Course 2021-2022 a.y.

The course are organized around three main sections: 

1. In the first section (Social movements), students are introduced to the analysis of social movements: the different kinds of social movements; how they develop; how they are organized; their strategy and evolution. 
2. In the second section (Companies), we analyze the strategic options of companies to the actions fostered by social movements: the corporations as targets, opponents or participants in movements; the interplay of movements with organizational identities, images, and reputations; how companies mobilize resources, networks and audiences for the construction of new competitive arenas and new entrepreneurial identities. 
3. In the final section (Markets andIndustries), we explore the relations between social movements and competitive arenas: the origins of critique and transformation of industry and economic regimes; the movements’ processes in the creation of new industries and categories; the construction of new entrepreneurial forms and the legitimation of institutional and competitive alternatives.

In this course students learn that social movements are not only a permanent feature of politics in the modern world, but they also have a large impact:

• On markets, by reducing the legitimacy of some industries (e.g., the tobacco or the nuclear energy industry) or by creating new industries and niches (e.g., the organic food industry, the open source software, the sharing economy or the marijuana industry).
• On firms, by threatening the financial performance as well as the reputation of those companies that are criticized for their policies and practices and are the targets of anticorporate activism, or by offering the companies that are aligned with the demands of activists the opportunity to tie their fortunes to social movements and to enter new segments and exploit different market positioning strategies.

During the course, students are exposed to different social movements and explore such interactions through the analysis and discussion of case studies of different companies and industries. While privileging a management and business perspective, the course is situated at the intersection of economic/political sociology and social movement studies and is of special interest also for students who are majoring in economic, social and political sciences.

• Understand the logics of activism and social movement organizations.
• Recognize the different strategies of social protest.
• Identify the main issues regarding anticorporate activism and companies’ response options.
• Comprehend how social movements create new industries and/or market niches and how companies affect the configuration and evolution of such competitive arenas to their advantage.

• Evaluate real-life company situations and exhibit structured methods in strategic decision making through critical application of theories and tools of analysis.
• Interpret social and competitive dynamics within diverse political and economic contexts and make appropriate recommendations for companies to act both proactively and defensively. 

• Recognize strategic situations that present ethical challenges and meaningfully debate socially responsible issues with insight.
• Demonstrate organizational and teamwork abilities as well as presentation and communication skills.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
• Individual assignments
• Group assignments

This course is based both on lectures and on the discussion of business cases. Weekly analyses of cases focusing on the particular topic being discussed in lectures provide valuable insights into real firm situations and allow students to apply theoretical and other insights in practical real-world settings. Digging into the details of cases and taking the perspective of different players are critical. Students are expected to figure out how to navigate a wide variety of contexts in a variety of ways, identifying common themes throughout each. Special attention is given to the development of student voices, in class discussion, through individual assignments, and during the group presentations. By welcoming exchange of ideas among students, this course aims at nurturing curiosity and shaping the students’ engagement with the world.

Attending students are evaluated on the following (individual or group) components: 

• Case memo (individual): students should submit one or two memos based on the cases discussed during the course.
• Presentation (group): teams of students are formed at the beginning of the course and they are asked to deliver a presentation based on a specific topic relevant to the course.
• Peer evaluation (individual): each student is expected to evaluate the contribution of the other team members to the group presentation.
• Class participation (individual): students are expected to politely discuss relevant topics in class, and to be periodically called upon to answer or provide inputs for discussion.
• Written exam (individual): the written exam is based on the course materials and it includes a set of open questions.

Non-attending students are evaluated on the following components: 

• Term paper: students should submit an informed analysis of social movement dynamics and actions affecting the competitive strategies of companies and/or industries. The topic of the paper should be approved by the instructor.
• Written exam: the written exam is based on the course materials and it includes a set of open questions.

• Lectures slides
• Cases

• Selected readings and/or books (see detailed syllabus available on blackboard)