreneurial leaders in an increasingly interconnected and dynamic global business landscape.
“The School’s mission is to develop leaders who, through a ‘Frontier Spirit’, are equipped to succeed in the globalized business reality. These leaders will have the ability to bridge the gap between New Asia and the rest of the world, and to bring innovation and high ethical standards to their management practices.”
By integrating these principles, the course aims to cultivate the skills and mindset necessary for participants to thrive as ethical and innovative entrepreneurial leaders in an increasingly interconnected and dynamic global business landscape.
授業の目的（意義） / Importance of this course
Entrepreneurship can play a crucial role in driving economic growth and fostering innovation, as well as potentially addressing societal challenges. This course, grounded in case studies of new ventures and startups, provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of entrepreneurial thinking and decision-making. Through case discussions, participants will explore the complexities of launching and scaling a business, learning how to identify opportunities, manage risks, and adapt to an increasingly uncertain and competitive business environment.
Beyond strategic and operational insights, the course emphasizes the development of presentation and communication skills, essential for securing investment, building teams, and effectively positioning innovative and socially valuable businesses in the market. By integrating these elements, the course equips participants with the mindset and capabilities needed to thrive as entrepreneurs and business leaders, especially on teh global stage..
Beyond strategic and operational insights, the course emphasizes the development of presentation and communication skills, essential for securing investment, building teams, and effectively positioning innovative and socially valuable businesses in the market. By integrating these elements, the course equips participants with the mindset and capabilities needed to thrive as entrepreneurs and business leaders, especially on teh global stage..
学修到達目標 / Achievement Goal
This course equips participants with the essential skills and mindset needed to get started in entrepreneurship. By understanding how entrepreneurs identify opportunities and potentially create innovative value, students will gain key insights about why entrepreneurs can achieve initial success (or not). Participants will expand their strategic decision-making abilities, and understand what makes a new business idea valuable to potential customers and how to pitch those ideas to potential stakeholders (and customers). Emphasis is placed on honing communication and persuasion skills, enabling students to pitch ideas and engage key stakeholders with confidence. Participants will also explore the ethical and social responsibilities of entrepreneurship, and expose them to the idea of balancing profitability with sustainability and positive societal impact.
本授業の該当ラーニングゴール Learning Goals
*本学の教育ミッションを具現化する形で設定されています。
LG1 Critical Thinking
LG2 Diversity Awareness
LG3 Ethical Decision Making
LG4 Effective Communication
LG6 Managerial Perspectives (BBA)
LG2 Diversity Awareness
LG3 Ethical Decision Making
LG4 Effective Communication
LG6 Managerial Perspectives (BBA)
受講後得られる具体的スキルや知識 Learning Outcomes
1. Apply entrepreneurial thinking to identify opportunities, develop innovative solutions, and navigate business uncertainties.
2. Communicate and pitch new business ideas effectively to investors, stakeholders, and teams using persuasive presentation techniques.
3. Demonstrate problem-solving skills by adapting to challenges and iterating on business strategies in dynamic environments.
4. Integrate ethical and social considerations into entrepreneurial decision-making, balancing innovation with sustainability and social impact.
2. Communicate and pitch new business ideas effectively to investors, stakeholders, and teams using persuasive presentation techniques.
3. Demonstrate problem-solving skills by adapting to challenges and iterating on business strategies in dynamic environments.
4. Integrate ethical and social considerations into entrepreneurial decision-making, balancing innovation with sustainability and social impact.
SDGsとの関連性 Relevance to Sustainable Development Goals
Goal 4 質の高い教育をみんなに（Quality Education）
教育手法 Teaching Method
| 教育手法 Teaching Method | % of Course Time | |
|---|---|---|
| インプット型 Traditional | 0 % | |
| 参加者中心型 Participant-Centered Learning | ケースメソッド Case Method | 100 % |
| フィールドメソッド Field Method | 0 % | 合計 Total | 100 % |
事前学修と事後学修の内容、レポート、課題に対するフィードバック方法 Pre- and Post-Course Learning, Report, Feedback methods
Course Approach - The course materials will encompass lecture handouts, PowerPoint slides, case studies, and other discussion materials either distributed in advance or introduced by the instructor during class. Prior to each session, students must prepare by reading the assigned case and completing the corresponding assignment (if any). It is essential for students to review the session slides to reinforce their understanding and confirm key takeaways.
