Insegnamento a.a. 2009-2010

Course Objectives

The course aims to explore the role of performance measurement and control systems in supporting managers in the definition of strategy and in their day-to-day activities.
It is widely acknowledged that the survival of any firm depends on its capabilities to generate successful strategic ideas, to motivate its managers to implement strategies, to identify and manage strategic risks and, finally, to create stakeholders' trust. In these respects, performance measurement systems play a crucial role. On the one hand, through strategic planning, programming and budgeting, performance targets are set, coherently with strategic and organizational choices, and used to evaluate managers' accountability. On the other hand, reporting systems serve to communicate actual performance to both managers and stakeholders in a way that fosters learning from experience, enables redirecting ineffective behaviours and supports the generation of stakeholders' trust.

Course Content Summary

The course begins with the definition of the functions of performance measurement and control systems within governance processes, with particular reference to strategic and organisational choices. Then, performance measurement and control systems are studied by highlighting their role in influencing the generation of strategic ideas and in securing their correct implementation.  More specifically, the core of the course is focused on the design and use of all the control system tools and techniques that are needed to manage a business effectively, i.e. profit plans, segment reporting, asset allocation systems and corporate planning systems, strategic profitability analysis and transfer pricing.  

The main topics of the course are: 

• The PMS and their role in governance processes 
• How to design PMS consistently with successful strategies and organizational choices 
• Profit plans, budgets and reporting: their role in managing functional performance 
• Transfer prices, asset allocation systems and strategic reporting: their role in managing business units performance 
• Strategic Measurement Systems and incentive systems 
• The Balanced Scorecard 
• Interactive and diagnostic planning and control systems 
• Management control systems and strategic and operational risks identification 
• The levers of control: a comprehensive view. 

The topics are thoroughly explored and developed by using case studies.

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

The final mark will result from a weighted evaluation of a written exam, group presentations of home assignments, participation in case discussions and in all class activities.

Textbooks

• R. SIMONS, Performance Measurement and Control Systems for Implementing Strategy - Text and Cases, Prentice Hall.

Obiettivi formativi del corso

Il corso ha lo scopo di illustrare il ruolo dei Performance Measurement Systems (PMS) nei processi di governo delle imprese e delle loro relazioni con gli stakeholder. Condizione di sopravvivenza dell'impresa è la sua capacità di generare idee strategiche di successo e di assicurarne una coerente implementazione da parte del management, governando il sistema di rischi a cui è esposta. Inoltre vi è la necessità di generare fiducia negli stakeholder in merito alla sostenibilità della strada intrapresa, anche attraverso adeguati processi di comunicazione economico-finanziaria. Questa pluralità di bisogni trova supporto nei Performance Measurement Systems e nei correlati meccanismi di Pianificazione e Controllo (Management Control Systems) che ne sono il naturale presupposto. La necessità di predisporre un sistema di misure nasce dall'esigenza della singola impresa di interpretare strategie nuove ed originali, di integrare gli apporti funzionali del management in fase di proposta e di implementazione della strategia e di comunicare agli stakeholder il tipo di progetto ed il suo avanzamento. Da qui l'esigenza per le imprese di concepire un sistema di misure (Performance Measurement Systems) ,specifico ed originale, che orienti il disegno sia degli strumenti di pianificazione, programmazione e budgeting che del reporting della comunicazione economico-finanziaria.

Programma sintetico del corso

I temi principali affrontati sono: 

• Gli stakeholder di riferimento, nell'apprezzamento delle performance dell'impresa 
• Le misure critiche, nell'apprezzamento delle performance da parte delle diverse tipologie di stakeholder 
• L'analisi di bilancio: una metodologia per individuare  le misure critiche di performance e per valutare la sostenibilità nel tempo della strategia d'impresa
• I Performance Measurement Systems e il loro ruolo nel governo delle imprese 
• Strategie competitive, scelte organizzative e progettazione dei PMS nel governo delle performance delle funzioni 
• Profit Plan, metodi di allocazione delle risorse discrezionali, prezzi di trasferimento e reporting strategico nel governo delle performance dei responsabili di business 
• Performance Measurement System e sistemi di incentivi 
• La Balanced Score Card 
• Sistema di controllo e governo dei rischi strategici ed operativi 

Nell'illustrazione dei temi affrontati rilevante spazio viene dato allanalisi di casi di studio.

Descrizione dettagliata delle modalità d'esame

L'esame può essere svolto secondo due modalità:

• La valutazione d'esame  è costituita dagli esiti di una prova scritta intermedia e di una prova scritta finale, integrati da quelli dei lavori di gruppo svolti nel corso dell'anno.
• La valutazione d'esame è costituita dagli esiti di una prova scritta.

Testi d'esame

• R. SIMONS, Performance Measurement and Control Systems for Implementing Strategy, EGEA, 2005.
• Raccolta di letture e di casi di studio, 2009.

Course Objectives

The course aims to explore the role of performance measurement and control systems in supporting managers in the definition of strategy in the arts and entertainment industries.
It is widely acknowledged that the survival of any firm depends on its capabilities to generate successful strategic ideas, to motivate its managers to implement strategies, to identify and manage strategic risks and, finally, to create stakeholders' trust. In these respects, performance measurement systems play a crucial role. On the one hand, through strategic planning, programming and budgeting, performance targets are set, coherently with strategic and organizational choices, and used to evaluate managers' accountability. On the other hand, reporting systems serve to communicate actual performance to both managers and stakeholders in a way that fosters learning from experience, enables redirecting ineffective behaviours and supports the generation of stakeholders' trust.

Course Content Summary

The course begins with the definition of the functions of performance measurement and control systems within governance processes, with particular reference to strategic and organisational choices. Then, performance measurement and control systems are studied by highlighting their role in influencing the generation of strategic ideas and in securing their correct implementation.  More specifically, the core of the course is focused on the design and use of all the control system tools and techniques that are needed in different industries such as theatres, media, sport and fashion companies.

The main topics of the course are:

• The PMS and their role in governance processes
• How to design PMS consistently with successful strategies and organisational choices
• From financial accounting to management accounting: the different performance perspectives
• Profit plans, budgets and reporting: their role in managing functional performance
• Transfer prices, asset allocation systems and strategic reporting: their role in managing business units performance
• Strategic Measurement Systems and incentive systems
• The Balanced Scorecard
• Interactive and diagnostic planning and control systems
• The levers of control: a comprehensive view
• Guest speakers from different companies

The topics are thoroughly explored and developed by using case studies

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

The final mark will result from a weighted evaluation of a written exam, participation in case discussions and in all class activities.

Textbooks

• R. SIMONS, Performance Measurement and Control Systems for Implementing Strategy - Text and Cases, Prentice Hall.