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 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 for communicating and interacting with private management and institutional regulatory bodies concerning issues related to the growth and development of business activities;
- will be stimulated in their learning by experiencing a varied teaching approach.
Course unit content
The course takes into analysis the development of business firms in the Western economy, from the Industrial Revolution to the beginning 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 their 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 industrial sector’s contribution 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.
Bibliography
1. P. A. Toninelli, Storia d’impresa, 2° edizione, Il Mulino, 2012.
2. Slides from the lectures published on the ELLY portal by the lecturer.
3. V. Castronovo, Storia economica d’Italia. Dall’Ottocento al 2020, Giulio Einaudi Editore, Torino, 2021, Nuova edizione rivista e ampliata, limitatamente ai paragrafi indicati:
-I, Alla periferia dell'Europa (pp. 28-39, 40-47, 47-55, 55-58), i paragrafi: I nodi della finanza pubblica e della politica liberista; Una lunga depressione e la conversione al protezionismo; Un’industria per la nazione; Il risanamento del sistema bancario;
-II, Il decollo industriale (pp. 82-92, 92-96, 96-100, 112-118, 118-122), i paragrafi: I fattori dell’industrializzazione italiana; Il ruolo dello Stato e l’opera di Giolitti; Il capitalismo delle grandi famiglie; Il salvataggio della siderurgia; I conti pubblici e quelli economici;
-III, Gli effetti della guerra (pp. 153-157, 157-160, 164-170, 170-172), i paragrafi: L’organizzazione della macchina bellica; Le fortune dell’industria pesante; Le difficoltà della riconversione postbellica; La scalata alle banche;
-IV, Il ventennio fascista (pp. 193-198, 198-204, 204-210, 214-219, 219-227, 227-233, 238-243, 259-263), i paragrafi: Dalla recessione alla ripresa; La stabilizzazione monetaria; La battaglia del grano e la bonifica integrale; Il grande crollo; L'eclisse della banca mista; Lo Stato imprenditore; Il binomio autarchia e imperialismo; Lo sfacelo dell'economia di guerra;
-V, Una società industriale (pp. 274-283, 299-306, 308-316, 321-323, 323-331, 331-336, 336-344, 344-346, 346-355, 355-359), i paragrafi: Lo scenario internazionale del dopoguerra; La strategia vincente di Einaudi; Le riforme dei governi centristi; L'adesione al Mercato Comune Europeo; Il miracolo economico; Mano pubblica e mano privata; Un modello di sviluppo a due facce; Le <<cattedrali>> nel deserto; I nuovi indirizzi del centro-sinistra; La controversa esperienza della programmazione;
-VI, Una difficile modernizzazione (pp. 380-388, 389-393, 394-399, 399-402, 402-408, 409-411, 412-414, 418-425, 425-429, 429-433, 433-436, 436-440, 440-444), i paragrafi: L'autunno caldo; Fra ristagno e inflazione; Le cifre in rosso della grande industria; I successi delle piccole imprese; Le tre Italie; La <<marcia dei quarantamila>>; Quinta potenza industriale; I dilemmi del sistema finanziario; L’Italia e l’integrazione europea; La fine dell’intervento straordinario per il Sud; Il fardello di un elevato debito pubblico; L’epilogo della prima Repubblica; Una dura prova d’esame.
-VII, Le sfide e le ipoteche del sistema Paese (454-456, 456-461, 461-465, 471-477, 481-486, 487-491, 491-497, 498-505, 505-509, 509-516) i paragrafi: L'agognato ingresso nell'Euro; Tanti problemi strutturali in un quadro politico incerto; Gli assilli dei Gruppi più blasonati; Fra anomalie e criticità; Le ripercussioni del crac di Wall Street; Un frangente estremamente grave; La rigorosa terapia di Bruxelles; Un sentiero stretto e arduo; Il provvidenziale “scudo antispread” della BCE; L’Italia e i nodi politici dell’Europa.
Teaching methods
During the lectures, the problems of history of business history will be discussed experimenting analytical methods which combine theoretical and historical aspects. Teacher-led lectures will be backed up by group discussion, the flipped classroom method and individual and group exercises.
Teaching activities will therefore favour active learning methods, with teacher-led lectures containing a high degree of practical activities. Students may carry out group work in order to put the acquired knowledge to use immediately; to this end, academic papers will be assigned to students in the first week of lectures. Group work is optional.
Acquisition of knowledge: teacher-led lectures
Acquisition of ability to apply knowledge: seminaries, optional group work.
Acquisition of independent judgement: during the course, students will be encouraged to identify the critical aspects of business history, for example through group work.
The teaching material used during the lessons are uploaded to Elly on a weekly basis.
To download the slides, it is necessary to enrol on the course online.
The slides used are considered an integral part of the teaching material. Students who do not attend in person are reminded to check the teaching material available and the instructions given by the teacher on Elly.
Assessment methods and criteria
Written exam made up of two open-ended questions. Consulting books, slides or digital material is not allowed.
One question will relate to Toninelli’s book and the other to Castronovo’s.
Both questions are worth 15 points.
The written exam lasts 90 minutes (45 minutes per question).
Knowledge and understanding will be verified by analysing both answers.
The ability to apply knowledge and understanding will be verified by analysing the answers given to the sections dedicated to applied historical cases.
Learning ability and the ability to make judgements will be verified by analysing the answers give to the general part of the questions.
Communicative abilities and the use of appropriate technical language will be verified by analysing the terms used in the answers and the propensity to clarify their meanings.
Honours will be assigned to students who, besides meeting the necessary requirements for full marks, demonstrate in the exam commendable systematic knowledge of the topic, excellent ability to apply the knowledge acquired to the specific problem, significant autonomy in making judgements and particular attention to the formal writing of the composition.
Attending students may divide the exam into two parts:
the first will check knowledge relating to Toninelli’s book and some in-depth study carried out in lessons through a 45-minute written exam made up of one open-ended question; the second part of the exam will be group work on the case of a company with a in-class presentation, starting from the second week of teaching. Both parts are worth 15 points.
Exam results will be published on Esse3.
Other information
Any supplementary materials and additional activities will be communicated at the beginning of the course and published on the Elly website of the course.
