Master of Science in Information Systems – Management and Innovation

The master's thesis is a research project in which students will apply the knowledge acquired during their studies. It is a crafted scholarly document presenting research questions and original arguments based on scientific methods under the guidance of an advisor. The choice of topic and the methods used should be informed by the field of study. The thesis gives the student the opportunity to demonstrate expertise in their chosen research area. Students will acquire specialized problem-solving skills, be able to plan and conduct the steps in the research and/or development process at a high methodological standard. They shall take responsibility to conduct a well planned and executed project.

Emnet vil ta for seg betydningen av individuelle forskjeller innen:

• Personlighet

• Intelligens

• Motiver

• Interesser

• Ferdigheter

• Viljestyrke

• Stress

• Hormoner

This course provides a exploration of data science methods, with a special emphasis on analyzing health data. It mainly deals with one-dimensional health data and covers the complete data science process, which includes collecting, preparing, and analyzing data using statistical and machine learning techniques in Python.

In addition to the technical aspects, the course also addresses ethical and practical considerations related to health data, such as data sharing, anonymity, and reuse within different organizations and contexts.

Startups and innovation projects face a real challenge in moving from ideation into implementation. What they need is traction - real customer growth.

This course is about how to get this traction from the first very important customers for a new product or new service and how to retain and develop customers by nurturing long-term, omni-channel relationships with them. By systematically applying innovative concepts and frameworks for a company's go-to-market strategy, students will learn how to use data and experimentation to improve the chances of getting real customer growth at speed.

The course will cover the key points of difference in the world of start-ups, specifically the need to approach the process from a Lean perspective, where speed to market is emphasized through a process of testing and validation. Students will learn how to bring core strategic process together with design thinking methodologies to build insights into market opportunities and to assess customer segments. Additionally ,the course will cover all the key elements in a go-to-market strategy from the use of data to guide decision-making, distribution channels and the use of partnerships, and marketing and sales strategies and practice.

Content

1.Introduction to Growth Hacking

2. Lean Startup and GTM-strategy

3. Assessing the market

4. Customer segmentation and positioning:

5. Data-driven GTM strategies

6. Distribution strategies and partnerships

7. Word-of mouth and social media marketing

8. Search engine marketing

9. B2B perspectives

10. Public relations and content marketing

Integrated Business Planning (IBP), også kjent som Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), er en effektiv beslutningsprosess designet for å sikre at tilbud og etterspørsel er i balanse, samtidig som selskapets overordnede strategi oppfylles. Tilnærmingen fokuserer på den vertikale og horisontale innretningen av selskapet. Førstnevnte er opptatt av selskapsintern tilpasning, og sikrer at salg, markedsføring, produksjon, innkjøp, FoU og finans deler et felles syn på hvor virksomheten er på vei. Sistnevnte, horisontal, utvider synet til også å inkludere som leverandører og partnere. Fokus er på å skape forretningsverdi, kombinert med redusert avfall og minimere miljøpåvirkning samtidig som det ytes best mulig kundeservice.

Mens IBP kan sees på som en essensiell prosess i enhver bedrift, er hovedfokuset i dette kurset på produksjonsbedrifter. Studentene vil få oppdatert informasjon om implementeringen av IBP, inkludert fordeler, implementeringstrinn, mulige fallgruver, teknologier for å støtte implementeringen og lenker til bedriftsstrategi. Informasjonssystemene og teknologiaspektene dekkes, fra grunnleggende prinsipper til mer avansert bruk av kommersiell programvare, som knytter behovet for teknologi til bedriftens modenhet.

New and creative technologies such as interactive and immersive media are transforming the ways in which we experience and engage with people, objects, and services. Extended Reality (XR) is an umbrella term that includes all other "Reality" technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). These technologies are being used across a wide range of industries, from gaming industries to serious healthcare training and simulation.

