Insegnamento a.a. 2025-2026

20953 - ECONOMY AND SOCIETY - MODULE 2 (ENTREPRENEURSHIP, HISTORY AND SOCIETY)

Department of Social and Political Sciences


Student consultation hours
Class timetable
Exam timetable

Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
IM (6 credits - II sem. - OB  |  SECS-P/12)
Course Director:
VALERIA GIACOMIN

Classes: 1 (II sem.) - 2 (II sem.) - 3 (II sem.) - 4 (II sem.) - 5 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 1: MARINA NICOLI, Class 2: MARINA NICOLI, Class 3: VALERIA GIACOMIN, Class 4: VERONICA BINDA, Class 5: VALERIA GIACOMIN


Suggested background knowledge

It may be helpful to have some familiarity with major developments in the history of capitalism (generally in the undergrad economic history syllabus) since the early industrial era (i.e., industrialization, global trade, and the rise of modern corporations and finance), but no prior knowledge is expected nor required.

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

How does entrepreneurship thrive and contribute to economic growth and development? What are the drivers of entrepreneurial decisions? How do entrepreneurs act in uncertain and risky environments? How do entrepreneurial choices impact on organizations? Is entrepreneurship constrained, or supported, by the context? Entrepreneurship is one of the most intriguing and mysterious components of modern economy. This course focuses on the challenges entrepreneurs faced in the past and the present. It addresses their successes and blunders, with the aim of highlighting some of the origin and evolution of the modern enterprise since the start of the industrial era. The course hinges on three main themes: innovation, growth and entrepreneurial impact. It departs from theories that treat these themes. With this long-term approach, it assesses the changes and continuities, focusing on the crucial contribution of entrepreneurs, technology and socio-institutional elements to the creation of the present global economy. The course adopts a comparative perspective among the main global macro-region of United States, Europe and Asia. Students therefore can appreciate key issues in management and strategy through real-life examples. They will develop critical thinking and ability to make contextualized decisions as well as deeper understanding of leadership and business ethics. These skills are among the most important ones recognized by the OECD for new graduates in 21st century.

CONTENT SUMMARY

  • Introduction
  • Branding, viral marketing and Innovation 
  • Business, Growth and Responsibility in 19th century
  • White collar crime in the interwar period
  • Doing Business with Dictatorships
  • Japan and the economic miracle
  • Guest/ Tutoring
  • Reloading Globalization
  • Toys Copyright and Predatory Litigation
  • Global ICT and Cybersecurity in the 21st century
  • When Entrepreneurs fail
  • Course Review

 


Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Understand the concept of entrepreneurship and its multi-faceted meanings.
  • Understand the power of the context in shaping entrepreneurial and managerial decisions.
  • Explain the micro-foundations of modern economic development.
  • Master the macro-developments of historical events that shaped global capitalism since 18th century.
  • Discuss and understand the impact of technological change on the opportunities and challenges entrepreneurs and organizations face.
  • Discuss and analyze the different businesses organizational forms across different time periods and geographical contexts.
  • Discuss and explain the changing relationships between public (e.g. government) and private spheres (business) through time and contexts.
  • Discuss and reflect on the impact of entrepreneurial and firm activity on different stakeholders and society at large

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Dissect the components of entrepreneurial decisions.
  • Understand and evaluate the context in which decisions are made, and the concept of bounded rationality.
  • Compare different institutional, political, geographic contexts across time and judge the merit and ethics of different entrepreneurial decisions in those situations.
  • Discuss and evaluate the complex relationship between politics and business.
  • Develop skills in academic writing, critical analysis, problem solving, and decision making.

Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Individual works / Assignments
  • Collaborative Works / Assignments
  • Interaction/Gamification

DETAILS

The course combines short frontal lectures with interactive learning activities. Lectures introduce key themes in the history and ethics of entrepreneurship across different periods and regions, while case-based discussions help students connect these concepts to real historical situations.

 

Attending students will take part in continuous assessment through in-class debates and a group project where they will analyze a real entrepreneurial crisis from the past and propose alternative responses using evidence and ethical reasoning.

Further details about the group assignment and class schedule will be available on Blackboard at the start of the course.


Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
     x
  • Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    
  • Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    
  • Active class participation (virtual, attendance)
 x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Student evaluation is based on the following components:

 

  1. Final Written Exam
    A class-specific written exam using a mix of open-ended, and multiple-choice questions. This component evaluates students’ knowledge and understanding of key facts and concepts discussed in lectures and class activities. It also assesses their ability to summarize acquired knowledge and to critically analyze entrepreneurial actions and decisions. This item is graded according to the existing rules on a scale from 0 to 30.

  2. Group Assignment
    This component assesses students’ ability to analyze and interpret specific case studies of entrepreneurs and enterprises within a given economic and geographical context. It tests their capacity to design and conduct research using historical methodology and sources. This item is graded according to the existing rules on a scale from 0 to 30.

  3. In-Class Debates and Participation
    This component evaluates students’ active contribution to class discussions and debates. It measures their ability to engage critically with historical materials, articulate reasoned arguments, and connect ethical issues to entrepreneurial decisions in different historical contexts. 

 

 

Further details about the group assignment and the schedule of class activities will be available on Blackboard at the start of the course.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The assessment of non-attending students’ preparation is a final written exam, using a mix of open-ended and multiple-choice questions to test both basic knowledge of the course material, the understanding of key concepts introduced in the course readings, and the ability to summarize narrative interpretations from the course readings.

This item is graded according to the existing rules in a scale from 0 to 30.


Teaching materials


ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • Class materials (cases, incidents, journal articles, chapters and other resources) available on the class repository and BlackBoard.
  • Class notes and PowerPoint presentations of each lesson (available on BlackBoard).
  • All the detailed materials will be communicated once the syllabus is published before the course starts. 

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • All the material assigned to ATTENDING STUDENTS
  • F. AMATORI, A. COLLI, Business History: complexities and comparisons, Routledge 2010. (Full book)
  • Extra readings will be communicated once the syllabus is published before the course starts.
Last change 20/11/2025 15:10