Course 2017-2018 a.y.

20525 - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN FAMILY BUSINESSES


CLMG - M - IM - MM - AFC - CLEFIN-FINANCE - CLELI - ACME - DES-ESS - EMIT - GIO

Department of Management and Technology

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 31
CLMG (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - M (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - IM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - MM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - AFC (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - CLEFIN-FINANCE (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - CLELI (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - ACME (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - DES-ESS (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - EMIT (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - GIO (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07)
Course Director:
GUIDO GIUSEPPE CORBETTA

Classes: 31 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: GUIDO GIUSEPPE CORBETTA


Course Objectives

The course is aimed at developing students' in-depth understanding of family firms' core strategic decisions and capacity to contribute to consequent transition processes, in such a way as to prepare them to take key responsibilities in the future as family and non-family members involved in ownership, governance, leadership and management or as service providers within banks, private equity funds, consulting companies.
Given these goals, the course is highly interactive and centered on complex decision making processes, with a special focus on case discussions and distinguished live testimonials from family firms in made in Italy industries as well as from other institutions supporting family businesses, and with the opportunity for students to take part into a team field project.


Course Content Summary

  • Family business: relevance, original traits, main issues.
  • The family business system and the various perspectives of key actors.
  • Developing resources for long-term success and the special challenges of entrepreneurial families and other stakeholders: how to define and nurture responsible ownership values; how to design and practice professional family and corporate governance; how to develop effective leadership and management; when and how to involve non-family shareholders; how to establish effective relationships with financial intermediaries; how to make the most of relationships with the stakeholders.
  • Governing change processes from generation to generation and the special challenges of leadership and ownership transitions;
  • Strategic management of family firms in made in Italy industries: live cases and testimonials from fashion and design, food, wine, mechanical productions

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

For students who attend classes and choose to do a field project, the final evaluation is based:
  • 50% on the final exam.
  • 50% on the field project. The field project consists of a case analysis (excluding cases dealt with during the course) and is carried on by teams of four students.
For students who choose either not to attend classes or not to do a field project, the final evaluation is based only on the final exam.
For all students, the final exam is written in the first session after the end of the course and it is oral in the following sessions. In the written exam, students are asked to analyze a case (not previously discussed in class) and answer three open questions. Whatever the form, the final exam is aimed at testing students' ability to apply theories and models to real-life cases.

Textbooks

For students that will attend classes and will choose to do a field project, textbooks are:
  • G. CORBETTA, D. MONTEMERLO (editors), Strategic Management in Family Business: Selected Readings, Egea, Milano, 2017.
Students that will choose either not to attend classes or not to do a field project will have to prepare an additional textbook, to be chosen between one of the following:
  • H. KORINE, P. GOMEZ, Strong Managers, Strong Owners. Corporate Governance and Strategy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2014.
  • R.S. CARLOCK, J.L. WARD, When Family Businesses are Best. The Parallel Planning Process for Family Harmony and Business Success, Palgrave MacMillan, Basingstoke, 2010.

Exam textbooks & Online Articles (check availability at the Library)
Last change 23/03/2017 10:40