This course introduces the students to the principles of creating engaging immersive content and designing innovative interactive experiences that can be utilized when designing XR applications to organizations or the public. The students will also be able to differentiate between the creation and development of immersive technology using alternative user interfaces such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). The course also examines common implementations, design trends, and application platforms used in AR/VR content creation.

Agile project management is an iterative approach to delivering a project throughout its life cycle. Organizations need to develop project and product managers who can complete projects on time and within budget, and this course addresses challenges such as the ability to manage projects and stakeholders, technical debt, risk assessment and agile planning. Students will gain advanced knowledge of the key theories of project management and agile development.

The development of modern IT solutions puts forward strict requirements for managing and executing such projects, with a special focus on integrating industrial cybersecurity solutions and culture. In this course, the student will learn the principles of secure project management and the responsibilities of team lead, referring to the application of security principles and practices in the planning, execution, and completion of a project. It involves integrating security measures into every project life cycle phase to ensure that sensitive information, resources, and systems are adequately protected. The mandate of the team lead needs to rely on principles like confidentiality, integrity and availability to ensure the best possible protection of information and resilience against cyber attacks. By incorporating such principles into project management practices, organizations can enhance the overall security posture of their projects and reduce the risk of security breaches or data compromise on both hardware and software levels.

Virksomheter i omstilling

Både private og offentlige virksomheter møter krav om effektivisering, omstilling og omorganisering. Omstillingene kommer gjerne i form av nedbemanning, flytting av virksomhet, virksomhetsoverdragelser og endrede arbeidsprosesser. Slike omstillinger berører arbeidstakerne sterkt.

Hvilke rettigheter har arbeidstakerne og fagforeningene ved slike omstillinger? Hvor langt kan bedriften bestemme og styre over prosess og resultat? Arbeidsrett for HR-ledere fokuserer på rettigheter og plikter ved omstilling av virksomheter.

Sentrale delemner er:

• Bruk av arbeidskraft - tilknytningsformer (fast ansettelse, innleie, midlertidighet, entreprise)
• Styringsrett og arbeidsavtalen, herunder "endringsoppsigelser"
• Opphør av arbeidsforholdet på grunn av arbeidsgivers forhold (grunnlag, gjennomføring og saksbehandling)
• Virksomhetsoverdragelse (vilkår og virkning)
• Medbestemmelse for arbeidstakere og fagforeninger (etter arbeidsmiljøloven, statsansatteloven og tariffavtaler; drøftelser og forhandlinger)
• Konfliktløsning (individuelt og kollektivt)

Sosiale medier har introdusert en ny type rom i motebransjens kommunikasjon. Når arkitektur og mote møtes i skapelsen av midlertidige rom for presentasjon av nye kolleksjoner, blir disse midlertidige, men fysiske rommene tatt inn i det langvarige digitale rommet ettersom de deles mange ganger på plattformer som Instagram. Moterom kan best defineres som et samarbeidsskapt, skiftende og utbredt metarom hvor dialogen mellom designere, forbrukere og industri fortsetter lenge etter at det fysiske rommet har forsvunnet. Kan disse moterommene ha større innvirkning på forbrukere enn de realistiske, fysiske rommene? Hvordan kan dialogene som utvikler seg innenfor og resultatet av det digitale påvirke fysiske rom og arkitektur? Kan designere bruke moterom som steder for ny kulturell produksjon? Dette er noen av spørsmålene som tas opp av kurset Fashion Spaces/Fashionscapes.

Denne modulen gir studentene en dypere forståelse av design av moterom ved å utvide konseptet til å inkludere merkekommunikasjon i offentlige rom. Studentene vil lære om brandscapes og arkitektur som et medium innen merkekommunikasjon. Modulen fokuserer spesielt på kunnskapen studentene trenger for å fullføre prosjekter i den virkelige verden. Modulen tilbyr detaljert kunnskap om verktøy, metoder og prosjektledelsesferdigheter, slik at studentene er forberedt til å jobbe med prosjekter i den virkelige verden. Gjennom hele modulen jobber studentene med ekte kunder. Fokuset for modulen er innovasjon av integrert merkekommunikasjon.

