Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship

The global economic crisis has threatened the accessibility of youth to easy-to-get and secure job positions in large, multinational companies. Such a rest in the labor market does constitute a major challenge in the Italian context. Within such a difficult context, entrepreneurship is emerging as one of the most powerful responses as an effective and valuable professional career alternative.

The entrepreneurial process and its main output – the creation of Small and Medium Enterprises – are at the core of this course.

During the course students will discuss case studies of Italian firms, get familiarity with the Italian entrepreneurial environment and deepen their understanding of possible business models alternatives.

Moreover, in order to get a more intensive experience about Italian economic system, two field visits will be organized.

This course leverages on great interaction, which is enhanced through in-and-out-of-class-assignments and discussion.

The learning goals of the course are:

a) to explore the main dimensions of entrepreneurship.

b) to point out the main issues related to running a business, with a specific focus on SMEs;

c) to get familiar with the main dimensions of a successful business model;

d) to deepen knowledge about some peculiar Italian sectors.

Course requirements:

(a) Students are expected to regularly attend class sessions and to actively take part in class debate and case discussions;

(b) Students are expected to be prepared on the assigned readings;

(c) Students are expected to deliver one group assignments and present it to the class.

Course readings and materials:

All the readings and the lecturer’s slides will be available on Blackboard.

Method of teaching:

Lectures, seminars, in-class discussions and group activities, field trips.