20515 - MANAGING BUSINESS GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Interdependence between private enterprises and public institutions is a central factor in the evolution of modern economies; it appears in many different forms and is a key variable in international competition. An understanding of the interactions between private companies and public institutions is a primary element in the education of a modern manager. This is further enhanced by globalization, regionalization and the digital economy. These phenomena, indeed, challenge the idea of a single government interface for businesses and require managers to understand governmental decision-making processes at the local, national, and supranational and international level. The objective of the course is threefold: - to develop an understanding of the range and the extent of business-government relations; - to consider how collaborations between public and private institutions contribute to the feasibility, quality and implementation of public policies; - to develop concrete skills in order to manage these relations effectively at the national and international level.

The course is divided in four blocks:

1. Introduction to BGR and mapping the actors: this first set of lessons is aimed at defining: i) the fields of interaction and collaboration between the private and the public, b) the main stakeholders involved into the BGR; ii) the reasons that lead to BGR.
2. Managing firms’ non-market strategies: this set of lessons is meant to understand and practice the levers firms can use when trying to shape or to position themselves in the non-market, including public affairs management, self-regulation, market access and clustering.
3. Managing bgr for economic & social development: this set of lessons is aimed at understanding the main forms of collaborations to sustain economic and social development.
4. Learning from the experience: the last set of classes is devoted to analyse and critically discuss experiences of BGR with experts / practitioners. The students present and discuss their group works…a way to learn from their own direct experience.

• Define and to describe the fields of interaction and collaboration between the private and the public, the main stakeholders involved into the BGR, and the reasons that lead to BGR.
• Explain how collaborations between public and private institutions contribute to the feasibility, quality and effectiveness of public policies and to the sustainability of economic and social development.
• Explain how these relations can be effectively managed at the national and international level.

• Design and discuss the levers that firms can use when trying to shape or to position themselves in the non-market.
• Interpret and critically discuss (both individually and in team) experiences of BGR.
• Develop teamwork and public speaking skills.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
• Group assignments
• Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

The course uses formal lectures and a mix of class discussions (with the involvement of pratitioners from the public as well as from the private), case studies, incidents, and simulations (provided and discussed in class). It is crucial to participate actively to the class discussion.

• 40% group work (according to the instructions that are provided in class) aimed at linking the contents discussed in class with the "real world practices".
• 60% final written exam structured as follows:
  • Theoretical questions referred to the contents presented in class and available in the reading material.
  • Critical thinking: discussion / comment of empirical cases.
• Grades concerning the group work are delivered before the written exam.

100% written exam (3 or 4 open questions) based on the reading material (a list of the readings is available on the Bboard of the course).

Required reading are made available in the course Online learning space (Bboard) by the end of January 2020.

Required reading are made available in the course Online learning space (Bboard) by the end of January 2020.