Målet med kurset er å formidle en visjon om mote som en prosess av kontinuerlig transformasjon, som nå har utvidet sine grenser og skapt nye landskap, perspektiver og territorier - både reelle, laget av fysiske materialer, og de imaginære: fashionscapes. Emnet er skapt gjennom en praksisorientert tilnærming til akademisk undervisning og forskning, gjennom samarbeidet mellom akademikere, studenter og moteindustrien.

Emnet skal ta for seg sentrale teorier og problemstillinger innenfor kunnskapsledelse og organisasjonslæring. Sentralt er ledelse for utvikling av en sterk læringskultur som ivaretar kunnskapsutvikling, endring og innovasjoner i organisasjoner. Emnet inkluderer derfor temaer som ledelse for kompetanse og kompetent ledelse, kompetanse som taus og eksplisitt, kompetansemobilisering, mellomledelse, strategisk og dynamisk kompetanseledelse, HR, organisering og digitalisering. Emnets mål er å gi studentene inngående kunnskap i relevant teori for faget, og praksis, som beskriver hvordan bedrifter kan jobbe for å optimalisere egen organisering og drift, ved hjelp av kunnskapsledelse.

Politisk kommunikasjon handler om hvordan kommunikasjon påvirker styringen av samfunnet, konflikthåndering, offentligheten og verdier. Politisk kommunikasjon dreier seg om hvordan informasjon sprer seg og påvirker politikere, medier og borgere- i analoge og digitale kanaler, online og offline. Digitale kommunikasjonsteknologier setter nye premisser - både muligheter og begrensninger - for hvordan politisk kommunikasjon kan foregå.

Dette emnet vil ta for seg kjernebegreper innen politisk kommunikasjon, de sentrale aktørene innenfor politisk kommunikasjon, hvordan de ulike politiske aktørene kjemper for sine interesser, kampen om dagsorden, nyhetsmedienes rolle i offentligheten, nye kommunikasjonsteknologier, samt velgernes deltakelse i og utøvelse av politisk kommunikasjon.

Ledelse av sensorisk opplevelser handler om teori og metoder som organisasjoner kan bruke for å påvirke kundeopplevelser og kjøpsatferd. Gjennom bruk av metoder som påvirker kundene bevisst og ubevisst blir sensorisk markedsføring en viktig kilde til konkurransefortrinn og differensiering.

Formålet med dette kurset er å gi masterstudenter kunnskap om og forståelse for nøkkelbegreper innen sensorisk markedsføring gjennom arbeid med en blanding av underliggende teoretiske prinsipper samt praktiske implikasjoner der studentene møter og diskuterer både nyeste forskning og gjeldende forretningspraksis.

Kurset inkluderer temaer som:

• Sensorisk markedsføring og kundeopplevelser; deres betydning for næringslivet og forbrukere i samfunnet
• Individualisering som livsstil og merkevarens betydning, både fra et forretnings- og forbrukerperspektiv
• Sanseuttrykk, følelser og sanseopplevelser knyttet til den menneskelige hjerne og persepsjon
• Opplevelseskonseptet som uttrykk for menneskets sanser, karakter og den ultimate sanseopplevelsen

Agile Project for Industry Challenges is an iterative approach to delivering a project throughout its life cycle. The purpose of the course is to give the student a deeper experience in mastering the whole of a larger project together with the industry, with emphasis on applying agile methods. The course is focusing on the themes sustainability, innovation, and digitalization.

Through a process for developing a solution, the student will plan and implement a comprehensive solution based on a project case by an industry/company in a multidisciplinary group. The student will receive training in using modern agile techniques and tools along the way.

The student will co-operate with the industry during the project, to give the students the possibility to practice and develop their skills and knowledge.