Readings (cases or discussion material) are provided beforehand and assigned for each class. Participants are required to prepare for at least three hours per case study in this course. The emphasis will be on student responsibility for learning through active application of course content in case studies, exercises, etc. and through active participation in class discussions. Active participation and preparation for the class are requirements for this course, which will be measured by "contribution" to the learning..
Class contribution will include;
- High quality comments (not so much the quantity) and engagement in the class
- High-level engagement and value added in the group discussions (in-class)
- Performance in group discussion outputs - presentations (in-class)
- Performance and contribution in the new business idea Pitch Session *Day 7
- In-Class Reports and/or Quizzes (if any)
Readings (cases or discussion material) are provided beforehand and assigned for each class. Participants are required to prepare for at least three hours per case study in this course. The emphasis will be on student responsibility for learning through active application of course content in case studies, exercises, etc. and through active participation in class discussions. Active participation and preparation for the class are requirements for this course, which will be measured by "contribution" to the learning..
Class contribution will include;
- High quality comments (not so much the quantity) and engagement in the class
- High-level engagement and value added in the group discussions (in-class)
- Performance in group discussion outputs - presentations (in-class)
- Performance and contribution in the new business idea Pitch Session *Day 7
- In-Class Reports and/or Quizzes (if any)
授業スケジュール Course Schedule
第1日（Day1）
Focus - An entrepreneur who gained prominence by experiencing disruptive innovation twice.●使用するケース
Case 1:Netflix Inc.: The Disruptor Faces Disruption (HBS)
Description:
Netflix Inc. (Netflix) had surpassed Blockbuster, the previous movie rental leader, before making the successful transition to digital delivery of video content. But despite Netflix's success, in 2017, numerous competitors, including both established, mainstream content producers and digital upstarts, were making it difficult for Netflix to recreate its earlier dominance. Critics pointed to Netflix's slowing acquisition of subscribers and accelerating debt levels. Netflix's chief executive officer was confronted with disruption from a variety of digital rivals. How should he respond? Should Netflix continue to try to be a content producer, competing with Hollywood's industry leaders? Should it form a partnership with other media companies to align everyone's incentives? Perhaps it could move into other media content areas outside of traditional entertainment. Further, there remained the question of how to treat its legacy DVD-by-mail business. As the incumbent firm, Netflix needed to respond to competitors and avoid a fate similar to that of Blockbuster.
第2日（Day2）
Focus - The revolutionary leadership style of an entrepreneur●使用するケース
Case 2:Ricardo Semler: A Revolutionary Model of Leadership (INSEAD)
Description:
The case follows the story of Brazilian business leader, Ricardo Semler, who took the family marine-pump business, Semco, to multi-national, multi-sector success. To do so, Ricardo Semler dramatically changed his own leadership style by relinquishing control and working less hard, and subsequently transformed the culture at Semco via a radical process of workplace democratisation. Finally, he applied the same leadership principles successfully to other industries: hotels, education, and banking.
第3日（Day3）
Focus - The founding team behind an innovative companySteve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are best friends who enjoy pulling pranks together and talking about electronics. After several small collaborations, Jobs pitches Wozniak on starting a company together to sell computers based on Wozniak's design for a personal computer. Wozniak faces decisions about whether to quit the job he loves at Hewlett-Packard to join Apple Computer, how to define his role within Apple, whether to take on Jobs as his co-founder, whether to accept a third co-founder proposed by Jobs, and how to split equity with his co-founders. Early on, they add an outside investor who changes the company's trajectory and who brings in a new chief executive. Later, tensions rise between the two founders as their strategic visions diverge and as the company grows. Wozniak has now learned some disturbing news about his co-founder and has to decide whether that news will affect his continuing collaboration with Jobs.
