INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT ADVANCED COURSE - 1

The course aims at providing students with a general theoretical framework pertaining to the main contributions in the international management discipline, with a specific focus on the Italian industrial system.

The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the strategic options and challenges firms face when competing in the global economy. The course will expose students to key concepts and theories relevant to the study of firms’ international development. The global value chains (GVCs) approach will be used as an analytic and interpretive framework to understand paths of economic growth for both organizations and local production systems.
Students will be encouraged to undertake interdisciplinary team research projects focusing on global industries and related issues.

In addition to passing an access test, admission to the course requires possession of minimum curricular requirements and adequate personal preparation. Furthermore, possession of certified knowledge of English at level B2 is required.

Week 1: The globalization debate and changing patterns of industrial production

Week 2: Introduction to the International Management discipline and the evolution of multinational companies

Week 3: The evolution of the Italian industrial system

Week 4: Global value chains

Week 5: The third industrial revolution and its impact on global value chains

Week 6: Test

Week 1 — The globalization debate and changing patterns of industrial production

• Friedman, T. (2005). The World Is Flat. Picador, New York. Selected pages: 3-21.

• Ghemawat, P. (2007). “Why the World isn’t flat“, Foreign Policy, March 1, 2007.

• Friedman. T. (2012). Average Is Over. The New York Times, January 24, 2012.

• Saval N. (2017), “Globalisation: the rise and fall of an idea that swept the world”, The Guardian

• A. Ameghini (2017), China's Belt and Road: a game changer?, ISPI (Chapter 1, Chapter 6)

Week 2 - Introduction to the International Management discipline and the evolution of multinational companies

• Bartlett, C.A. and Ghoshal, S. (1987). Managing across Borders: New Strategic Requirements. MIT Sloan Management Review 28 (4): 7-17.

• Bartlett, C.A. and Ghoshal, S. (1987). Managing across Borders: New Organizational Responses. MIT Sloan Management Review 29 (1): 43-53.

• Doz, Y.L., Santos, J., and P. Williamson (2001). From Global to Metanational: How Companies Win in the Knowledge Economy. Harvard Business School Press: Cambridge, MA

Week 3 — The evolution of the italian industrial system

• Becattini G. (1990), “The Marshallian industrial district as a socio-economic notion”, in Pyke F., Becattini G. and Sengenberger W. (eds.), Industrial districts and Interfirm Cooperation in Italy ,pp.37-51

• Chiarvesio, M., Di Maria E., Micelli S. (2010), “Global value chains and open networks: the case of Italian industrial districts”, European Planning Studies, 18(3) March, pp. 329-346.

Week 4 — Global Value Chains (GVCs)

• Gereffi, G., Humphrey, J. and R. Kaplinsky. (2001). Introduction: globalisation, value chains and development. IDS Bulletin 32(3), 1-8.

• OECD (2020). COVID-19 and global value chains: Policy options to build more resilient production networks

• R. Strange (2020) The 2020 Covid‑19 pandemic and global value chains, Journal of Industrial and Business Economics (2020) 47:455–465

Week 5 — The third industrial revolution and its impact on global value chains

• Berger R. (2014). Industry 4.0 - The new industrial revolution. How Europe will succeed

• Bettiol M., Di Maria E., Capestro M.(2018), Una via italiana all'Industria 4.0?, Quaderni di ricerca sull'artigianato, pp. 103-120

Week 6 — Test

The evaluation of the learning process includes a written test aimed at testing the learning of the basic knowledge discussed in class and a series of questions aimed at evaluating skills acquired.

Lectures, team works and guest lectures from managers and entrepreneurs.

English

written and oral