BUSINESS HISTORY
cod. 1007224

Academic year 2017/18
1° year of course - Second semester
Professor
Academic discipline
Storia economica (SECS-P/12)
Field
Economico
Type of training activity
Characterising
56 hours
of face-to-face activities
8 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in ITALIAN

Learning objectives

Students:
- will learn and understand which economic, organizational, social and institutional processes have led to the evolution of firms from the 19th century up to today;
- should be able to apply such learning to detect the framework in which firms operate and the constraints that influence their development and spread;
- should be able to evaluate the performance of the organizational structure of firms and to critically analyze innovations that are directly and indirectly related to entrepreneurship;
- should acquire a cultural background useful to communicate and interact with private management and institutional regulation subjects concerning issues related to the growth and development of business activities;
- will be stimulated in developing their learning skills by experiencing a varied approach in teaching.

Prerequisites

A basic knowledge of economic history

Course unit content

The course takes into analysis the development of business firms in the Western economy, from the Industrial Revolution to the beginnings of the 21st century.
The first part will focus on the interplay between theory and history following the evolution of specific topics such as: the theory of firm, the growth in scale of enterprises and its organizational structure, the evolution of firm management and governance, the relation between state-owned and private enterprise. A comparative approach will be adopted with an emphasis on the USA.
The second part of the course will be devoted to the Italian case, from the 1860s to the so-called “Italian miracle” during the 1950s-1960s, highlighting the structural and organizational changes and analyzing the contribution given by the industrial sector to the economic development of the country. The interpretations put forward will also suggest that in the Italian case, small enterprises played a crucial role in this development.

Full programme

- - -

Bibliography

- P. A. Toninelli, Storia d’impresa, 2° edizione, Il Mulino, 2012.
- V. Castronovo, Storia economica d’Italia: dall’Ottocento ai giorni nostri, Einaudi, 2006.

Teaching methods

During lessons, issues related to business history will be discussed experiencing analytical approaches that combine theory and history. Standard lectures could be coupled by group discussions and individual practical tests.

Assessment methods and criteria

Written exam structured in 2 open questions divided in: (a) a general part each providing a maximum of 10 marks, and (b) a section devoted to applied historical cases each providing a maximum of 5 marks.
Knowledge and understanding will be verified by analyzing the contents of both answers.
The ability in applying knowledge and understanding will be verified by analyzing the answers given to the sections devoted to applied historical cases.
Learning skills and the ability in making judgments will verified by analyzing the answers given to the general part of the questions.
Communication skills and the ability in using the proper technical language will verified by analyzing the terms adopted in the answers and the propensity in clarifying their meaning.

Other information

- - -