20515 - MANAGING BUSINESS GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Interdependence between private enterprises and public institutions is a central factor in the evolution of the 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 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.

After an introductory lesson aimed at defining the fields of interaction and collaboration between the private and the public sector and the main stakeholders involved in BGR, the course covers the following tipics:

1. Government as business enabler: classes devoted to understand and practice the importance and the levers of the non market environment (and stakeholders) for firms that are trying to shape or to position themselves in the market.
2. Business and government for sustainable development: lessons aimed at understanding the main forms of collaborations to sustain economic and social development;

The course provides also the opportunity to analyse and critically discuss experiences of BGR with Bocconi alumni who will share their professional trajectory, the challenges as well as the future job opportunities of working in BGR.

• 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 on campus/online (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

The course uses lectures and a mix of class discussions, involving also practitioners able to bring to the class concrete examples of BGR experiences, case studies, incidents and simulations. The course will take into consideration both theroretical and real-life experiences that might highlight the reasons and conditions for success - even considering situations of failures that could give a clear understandign of what flow of decisions led to the unexpected (and unwanted) result.

• 40% group work aimed at enhancing and assessing the ability of linking the contents discussed in class with the "real world practices".
• 60% final written exam made of two open questions aimed at assessing :
  • the degree of acquisition of the (theoretical) contents and framework  presented in class and available in the reading material.
  • the critical thinking, i.e. the ability to discuss / comment  empirical cases / situations of BGR management supported and to suggest adequate, sound (from the methodological point of view) and motivated solutions.

45 minutes available - computer based.

Grades concerning the group work are delivered before the written exam.

Attending students will have the possibility to take the final exam in the May, June and in the October session.

100% written exam made of four open questions aimed at assessing:

• the degree of acquisition of the (theoretical) contents and framework  (available in the course materials).
• the critical thinking, i.e. the ability to:
  • discuss / comment  empirical cases / situations of BGR management supported
  • to suggest adequate, sound (from the methodological point of view) and motivated solutions.

60 minutes available - computer based

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