Data Management is an essential and critical process with organizations. This course will provide students with an introduction to data management techniques, data warehousing and business intelligence. Students will gain advanced knowledge of key theories and concepts of data management processes, data collection, sharing and storage, data documentation, data compliance, data preservation, and an overview of the open data requirements. They will acquire specialized problem-solving skills, being able to analyze and prepare data management plans.

The link between understanding customers and developing strategies has become more complicated in the current multi-media web-oriented environment. Customers can evaluate brands and choose alternatives from a myriad of sources. Customers have also become more empowered to determine the nature of the ads and information they see and the characteristics of the brands they buy. The aim of this course is to follow two streams of thought: First, every organization’s fundamental strategy and orientation should lead to satisfied customers and create value considering ethical issues and meeting sustainability goals. Second, understanding customers’ needs is the foundation for all steps in the value creation chain, starting with developing a product, advertising, pricing, and distribution strategies. The premise is that an understanding of the digital consumer is imperative for those pursuing careers in digital marketing.

This module focuses on advanced topics in interaction design, exploring the various interfaces through which humans interact, and the characteristics of how human interaction is perceived as intuitive. The course will explore the sequential character of user experience based on the fields of Service Design and Design Thinking. The student will gain knowledge in the process from gathering user requirements, to design and implementation through lab-oriented development-methods.

Customers are omnichannel-oriented. They increasingly expect to interact with organizations in a seamless way, combining aspects across different channels at different stages of their decision journey. This course provides the forefront of knowledge on how to support the omnichannel customer experience, what the customer expect, how organizations can use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to leverage their presence, and what organizations need to support an omnichannel strategy.

Students will gain advanced knowledge of key theories and concepts of omnichannel and CRM. Omnichannel is the seamless and effortless consolidation of the various channels, to enhance the overall customer experience. They will acquire specialized problem-solving skills, being able to plan omnichannel activities, and to configure CRM solutions. They shall take responsibility to conduct the planning and implementation of CRM activities and evaluate the business value taking into account meeting ethical and sustainability goals.

Business organisations have a clear responsibility for many of the current social and environmental problems. However, they are also in a unique position to solve many of these problems by using sustainability as a basis for innovation brand building and marketing. The purpose of this course is to look at how organizations can build brands innovatively and market them in an effective and ethical way. The course will look at how sustainable thinking creates opportunities, when organizations make sustainability core to their purpose and actions. This approach goes beyond traditional Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approaches, which often make sustainability an added extra, to argue that sustainability should be core to an organization’s operations. The course will encompass the roles different stakeholders play in influencing businesses to act conscientiously, the challenge of trade-offs in sustainable innovation and the issues related to effective communication.

Emnet bygger rundt et tverrfaglig prosjekt med hovedfokus på å skape en positiv effekt i et lokalsamfunn, en bygd. Praktisk arbeid er sentralt i emnet, samt evnen til å gjennomføre et prosjekt fra konsept til gjennomføring.

I løpet av kurset skal studenten ved å bruke kompetanse innenfor sitt eget fagfelt, produsere noe som gir verdi for bygda. Dette kan for eksempel være et sted for sosialt samvær, en tjeneste for lokalsamfunnet eller et kulturarrangement.

Denne modulen har tre faser, først identifisering av behov og muligheter, deretter gjennomføre en analyse og til slutt å produsere en praktisk løsning. Gjennom hele modulen brukes samskaping som en metodisk tilnærming.

Formålet med emnet er, gjennom deltakelse i arbeidslivet, å gi studenten mulighet til å anvende det lærte i praksis, samt å reflektere over og forstå hvordan teori og praksis forutsetter hverandre og utformer hverandre gjensidig. Emnets læringsutbytte baseres på aktiv deltagelse fra tre parter: Studenten, arbeidsgiver og foreleser/veileder ved høyskolen. Studenten skal gjennom deltakelse i arbeid få kjennskap til den profesjonelle praksis innenfor eget fagområde, og hvordan yrkesutøvelsen krever tverrfaglig forståelse. I emnet skal studentene utvikle innsikt i hvilken generisk kunnskap og ferdigheter som er avgjørende for å lykkes som profesjonell yrkesutøver. Studentene skal forstå hvordan læring og arbeid er en integrert prosess over tid, og hvordan denne læringsprosessen bidrar til faglig kompetanse, profesjonelle ferdigheter, utvidede perspektiv og personlig utvikling.

