LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to introduce students to e-business, that is to Internet-based businesses and to the integration of Internet technologies into business processes and activities.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to develop work-oriented knowledge and competences, with respect to Internet-based businesses and the impact of Internet-based technologies on business structure and activities.

Specific aims are:

• to make students aware of the changes brought by the introduction of Internet-based technologies in business processes and activities;
• to explore opportunities and tools for effective digital commerce and communication;
• to establish relationships with companies, thanks to seminars by professionals, entrepreneurs, managers.

Learning outcomes

• Knowledge and understanding Students will know and understand strategic and operational issues related with adoption and use of Internet-based technologies, together with the new business models based on those technologies. In particular, they will learn the foundations of the digital economy and the property of Internet-based technologies; furthermore, they will explore tools of analysis of Internet-based business models and of websites. Finally, they will learn the basics of e-commerce.
• Applied knowledge and understanding Students will be capable of applying their knowledge to solve problems related with the use of Internet-based technologies in firms and with the development of new Internet-based businesses. In particular, they will be able of analysing the business model of an Internet-based company and of evaluating the quality of a website.
• Judgement skills Students will be able of evaluating the opportunities of new business development driven by Internet-based technologies.
• Communication skills Students will develop an adequate technical language to clearly and effectively communicate with both specialists and not specialists.
• Learning capabilities Students will develop adequate learning and updating skills that will allow them to continue to deepen independently the main topics of the discipline especially in the working contexts in which they will operate.

PREREQUISITES

Previous knowledge

Students are expected to be familiar with concepts such as:

• value chain and value systems
• competitive and corporate strategies
• basics of marketing and communcations

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures are integrated with seminars by experts and individual/group works.

In the light of the course structure and the learning outcomes, attendance is compulsory.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Main course topics are:

• the foundations of the digital economy
• the properties of Internet-based technologies
• the role of Internet-based technologies in business processes and relationships
• Internet-based business models
• basics of E-commerce
• the evaluation of websites