29525 - History of Industry and Business (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to provide students with a broad outlook of the evolution of the industrial capitalism during the past century. The units of analysis are the great countries industrialized and the different organizational models adopted by their production systems. The main objective is to stress that the changes of industrial systems are unquestionably shaped by institutional, social and economical elements.

Course contents

The object of this year's course is the firm as the key institution to understand the evolution of the world economy during the last two centuries. The industrial firm is analyzed in a long term perspective to focus on the continuity and change dynamics, the technological evolution and the social and institutional transformations which have left a mark on the development of industrial organization worldwide. A special attention will be reserved to the Italian case.

Readings/Bibliography

STUDENTS WHO ATTEND THE LECTURES:

Students who attend the lectures are required to submit a paper focusing one of the topics developed in the courses by professor Cantagalli. For attending students who have never taken an economic history exam it is recommended to read: A. Di Vittorio (ed.), Dall’espansione allo sviluppo. Una storia economica d’Europa, Torino, Giappichelli, 2011 (or other edition), pp. 203-517.

 

STUDENTS WHO DON'T ATTEND THE LECTURES:

They will have to study the following three readings:

- F. AMATORI, A. COLLI, Industria e impresa in Italia, Venezia, Marsilio, 2003.

- F. AMATORI, A. COLLI, Storia d'impresa, Milano, Bruno Mondadori, 2011.

- G. BERTA, L'enigma dell'imprenditore (e il destino dell'impresa), Bologna, il Mulino, 2018.

Teaching methods

The course will be delivered by lectures aided by slides and photocopies.

Assessment methods

STUDENTS WHO ATTEND THE LECTURES

Students who attend the lectures are required to submit a paper (minimum 40,000 - maximum 50,000 characters) focusing one of the topics developed in the courses by professor Cantagalli.

The evaluation of the paper will consider the student's capacity to make use of sources and bibliography related to the selected topic. Students who demonstrate to have a global outlook and a good design of the selected topic and to use an appropriate language, will receive an excellent evaluation. Student who write a paper only based on the existing bibliography without making use of sources, will receive an adequate evaluation. Training gaps and / or inappropriate writing, even in a context of minimal knowledge of the subject, will lead to a sufficient evaluation. Training gaps, inappropriate writing, lack of orientation within the bibliographic materials will be evaluated negatively.

 

STUDENTS WHO DON'T ATTEND THE LECTURES

Students who do not attend the lectures will have to take an oral exam based on the required readings.

The ability to be concise, the mastery of the scientific language of the discipline and a through knowledge of the required readings will be valued as wholly positive; a mechanical knowledge of the subject matter with a few gaps and an incomplete mastery of the language will determine a fairly good evaluation; learning gaps, inappropriate language, mediocre awareness of the course themes will be valued below the pass mark or just above it. 

The final grade of the integrated course “Contemporary social structures” is the average of the final grade of the two individual modules (History of industry and business, History of labor and professions). The grades obtained in the two distinct exams have no expiring date and will be integrated in the final evaluation of the course.

Teaching tools

Slides, photocopies, handouts and additional readings.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandra Cantagalli