56492 - Simulimpresa (Second Semester)

Learning outcomes

The Practice firm course aims at providing direct knowledge of the functioning of a firm through a faithful reproduction of its management, administrative and organizational methods and procedures. The aim is to increase students' skills and knowledge as well as to consolidate their knowledge of business subjects already dealt with in other courses in order to pass from a merely theoretical learning approach to a more practical and active one. In the simulation of a business, students are required to actively participate in the company activities and to be responsible for them by playing a central role in all the aspects relating to the company management: accounting and drawing up of a balance sheet, organization, administrative and fiscal duties, internal and international trade management, financing, investments, relations with banks, application of ICTs. In summary, students must contribute to the taking of management decisions and must fulfil legal obligations within a simulated working framework, which is very similar to a real one. For this purpose, a virtual trade or service firm will be created in a specific space within the Faculty of Economics, which will materially reproduce the typical administrative, financial and commercial functions of a firm. This firm will operate by making virtual exchanges of goods and services within a network including over 300 Italian firms of the Simulimpresa Programme and over 5,000 firms of the Europen world network.

Some of the objectives of this course are to provide students with the typical relational skills required in any working environment, to allow students to experience the working climate within a company in order to reduce the gap when starting to work, to improve students' behavioural skills, to help students become more aware of their skills and roles, to allow students to apply the knowledge acquired, and to develop new skills that could be used later on in their university career.

Course contents

 From the idea to the start-up of a practice firm on the net and in Second Life

·        Objectives and contents of the business simulation

·        The market and competition of practice firms

·        Project management and problems when starting up firms abroad

·        From the idea to the project: development and selection of a business idea. the symbolic approach to virtual reality.

·        Identification of the company's mission and sector

·        Drawing up of the business plan and of the annual budget

·        Choice of the company type and planning of the company's organizational structure

·        Identification of the formal duties required upon start-up

·        Personnel selection and assignment of tasks

·        Drawing up of the company's communication plan

·        Determination of the company's financial requirements

- The placement of the site in the net and the logistic problems of the company site in Second Life

Creation of account, registration, land acquisition and realization of primitives.

·        Services supporting the setting-up of firms and their start-up. On the net and in the virtual reality

·        International projects: presentation, management and reporting ( It will be carried out concrete intervention in connection to projects of international collaboration in state of progress. 

Readings/Bibliography

Bianchi M. (2003), Il progetto della Università di Bologna per lo sviluppo delle P.M.I. in Albania. 2 Ù Relazione alla conferenza internazionale: università: Ieri, Oggi, Domani, Tirana 13-15 Novembre 2003, Ambasciata d'Italia in Tirana, Crui-Conferenza Rettori Università Italiane, Krush-Conferenza Rettori Università Albanesi, Accademia delle scienze di Albania.

 

Bianchi M. (2004), La simulazione d'impresa negli interventi di sviluppo dei paesi in transizione, V Workshop dei Docenti Ricercatori  di Organizzazione Aziendale, Roma 5-6 Febbraio 2004.

 

Bianchi M. ( 2004),  I Progetti dell'Università di Bologna ed il ruolo del Porto di Durres per lo sviluppo del Corridoio 8. Intervento al Convegno “ Il Corridoio 8 – Una sfida  per la costruzione di un “sistema di reti”di sviluppo nell'Area Balcanica”, Ambasciata D' Italia In Tirana,  Accademia delle scienze di Albania.

 

Bianchi M., Tampieri L. (2007) – Clustering e networking nella creazione di nuove forme organizzative. I risultati del laboratorio di Simulazione d'impresa nei progetti di sviluppo dei Paesi in Transizione, in Atti del Convegno “Relazioni di lavoro e forme organizzative: nuovi modelli progettuali”, VIII Workshop dei Docenti e dei Ricercatori di Organizzazione Aziendale (8-9 Febbraio 2007).

Gualdi D. (2001) – L'impresa simulata , Paramond ed., Torino

Tampieri L. (2005) - La Perting s.r.l impresa simulata e i progetti di  sviluppo imprenditoriale nei Paesi in Transizione; in M. Bianchi, L. Tampieri “Life Long Learning and Managerial development  in transition countries ( Cases on strategy, management and performance control)”; Ponte Vecchio ed., Cesena.

Tampieri L. (2009) - Simulazione in Second Life e Business Virtuale nello start up d'impresa del Sistema Moda, CLUEB, Bologna

Teaching methods

The program is based on the simulation of a business by explaining its objectives and working procedures, by launching the business idea, by planning a company organization suitable for the company mission, by drawing up the business plan, by identifying the stages and documents required for the setting-up of a firm, and by preparing the company start-up.

Assessment methods

At the end of the Course, students will have to take a written exam and, if necessary, an oral exam to check the skills and knowledge acquired especially for the solution of company cases.

Teaching tools

business simulation lab located in via Pratella 14,

·        personal computer for each student

·        space organization for offices and departments

·        telephone, fax, web

Office hours

See the website of Massimo Bianchi