Business Administration

This course explores business finance law. Topics include: corporate finance law-- current outlook for financial markets; internal company financing; external company financing; financing small and medium enterprises (SMEs); financing technology-based companies and spin-offs; financing social enterprises.

This is an internship opportunity through the Central European Studies Program that responds to a clear necessity among multicultural societies to educate young people abroad in a professional working environment. Apart from onsite work experience, the Internship Program has a strong and challenging academic component exposing students to the world of non-governmental organizations, education, and the social services sector in the Czech Republic and EU as well as developing personal, interpersonal, and intercultural competencies. Qualified students choose from several pre-screened internship positions with local, mostly non-governmental organizations, which may be involved in education, film, organization of international political conferences, local and global human rights issues, and library and administrative work in the field of economics.  International professional experiences are broadened through a series of guided discussions, a reflective journal, and presentations. Students explore major relevant topics, such as organization theory, and develop their intercultural skills through interactive workshops and reflection of their work experience in the host culture.

This course is part of the LM degree program and is intended for advanced level students, Enrolment is by consent of the instructor. This course discusses the economic principles of financial transactions and financial contracts, particularly the main contingencies pertaining to specific types of financial transactions (purchases, loans, mortgages, etc.). The course reviews the risks associated to different contingencies, how to prioritize them, and how to apply economic techniques to correct risks. The course explores topics including economic theories of the firm; the firm as authority; the firm as a nexus of contracts; the firm and specific investment; law and finance; and international perspectives: Italy, Germany, UK, USA, and Japan.

This is an introductory finance course that examines the foundations of financial decision making for a firm and an investor. The fundamental economic concepts, financial theory and other major topics covered in the course include: arbitrage and the law of one price, the time value of money, discounted cash flow valuation, the NPV approach to capital budgeting, valuation of bonds and stocks, the risk-return trade-off, portfolio theory, the Capital Asset Pricing Model, and M&M Propositions on capital structure and firm value.

This course introduces financial report auditing and internal control auditing, including basic concepts and theories, and auditing procedures and cycles, specifically how to make auditing plans, complete auditing tests, conduct analysis based on auditing evidence, and make the final auditing report. It also covers the characteristics, ethics, and legal responsibilities of auditing, as well as concepts such as auditing goals, responsibilities, evidence, risks, and plans.

This course examines the various ways in which the multinational enterprises arrange their business activities around the world to pursue the highest profits after tax. The course introduces the basic principles of tax planning and the basic structure of international taxation. Topics include residence-based taxation, source-based taxation, tax treaties, thin capitalization rules, deductibility of expenses, controlled foreign corporation rules, rules regarding foreign trust and investment fund, and transfer pricing. Text: H. Gustafson et al., Taxation of International Transactions. Assessment: class participation (30%), midterm exam (35%), final exam (35%).

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program and is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course focuses on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its strategic implications in terms of: sustainability of business models; the need for innovative managerial paradigms based on stakeholder engagement and cooperation; measurement of the economic, social, and environmental impact of business activities; life cycle assessment; strategic planning of the United Nations 2030 agenda; and communication and reporting methods. The course focuses on the application of these topics to companies, public administrations, and non-profit organizations. The course is divided into two portions, closely linked and integrated: the institutional portion examines the theoretical and methodological bases of CSR, with specific references to the international framework, documents produced by the OECD, and the relationship with social innovation. The course introduces students to the most up-to-date methodologies in the design and development of corporate CSR and accountability systems. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between CSR management systems, communication, and a company's external relations. The monographic portion of the course focuses on the relationships between corporate CSR, environmental sustainability, and consumer demand for ethical and environmentally friendly products and services. It also highlights new service experiences related to corporate welfare and emerging concepts of local social responsibility. Case studies are presented in relation to companies with significant and innovative experiences of CSR, capable of determining managerial evolutions and organizational improvements in a company's managerial structures and in its relationship with the market. A specific section of the course is dedicated to the relationship between CSR, social and environmental sustainability, and circular economy. The final portion of the course is dedicated to designing corporate and local CSR systems capable of producing effective changes in the external perception and communication of businesses. The aim of projects and experiments is to closely and effectively link social and environmental sustainability in businesses.