Learning objectives

The course aims to introduce the students to the main issues related to the functioning and management of businesses. In this perspective, it provides the basic knowledge and conceptual tools to describe and interpret the corporate phenomena and logics, as well as manage strategic business processes with a view to progress and sustainability. In terms of skills, students will be able to make decisions about the main management problems affecting the various corporate functions. At the end of the lessons, the students will be able to have an overview of the company, select the key concepts for the interpretation of the company’s behavior, understand the external and internal dynamics that determine business management, identify the strategic objectives, to apply the logic and fundamental tools about management within the main corporate functions.

Prerequisites and basic notions

Given that this is a basic course in business management, there are no prerequisites.

Program

The company’s concept
Good, services and experiences
The company’s functions and goals
The company and its environment
The entrepreneur and the birth of the company
The factors of production
The function of production and the choices of integration and decentralization of production
Innovation and corporate creativity
Corporate decision-making processes
The business plan
The methods of economic convenience
The methods for the analysis of the economic convenience of industrial investments
The problems of operational comparison
Vision, mission and values
Macro-environment, industry and competitive analysis
Resources, capabilities and business potential
Corporate strategies
Business strategies and business models
Corporate social responsibility and sustainability‐driven entrepreneurship

Didactic methods

The didactic modalities include frontal lessons for the transmission of the basic notions, key-categories, fundamental application tools, exercises, analysis of case studies, and business testimonials. The organization of a business competition among students will allow those who want to apply the concepts learned during the lessons. Thanks to the University’s Moodle platform, ongoing learning exercises and self-assessment activities are proposed.
Mentoring
During the semester of the lessons, there is a tutoring service provided by students enrolled in the Master Degree Programmes of the University of Verona, suitably chosen through a public selection. This service is aimed at literacy and support in learning the economic convenience analysis topic, and teaching support to the competition.

Lessons are held in presence at the time indicated in the appropriate space of the site. However, the content of the lessons will be recorded and the recordings will be available on the Moodle teaching platform. Participatory teaching activities will be carried out in the classroom and may, by their nature, not be recordable.

Learning assessment procedures

The examination is written. It is possible to take the oral examination only if the evaluation of the written exam is sufficient (≥ 18/30).
The written test covers the various topics in the program and is divided into two parts. The first part includes five multiple-choice quizzes. These questions are aimed at assessing the knowledge of basic notions of the discipline as well as the ability to effectively use the company language.
The second part includes four open questions to be answered in a dedicated space and 1 exercise about economic convenience analysis. The questions are aimed at assessing the general vision of the discipline, the deepening of the topics and applying the concepts to business management.
The written test is passed with a minimum score of 18/30 which is obtained as follows:
- 3 out of 5 points in the multiple choice quiz,
- 3 out of 5 points in carrying out an exercise on economic convenience analysis,
- 12 points out of 20 in the further four questions.
The oral examination covers the program as a whole.

Evaluation criteria

The questions are structured in such a way as to verify the level of knowledge of business management topcis. At the same time, they are studied in order to test the skills of interpretation of the main problems related to problem-solving in the business management field.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The written text aims to test student’s knowledge about syllabus arguments and capability to apply methods about economic convenience. The second part of the written text is aimed at assessing the key categories and the fundamental applicative tools of the discipline.
The oral examination covers the program as a whole and, first of all, verifies the overcoming of any gaps that emerged from the written test. The oral examination is aimed at assessing the candidate’s critical analysis skills, as well as verifying the deepening of the topics.
The final assessment is expressed in 30ths and takes into account all the tests prepared for the purpose of assessing learning.

Exam language

ITALIANO

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