Arbeidsintegrert læring

Læring er en naturlig del av arbeidslivet knyttet til konkrete handlinger, opplevelser og oppgaveløsning. Gjennom undervisning, veiledning og egen praksis skal studentene utvikle kunnskap om og forståelse for hvordan arbeidsplassen fungerer som læringsarena og læringsmiljø. Studentene skal forstå hvordan læring og kunnskapsutvikling er forankret i konteksten, i selve utøvelsen av yrkespraksis, og i de sosiale relasjonene. Studentene skal erfare hvordan arbeidsintegrert læring gir mulighet for profesjonell og personlig utvikling og modning. Læring gjennom praksis forutsetter selvledelse, samhandling, kommunikasjon og refleksjon Studentene skal reflektere over egen læringsprosess og identifisere og beskrive ferdigheter og ny kunnskap de har utviklet gjennom deltagelse i praksis. Studentene skal reflektere over hvilke nye perspektiver og innsikt relevant for eget studieprogram, de oppnår gjennom deltakelse på en arbeidsplass.

Generisk kunnskap og ferdigheter

Generisk kunnskap og ferdigheter er kunnskap og evner som er nyttige på tvers av ulike fagområder og situasjoner. Dette er generell kompetanse og grunnleggende ferdigheter som problemløsning, kritisk tenkning, selvledelse, kommunikasjon og samhandling med andre. Utvikling av profesjonelle ferdigheter bidra til å styrke evnen til å møte utfordringer og lykkes på ulike områder. De generiske ferdighetene utgjør et sentralt grunnlag for den profesjonelle yrkesutøvelsen, og har verdi på tvers av ulike yrker, bransjer eller karrierevei og livsområder. Studenten skal i emnet reflektere over egen adferd, tenkning, samt hva som bidrar til personlig vekst og modning. Studentene skal i emnet utvikle evne til selvledelse, selvstendighet, evne til å ta i bruk egne styrker, samt utvikle eget selvbilde.

Studiespesifikt fordypningstema

Studenten skal definere et eller flere studiespesifikke fordypningstema. Fordypningstema skal ha faglig relevans for studieprogrammets overordnede læringsutbytte, og være knyttet det faglige innholdet i et eller flere emner i programmet. Fordypningstema vil danne grunnlaget for de obligatoriske oppgavene i emnet. Arbeidsoppgavene i praksisperioden må derfor tilby relevante muligheter for studentene til å demonstrere evnen til å anvende, forbedre og utvikle ferdigheter og kunnskap knyttet til fordypningstema og læringsmålene fra tilknyttede emner. De obligatoriske oppgavene skal ta utgangspunkt i de kunnskaper studenten har tilegnet seg så langt i studiet. Studenten skal redegjøre for og drøfte sammenheng mellom teori og praksis. Oppgavene skal være veiledet i praksis hos arbeidsgiver, og faglig ved høyskolen.

Formal and informal social hierarchies, represented by power and status, are ubiquitous and represent fundaments of human organization. Moreover, although not the sole cause of influence, power, and status are important antecedents of influence in organizations. The primary focus of this course is for the students to get an advanced understanding and critical reflections of the psychological perspective on power, status, and influence. Why do some people attain power and status? How and why are people changed by the experience of power and status? What are important intrapersonal and interpersonal moderators of the effect of power and status? These are examples of questions that will be raised, and it is expected that students, after finishing the course, will be able to analyze, critically discuss, and apply the psychological perspective on power and status to real-life organizational challenges.