●使用するケース
Case 3:Apple's Core (Graphic Novel Version) (HBS)
*Manga-like (Comic) approach to communicating a case story
Description:
Case study covers the "early years" of Apple Computer and before, meaning the entrepreneurship days and getting Apple off-the-ground, from the 1970s to 1990s. Apple's two co-founders (the two Steves), Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are best friends who enjoy pulling pranks together and talking about electronics. After several small collaborations, Jobs pitches Wozniak on starting a company together to sell computers based on Wozniak's design for a personal computer. Wozniak faces decisions about whether to quit the job he loves at Hewlett-Packard to join Apple Computer, how to define his role within Apple, whether to take on Jobs as his co-founder, whether to accept a third co-founder proposed by Jobs, and how to split equity with his co-founders. Early on, they add an outside investor who changes the company's trajectory and who brings in a new chief executive. Later, tensions rise between the two founders as their strategic visions diverge and as the company grows. Wozniak has now learned some disturbing news about his co-founder and has to decide whether that news will affect his continuing collaboration with Jobs. This is a great case study about entrepreneurship and sowing the seeds for success, as well as the dynamics that come into play - especially personal characteristics - and is very relevant today!
第4日（Day4）
Focus - What decisions would you make to save your country during a sudden zombie pandemic?●使用するケース
Case study: NONESimulation:
Leadership Simulation: Patient Zero
Description:
In this simulation, students take on the role of senior advisors to a fictional country of their own design. After establishing the core values and institutional structure of their nation, they are confronted with an emerging zombie pandemic. The scenario forces them to make difficult ethical and strategic decisions in the absence of precedent, complete information, or clear solutions. Under pressure from a ticking clock and unfolding global events, they must determine how to respond, knowing that outcomes will involve a degree of unpredictability, as in real-world crises.
Following the simulation, we will hold a discussion exploring themes such as adaptive leadership, with particular attention to applying its principles to address novel, high-stakes challenges. We will also examine team dynamics, focusing on how to build internal capacity within teams to manage complex problems in real time, especially those that provoke strong disagreements or test shared values.
第5日（Day5）
Focus - 'Know Thyself' - A college-dropout entrepreneur who transformed a mature market●使用するケース
Case 4A:Whole Foods Market (HBS)
Description:
Can a short-sleeved, sandal-wearing, college dropout create a company manifesting love, joy, and happiness? John Mackey did. This CEO took a five-month sabbatical to hike the Appalachian Trail. More credentials: Sales-per-square foot of $690 and rising. Hiring by means of teams and a vote requiring a two-thirds majority. A single store in Austin, Texas in 1980; 144 stores in 2004. A seven-year streak near the top of Fortune's list of best companies to work for in America. Team-based hiring with a two-thirds majority required. Incentives based on the bottom line. Morale surveys. No salary higher than eight times the average salary. So how did John Mackey come to be christened Chainsaw John Mackey?
*****
Case 4B
Amazon Acquires Whole Foods (B) *HBS
Short follow-on case study (4 pages) connected to the Whole Foods Market case study (Case 4A)
第6日（Day6）
Focus : Entrepreneurship and Searching Inside Yourself●使用するケース
Case 5: Zen for Strategy (Darden School of Business, University of Virginia - UVA)Description:
Iconoclasts with strongly held beliefs and a willingness to buck orthodoxy, Apple's Steve Jobs and the Chicago Bulls' Phil Jackson shared similarities in character, leadership style, and life experience that extended beyond the extraordinary successes they achieved in their chosen fields. Both came of age in the United States of the mid-20th century, a time and place characterized by Americans' growing interest in philosophical traditions outside of the Western mainstream. In their teens and twenties, both men became interested in Eastern religious practices. As young men, Jobs (who would as a teenager travel to India to study Buddhism) and Jackson (whose interest in Eastern practices earned him the nickname "The Zen Master") developed a particular affinity for the Zen tradition of Buddhism, which had a lasting influence on each man's worldview. Although Jackson and Jobs were very different leaders operating in remarkably different industries, both men's rise to the top of intensively competitive fields were influenced by their commitment to three Zen principles: nondualism, practical wisdom, and inherent enlightenment. This note gives a brief overview of the history of Zen and the philosophical framework that underpins it, then describes the potential that these three tenets hold for unlocking strategic insights.
