96544 - Business and Cooperation Models

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student: - Knows the concept of "business model", the tools to describe it and intervene to improve the functioning of an agricultural or agri-food company. - Knows the concepts and economic theory that underlie the processes of vertical and horizontal coordination and integration. - Is able to distinguish the different forms of existing contract, identify the types of clauses, associate the most suitable contractual forms to the different types of transactions. - Knows the history, the founding principles and the evolution of cooperation and associations in agriculture. - Will be able to define methods, tools and resources to identify and suggest the most suitable and effective forms of coordination or bargaining for specific case studies. - Knows the agricultural policy and the national and European legislative references at the basis of the various forms of associations (e.g. cooperatives; producer organizations - OP; consortia of PDO, PGI, etc.) - Is able to communicate adequately knowledge acquired with sufficient command of specific terminology.

Course contents

1. Objectives and aims of the course
Competitive markets and aggregation needs. Market failure.

2. Definition of Business Model. The Business Model Canvas as tool for the assessment of the firm and for the choice of growth and innovation strategies

3. Contract theory and new-institutional economy. Institutions and models of organization of the agri-food chain. Vertical integration in the agri-food chain: considerations and economic analysis.

4. Cooperative experience in Italy and its role in agriculture
Notes on the history of cooperation and agricultural cooperation in Italy. The cooperative enterprise in the modernization of Italian agriculture. the role of agricultural cooperation between the company and the market. Distinctive elements of cooperative enterprises and other corporate forms. Mutuality. The principles of the international alliance.

5. Management aspects of the cooperative enterprise
The members and the assembly in the cooperatives. Member-cooperative relations: contributions, valuation and settlement of contributions. Statutory bodies. Aspects of the economic and financial management of cooperatives

6. Application experiences and insights
Producers' organizations and the single CMO. Innovation, new forms of organization and integration of agricultural enterprises. Agri-food districts. Business networks.

Readings/Bibliography

Lessons' Power Points

ZAMAGNI S, ZAMAGNI V. (2008) La cooperazione. Il Mulino

Groenewegen J, Spithoven A, Van den Berg A. (2010). Institutional Economics. An Introduction. Palgrave Macmillan. Palgrave Macmillan

Teaching methods

Lectures from time to time are accompanied by case studies arising from solicitations collected in the sector press.

Excerices of experimental economics and behavioural economics.

Group work

Assessment methods

The knowledge of the topics presented in class and the verification of the acquired competences foresees an oral exam. The assessment also takes into account the skills of analysis and synthesis expressed, as well as the display skills The duration of the test is 30 minutes

The student has the possibility to opt for the presentation and discussion of an essay (work group), on the subject of his choice, elaborated that is discussed orally.

Teaching tools

All those available, informatic and traditional. Furthermore excercises of experimental economics will be realized, individually or in group.

Office hours

See the website of Luca Mulazzani