The digital world is a great opportunity for companies to promote their brands, through the various tactics (e.g., influencer marketing, search engine marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, etc.) available to them. This course’s main objective is that students develop a reflected understanding of the use of digital marketing tactics to reach out to, convert, and interact with customers or other relevant stakeholders. The course will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed decisions regarding digital marketing tactics.

The aim of the course is to introduce the students to the concepts and techniques of natural languages ​​processing and analysis, unstructured information analysis and management for better decision-making by deriving valuable insights from enterprise content regardless of source or format. The course provides deep and rich knowledge of text analysis techniques and applications including natural language processing basics, text processing and representation, text classification, clustering and similarity analysis, and other techniques and applications using real-world data and cases.

Data and visual analytics are an evolving field concerned with analyzing, modeling, and visualizing complex high-dimensional data. This course will introduce students to the data visualization domain by covering state-of-the-art modeling, analysis and advanced visualization techniques. It will emphasize practical challenges involving complex real-world data and include real-world case studies and hands-on work with several leading visual analytics tools and programming languages. Students will gain advanced knowledge of the art of decision-making, as well as acquire specialized problem-solving skills and deliver value to organizations through the development of advanced visualizations.

This course provides the forefront of knowledge using digital media, e-commerce, and social media to create optimal customer experiences and facilitate marketing. Students will gain advanced knowledge of key theories and concepts of Digital Marketing. They will acquire specialized problem-solving skills, being able to plan Digital Marketing activities, and to configure Digital Marketing solutions. They shall take responsibility to conduct the planning and implementation of Digital Marketing activities and evaluate the business value.

The aim of the course is to introduce the Internet of Things (IoT) in relation to Digital Business Systems and organisations. The overarching objective of IoT in business is to broaden the student’s perspective on future and contemporary IT phenomena and state- of-the-art technologies. Emphasis is invested in relating the contemporary IoT theme to general and selected contexts and industries like IoT in healthcare, Industry (4.0), Supply Chians and Logistics, etc.

The course also introduces the various technologies used in the IoT domain, and emphasizes on their real-world use and applications. The students will also be introduced to developing business cases within the IoT domain.

This course aims for the students to understand user interfaces (UI) from a theoretical and design perspective, while also gaining competence in basic UI programming. This knowledge will be enhanced with what happens "under the hood" behind the UI in the back-end of a computer system in terms of computer architecture and object-oriented software design. In practical skills the candidates will be required to design, implement and test/evaluate prototypes, through their developed user interfaces, chosen input/output techniques and executable programs. After successful completion of the course it is expected that the student will be able to critically reflect on contemporary themes within UI and work with cutting edge UI research literature.

Alle virksomheter behandler personopplysninger, det være seg om ansatte, kunder, pasienter, borgere, brukere eller leverandører. Personopplysningsloven og personvernforordningen, kjent som "GDPR" (General Data Protection Regulation), omhandler reglene man skal forholde seg til når man behandler personopplysninger. Emnet vil gi studentene en solid forståelse av grunnpilarene i regelverket og ruste dem til å håndtere det effektivt, herunder individets rettigheter, krav til behandlingsansvarlige og databehandlere, rettslig grunnlag for behandling, informasjonsplikt, informasjonssikkerhet, personvernombud, samt drøfte relevans til kunstig intelligens og stordata (big data).

Emnet vil også gi en innføring i rettshistorien, EØS-retten og sentrale aktører, inkludert Datatilsynet, samt deres rolle og virkemidler.

In today's data-driven world, marketers must harness the potential of their data to make informed decisions and achieve business success. This course provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to explore, analyze and derive valuable insights from market data.

From a basic introduction to data pre-processing and exploratory data analysis, students will delve into market segmentation, predictive analysis, classification, association rules and sentiment analysis. They will also learn how to measure customer lifetime value, predict customer churn, and perform survival analysis.