第7日（Day7）
Pitch Session●使用するケース
Case study: NONEReference article: To be determined later
成績評価方法 Evaluation Criteria
*成績は下記該当項目を基に決定されます。
*クラス貢献度合計はコールドコールと授業内での挙手発言の合算値です。
*クラス貢献度合計はコールドコールと授業内での挙手発言の合算値です。
| 講師用内規準拠 Method of Assessment | Weights |
|---|---|
| コールドコール Cold Call | 0 % |
| 授業内での挙手発言 Class Contribution | 70 % |
| クラス貢献度合計 Class Contribution Total | 70 % |
| 予習レポート Preparation Report | 10 % |
| 小テスト Quizzes / Tests | 0 % |
| シミュレーション成績 Simulation | 0 % |
| ケース試験 Case Exam | 0 % |
| 最終レポート Final Report | 20 % |
| 期末試験 Final Exam | 0 % |
| 参加者による相互評価 Peer Assessment | 0 % |
| 合計 Total | 100 % |
評価の留意事項 Notes on Evaluation Criteria
Class contribution is evaluated based on attendance, quality of comments during discussions, in-class reports (if any), and performance in group presentations including the pitch session - the pitch session especially will be worth up to 10% of your class contribution score..配布教材と教室における電子機器の利用マナーについて Guidelines for Classroom Technology and Proper Use of Course Materials
- ケースメソッド教育の中核は、積極的な参加と知識の共有です。この教育を支えるため参加者は授業中の電子機器（例：スマートフォン、ノートパソコン）の使用を制限するよう求められます。許可を得た場合でも、教室内では電子機器は、ケース討議に資する目的でのみ使用してください。授業中は、たとえケース討議に関連していても、検索エンジンや生成AIの使用は避けて下さい。
- 配布教材（ケースを含む）は指定された授業への参加以外の目的で利用しないで下さい。著者の権利、著作権、特定情報の機密性を保護するため、許可なく教材を個人や組織（生成AI を含む）に提供することはできません。このルールは、印刷物・電子教材のいずれにも適用されます。
- 詳細は「教室における電子機器の利用マナー・教材の適切な利用に関するガイドライン」を確認のうえ、教員の指示に従い、責任をもって遵守してください。
- Active participation and shared learning is at the core of the case method learning.Participants are asked to limit their use of electronic devices (e.g., laptops, smartphones) during classroom sessions in support of this model. Even with permission granted, devices should only be used in the classroom in service to the case discussion. Online searches and generative AI tools, even if related to the case discussion, are discouraged while class is in session.
- Students are prohibited from using the course materials (including cases) distributed by the university for any purpose other than participation in the designated class.Students must not input, process or test course materials with any artificial intelligence (AI) tools, bots, software, or platforms without the author’s permission. These actions violate the terms of use for the course materials and may also constitute copyright infringement.
- Please refer to the "Classroom Technology Guidelines / Guidelines for Properly Using Course Materials” for details, and follow the instructor’s directions. You are expected to comply with these guidelines responsibly.
