LEARNING OUTCOMES

The main purpose is to present the basic topics about enterprise management and strategic management. Important parts will be devoted to the analysis of innovations, enterprise networks and clusters, and strategic models.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course will provide the concepts, frameworks and techniques useful in order to make correct firm’s strategic decisions. In particular, the focus of the course are the relationships that a firm may develop with its competitive environment, in order to create and sustain a competitive advantage, together with a firm’s resources and capabilities

• Knowledge and understanding. Students will acquire adequate knowledge and an effective understanding of the main theoretical models supporting strategic analysis. They will also acquire the basic elements related to the management of the main corporate functions, with particular reference to those functions that are not subject to in-depth study within the other specific courses of the degree course.
• Ability to apply knowledge and understanding. Students will be able to apply their knowledge to the interpretation and resolution of problems related to strategic business decisions, taking into account the constraints and opportunities arising from the external and internal environment.
• Autonomy of judgement. Students must be able to use the knowledge acquired with autonomous evaluation skills and with skills in different application contexts, both conceptually and operationally.
• Communication skills. Students must acquire the technical language typical of the discipline in order to communicate clearly and unambiguously with specialist and non-specialist interlocutors.
• Learning skills. Students must develop adequate learning skills that allow them to continue to autonomously deepen the main themes of the discipline, both in preparation for other specific teachings and in the working contexts in which they will operate.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures, case studies and seminars.

Lectures are held in Italian, but, for incoming students, it is possible to sustain the exam in English, following the English textbook.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

- The concept of strategy
- The sources and dimensions of competitive advantage
- Firms’ goals, values and performance
- The fundamentals of industry analysis
- Managing industry evolution and strategic change
- The analysis of resources and capabilities
- The fundamentals of strategy implementation

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

If incoming students choose to study the ordinary syllabus in Italian, they can refer to the italian syllabus. Otherwise, the English syllabus is based on the following textbook:

Grant R.M. (2013), Contemporary Strategy Analysis, 8th Edition, Wiley & Sons.