82205 - PROBLEM SOLVING IN INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES: REAL BUSINESS CASES

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

The course objective is to offer students a practical approach in solving managerial problems in industrial companies. The method is based on real case studies proposed by companies of the area, with interviews, data analysis and presentations to the management of the company.

Contenuti

The objective of this course is to let the students understand how managers behave in their day-to-day life having responsibility in industrial companies. Managers have to continuously make decision to solve all the problems they are facing regarding the definition of product and market strategy, the company organization, the relationship they have to manage in the value chain including all the stakeholders of the company. Lesson after lesson we will analyse the theory of the most important techniques to manage people and companies in all aspects : how to work in groups-teams, the concept of customer satisfaction, the concept of value, the business and market strategy, competitive intelligence, the ability to create and develop strong and positive relationships, the ability to work with intermediaries, the methodology to find new customers, etc…etc… During the lessons we will always analyse real business cases starting from the most simple and moving on to the more complex ones achieving, at the end of the course, the ability to solve a real problem a company is facing and presented to the class by the Management of the chosen Company. The real case will be analysed and studied in the last part of the course, for more or less one month, during which the students, working in groups-teams and with the supervision of the professor, have to prepare the solution, that will be presented to the Board of Directors of the above mentioned Company during one full day visit, as if the class were a consultant company called to solve their problem. At the end of the course the students, will have full insight on how managers are solving problems in industrial companies.

Testi/Bibliografia

Anderson, James C., James A. Narus, Das Narayandas : Business Market Management

PEARSON Prentice Hall

Harward Business Review : Building better teams  by Bob Frisch, 2011

Metodi didattici

All the lessons will be organized to include a part of theory, a part of discussion with the class always including a summary of the previous lesson, a part regarding case presentation by the students divided into various groups. Student participation will be strongly requested because it is considered a fundamental part of the success of the course contributing to the final result. Guest speakers will be invited to convey their experience in managing companies in various sectors to the class and present real business cases to analyse to the students .

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

The final grade will be based on :

1. The active participation during the lessons and on all the team work that will be presented by the students divided into groups. (1/3 of the final grade).
2. The final oral test on the theory presented during the lessons (1/3 of the final grade).
3. The evaluation of the presentation, to the Board of Managers of a company, of the proposed solution to a real business case given to the class divided in teams  (1/3 of the final grade).

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Business cases and visit to companies

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Alessandro Lelli