Business Administration

Entrepreneurship is one of the most intriguing and mysterious components of modern economies. The "Made in Italy" brand is recognized internationally and has become synonymous with high quality, authenticity, and excellence. What’s behind the brand "Made in Italy" is one of the questions posed in class, including some of the most important European family-owned companies in Italy. Various topics are tackled through invited speakers and opportunities to interview first-hand several entrepreneurs, such as the Chinese entrepreneurs in the textile industry in Prato. The second part of the course examines the Food & Beverage Industry in Italy, with particular attention to post-pandemic trends. Case studies include Nonino grappa, Calvisius Caviar, and Venchi chocolate. The course uses a large array of texts and academic sources to assess real life case studies. It also critically evaluates major issues which affect entrepreneurship today, such as globalization, sustainability, and ethics, as well as various laws affecting the food industry.

This course provides an introduction to operations management. Topics covered include: operations management in context; operations strategy; designing goods and services; designing transformation processes and global quality management; controlling enterprise resources and developing lean operations; digital operations management. A solid background in business, management, and organizational economics is required.

This course presents an analysis of the motivation and behavior of producers and consumers under alternative market structures. Emphasis is placed on price determination, resource allocation, and application of theory to contemporary issues. Topics include the role of the consumer in the modern economy; economic analysis of home buying and home finance; credit; life, health, and property insurance; investments and retirement planning; and the relationship of the macroeconomy to all of these consumer decisions. Finally, the course reviews the ways in which knowledge of consumer behavior influences marketing and other commercial strategies.

Economics underlies all business decisions, from pricing, to product development, to negotiations, to understanding the general economic environment. This course provides an introduction to economic analysis with a particular focus on concepts and applications relevant to business. It addresses how individual consumers and firms make decisions and how they interact in markets. It also introduces a framework for understanding and analysing the broader economic and public policy environment in which a business competes. The course provides a rigorous platform for further study and a major in economics as well as providing valuable tools of analysis that complement a student's general business training, regardless of their area of specialisation.

The course responds to key contemporary events within the creative industries. It presents cutting-edge research that analyses current issues within its specific cultural, social, and political contexts e.g. decolonization, value, entrepreneurship, digitization, labor, globalization, Brexit, and Covid. The course provides students with the building blocks to generate their critical analyses of the sector, and the capacity to apply theory to practice and real-world case studies. 

This course provides a theoretical and practical overview on the economic "globalization," and the changes in international business over time, in the context of the continuous changing global economy trends. It emphasizes on international business strategy and development by integrating three key concepts. The first one is the international business which approaches business globalization, internationalization, and extroversion theoretically. The second one is strategy which extends the international business concept and theories with critical thinking on which, when, where and how shall be applied best. Furthermore, practical business development models, methods, and frameworks are presented to implement the selected international business strategy. The course covers all types of businesses, from the multinational firm to the start-up, aiming to sustain, develop, or achieve effective and successful international business. 

This course examines the concepts, models, and theories that measure and explain the dynamic forces of economic growth. Topics include: formal contrasts of the endogenous growth theory; education, social capital, and economic growth; technology, trade, and economic growth; growth and efficient institution framework; growth, distribution, and democracy.

This course presents fundamentals and concepts of green supply chain management (GSCM), and their applications in practical cases. In addition to the overview of GSCM principles and functions, up-to-dated research papers and studied cases in related areas are introduced. The course provides deep insights to systematic operations and management of GSCM.