Through a combination of theory and practical exercises, students will gain practical experience with the use of industry standard tools. They will complete a final project in which they present their insights and solutions to real marketing challenges.

At the end of the course, students will be well equipped to apply data mining methods in various marketing scenarios and drive data-driven decision-making in future careers. Join us to become a data-savvy marketer and lead the way in the ever-evolving landscape of market analytics.

This advanced course on Data Science Applications delves into the fascinating world of Generative AI (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs), exploring the cutting-edge technologies and methodologies that drive innovation in AI-generated content. Students will gain a deep understanding of the principles and a high-level understanding of algorithms underlying generative models, such as neural networks, deep learning, and reinforcement learning. The course also emphasizes practical applications across various fields, such as healthcare, business, marketing, advertising, and education, offering a comprehensive view of how Generative AI can transform these domains in the coming years. The course also includes some hands-on exercises using Python programming language.

Design Thinking is a human centric approach to business that emphasises empathy, creative thinking, and experimentation. Of course, Design Thinking, cannot happen in a vacuum. Organizations that practice Design Thinking must ensure that the problems that are identified and the ideas that are developed through the process are relevant and implementable. This course will provide you with the necessary vocabulary, knowledge, and skills to understand the implication of Design Thinking as a mindset, method and set of tools that can be of use to manage and implement innovation.

The course will combine theory and practice and will feature cases from start-ups, businesses, and public sector organisations. The cases will enable the student to understand the challenges of applying Design Thinking for innovation in various contexts and the means to overcome barriers.

The students will undertake a project throughout the course that will involve working together on a real innovation challenge to learn the tools and methods. Pausing and reflecting on the learnings will ensure a holistic learning experience.

Content

Innovation is a must especially in times of crises. The crises triggered by the pandemic have demonstrated how innovation is not only a matter for the private sector, but also mandatory in the public sector. Meanwhile the main challenge faced by most organizations remains: finding a way of managing innovation as a process that can be orchestrated within their daily core activities and allows for creativity and novelty to flourish. Design Thinking can be applied as an innovation enabler to (re)design tangible products, intangible services or processes, as well as the complex systems of learning and working within a company. The popular Design Thinking innovation process pioneered by companies such as IDEO; SAP and the D School at Stanford helps organizations apply principles, methods and tools inherent to the design discipline, to manage innovation.

The question is how to best manage resources and efforts within the different types and levels of innovation and adjust the organizational support structures and roles.

The course will cover how to use immersive research methods to build empathy, how to define problems, how to create and test solutions that align with an innovation strategy and how to implement ideas and overcome barriers to change.

Students will gain in-depth knowledge of mobile computing and introduce the Internet of Things (IoT). Students will further acquire knowledge of theories/models of mobile and pervasive computing applications, technologies and common research paradigms in mobile and pervasive computing such as context awareness, computing in an environment with limited resources, sensor-based interaction, and smart-device management. They will acquire skills in application design, architecture and implementation. Students will be expected to be able to analyse, discuss and critically reflect upon theories and research issues in mobile computing and internet of things.

Theories of choice-making have long been an important foundation for information systems research. Using psychological experimentation, the discipline of behavioral economics provides the dominant contemporary approach for studying the effects of cognitive, emotional, social and cultural factors on human choice-making. Therefore, it is reasonable that information systems research that involves choice-making should consider behavioral economics as a foundation or reference theory. The goal of this course will be to deploy relevant behavioral economic theories in information systems to explain and predict human choice-making.

This course focuses on the soft skills in management of information systems. Students will gain advanced knowledge of theories on leadership, change agents, ethics and required skills within IT-consultancy. They will acquire specialized problem-solving skills, being able to master the personal and organizational techniques required to participate in a change process, practicing leadership and developing professional skills within consulting. They shall take responsibility to conduct a minor consulting project thru an agreement, plan and evaluation.

Central topics include consulting and leadership.