教科書 Textbook
- Clayton Christensen, Scott Anthony, Erik Roth「Seeing What's Next: Using the Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change」Harvard Business Review Press（2004）B004OC06ZO
参考文献・資料 Additional Readings and Resource
Optional Reference :
Peter Thiel「Zero to One: Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future」Virgin Books（2015）978-0753555194
Chade-Meng-Tan「Search Inside Yourself」Harper One（2014）978006211693-2
Peter Thiel「Zero to One: Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future」Virgin Books（2015）978-0753555194
Chade-Meng-Tan「Search Inside Yourself」Harper One（2014）978006211693-2
授業調査に対するコメント Comment on Course Evaluation
to be updated later
担当教員のプロフィール About the Instructor
Prof. NIGEL DENSCOMBE
OVERVIEW
Nigel is a “hybrid” businessperson standing at the intersection of two key roles: global manager/owner and business educator. This is why in 2001 he created a Tokyo/New York firm, Denscombe Corporation (www.denscombe.co.jp), to “bridge” business and education by providing strategic management solutions for repositioning/creating sustainable value propositions for corporate clients and business schools, and also by providing management education solutions for them as well.
On one side, he is a truly globalized Tokyo-based British-American high value added management professional with a successful track record of leading positive industry change and finding new value propositions.
At the same time, he is also an accomplished management educator who has created new business schools/repositioned existing ones and who also has taught a wide range of high valueadded management courses for Asian university business schools and corporate clients. In business education, as a management practitioner in the real world, his mission is to put “ business” back into business school and to
foster the global leadership required to take practical advantage of the great changes going on for sustainable corporate value propositions.
Everything Nigel teaches, he does (or has done) in the real world. This gives him a unique learning value proposition because, with his global management track record and wide business education teaching experience, he offers an unparalleled learning experience for all those participating in his management classes.
Before shifting his focus to Asia, Nigel had extensive management/owner experience in North America and Europe, focused on financial services, new business development, innovating markets and new market entry, and strategic planning - corporate strategy, especially restructuring and new value propositions.
Specialized Fields
Strategic management, business plan/new business startups/entrepreneurship, sustainability, corporate governance and business ethics - plus strategic thinking and negotiations
Academic Background
UCLA, Business and Management of Entertainment Media, Extension Program
Harvard Business School, MBA in General Management
Harvard College, AB
（実務経験 Work experience）
BUSINESS BACKGROUND (Significant Current/Recent)
Denscombe Corporation (http://www.denscombe.co.jp)
President/CEO, Capital Markets, Strategic Management Consulting, Business Education (Tokyo/NY)
CICOM Brains, Inc. *Tokyo
Cofounding team member/former director
Denscombe & Co, Inc. *NY/USA
President/CEO, merchant banking/strategic consulting firm
Bank of America NT & SA
Managing Director/Vice President, (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mexico City)
Deutsche Bank *NY Branch
Vice President/Assistant Vice President/Assistant Treasurer (New York City, Mexico City, London/UK)
Harvard University, Real Estate Investment
Financial Analyst (Massachusetts/USA)
Avon Corporation *NY/USA
Marketing Specialist – French market-entry team (London/UK, Paris/France)
Avesta Jernverks AB, Steelworker (Avesta/Sweden)
BUSINESS EDUCATOR BACKGROUND (Current/Recent)
Denscombe Corporation (Tokyo/NY)
Strategic Management Solutions: Capital Markets, Strategic Management Consulting, Corporate Education Solutions
*Core Lecturer, business education outsourcing business – Turnkey solutions for business schools and corporate in-house management training
International University of Japan, Graduate School of International Management (Niigata, Japan)
*Specially Invited Professor: Strategic Management, Global Marketing, Corporate Governance, International Management, Competing in Emerging Markets, New Frontier of Capitalism - ASEAN
Business BreakThrough University (Tokyo, Japan)
*Professor: Case-based integrated business skill program in logical/critical/creative thinking, marketing, strategy and business planning
Waseda Graduate School of Commerce, ETP Japan (Tokyo)
*Lecturer: Business Plan, Financial Management, Japan MarketEntry Business Plan Mentor
GLOBIS University, Part-Time MBA Program (Tokyo)
*Lecturer : Marketing Foundations