BUSINESS HISTORY AND SUSTAINABILITY

As required by the learning objectives of the Master degree in Management and Sustainability, the course reads the history of entrepreneurship and of the firm through the lens of concepts as corporate social responsability and sustainability.
In this perspective, the course provides students with:
1) an overview of the historical evolution of the structure of the firm from the First Industrial Revolution to the end of the 20th century;
2) the theoretical and empirical tools to critically analyse how, during the 20th century, firms and entrepreneurs have engaged with the social and environmental contexts;
3) a series of case studies on Italian entrepreneurs and business leaders who combined profits with social and environmental purpose.

Students describe the evolution of the business forms from the First Industrial Revolution to the early 21st century;
Students recognise the most important phases of Italian business history during the 20th century;
Students pinpoint, in the Italian context, which companies and entrepreneurs have attempted to face social inequality and environmental degradation through their business activity;
Students use historical methodologies and sources to critically appraise green washing narratives.

Ability to read scientific articles and chapters in English

Week 1: Business history, corporate responsability and sustainability: methods and approaches
Week 2: The evolution of the firm and entrepreneurship and the three industrial revolutions
Week 3. Italian firms during the 20th century: the private sector
Week 4: Italian firms during the 20th century: the public sector
Week 5: Paternalism, corporate social responsability and sustainability in Italian business history

Selected chapters of:
- Amatori F. & Colli A., 2011, Storia di impresa. Complessità e comparazioni, Bruno Mondadori, 2011 (capitoli scelti- Moodle)
- Amatori F. (a cura di), L’approdo mancato. Economia, politica e società in Italia dopo il miracolo economico, Milano, 2017
- Jones G., Profits and Sustainability. A History of Green Entrepreneurship, Oxford, 2017
- Jones G. , Deeply Responsible Business: A Global History of Values-driven Leadership, Harvard Unversity Press, 2023

Course materials will be on Moodle
Oral exam
Group projects and presentations will be assessed (50%)

Frontal lectures and class discussions;
Experior - Autoguidovie

Italian

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Circular economy, innovation, work" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development