BUSINESS HISTORY AND SUSTAINABILITY

In line with the objectives of the Management and Sustainability curriculum, the course offers students a historical approach to the study of the firm, encouraging critical reflection on the different ways in which firms have interacted over time with the environment, labour, local communities, the state and society.
The course provides an overview of the evolution of business forms from the First Industrial Revolution to the present, with particular attention to the history of Italian business and entrepreneurship. Through case studies, readings and audiovisual materials, the course analyzes how firms responded to changes in the political, cultural, social and environmental context, acting not only as economic actors, but also as social and political actors.
From this perspective, the course examines the history of firms and entrepreneurs that pursued, alongside profit and competitive adaptation, goals of social transformation, responsibility towards local communities, institutional innovation and environmental protection. The course therefore aims to provide historical and critical tools to understand sustainability as the result of long-term processes and as a key dimension of the relationship between business and society.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired the following knowledge and skills.
Knowledge and understanding
Students will be able to understand the evolution of business forms from the First Industrial Revolution to the present; know the main developments in the history of Italian business in the twentieth century; identify how the ways in which Italian firms recognized and addressed their responsibilities towards the environment and society changed over time; identify historical examples of entrepreneurs and managers who, through their actions, sought to contribute to the creation of a better society and a more sustainable world; recognize the specific features of historical research methods and of the use of historical sources in the study of firms and their behavior.
Applying knowledge and understanding
Students will be able to interpret the context in which firms operate and identify the main challenges they face; use historical examples to better frame contemporary managerial problems; identify the origins of social and cultural dynamics that influence entrepreneurial and managerial decisions today; place the debate on environmental and social sustainability within a historical perspective.

Making judgements
Students will be able to formulate hypotheses on how cultural, social and political contexts influence decision-making processes within firms; compare different sources and assess their reliability; develop a critical judgement on firms’ behavior in relation to social and environmental transformations.
Communication skills
Students will be able to communicate the results of their research clearly and concisely in public, also using digital tools; critically discuss contemporary issues related to business and sustainability with their peers, based on multiple sources and after assessing their reliability.
Learning skills
Students will develop the ability to critically read the exam texts and other course materials; create connections among the different concepts addressed in the course and related to different social sciences; use the historical perspective as a tool to understand complex issues related to business, society and sustainability.

Ability to read scientific articles and chapters in English

The course addresses the history of business and sustainability from a historical perspective, from the First Industrial Revolution to the present. Through lectures, case studies, historical sources, readings and audiovisual materials, the course analyzes the evolution of business forms and the ways in which firms, entrepreneurs, managers and institutions have dealt over time with issues related to labour, social responsibility, the environment, energy, local communities and economic development.
Week 1 — Business history and its history: why study it?
The first week introduces the course, its working methods, assessment and the main questions of the discipline. Lectures discuss what business history is, why it matters and how it can contribute to the understanding of contemporary managerial problems. The course will also introduce the topic of the sustainable firm from a historical perspective, with attention to green entrepreneurs, environmental movements and early forms of social and environmental responsibility.
Week 2 — The historical evolution of the firm: the First Industrial Revolution
The second week is devoted to the First Industrial Revolution, the new forms of production organization and the role of firms and entrepreneurs in industrialization processes. Lectures address the relationship between the factory, labour, industrial discipline and the social question, also through historical and audiovisual materials. Case studies will be discussed in order to understand early entrepreneurial responses to the social problems generated by industrialization, with attention also to the Italian case.
Week 3 — The Second Industrial Revolution and firms’ social initiatives
The third week analyzes the Second Industrial Revolution, the rise of the modern large firm and the emergence of different forms of social intervention by firms. Lectures discuss the role of railways, steel, automobiles and large industrial groups, with reference to national and corporate case studies. Special attention will be paid to Italian entrepreneurial typologies, industrialism, industrial paternalism and the ways in which firms sought to manage their relationship with labour, local communities and society.
Week 4 — The Economic Miracle and the entrepreneurial state
The fourth week addresses the role of the entrepreneurial state and of large public and private firms in twentieth-century Italian economic development. Lectures analyze IRI, big business, Fiat and Italian motorization, connecting economic growth, modernization, mass consumption, territorial transformations and the social and environmental impact of industrial development. Cases related to corporate social responsibility and historical forms of corporate welfare will also be discussed.
Week 5 — Crisis, environmentalism and contemporary sustainability
The fifth week focuses on the crisis of the 1970s, the emergence of contemporary environmentalism, the oil crisis and the search for new energy sources. Lectures discuss how firms, the state and society reacted to the limits of the postwar growth model and examine some missed opportunities in Italian development, with special attention to energy, nuclear power, electronics and technological innovation.

Selected chapters from:

F. Amatori and A. Colli, Storia d’impresa. Complessità e comparazioni, Bruno Mondadori, 2011.
F. Amatori, ed., L’approdo mancato. Economia, politica e società in Italia dopo il miracolo economico, Milan, 2017.
F. Amatori, “La grande impresa”, in F. Amatori, La storia d’impresa come professione, Marsilio, Padua, 2008, pp. 415-490.
G. Jones, Profits and Sustainability: A History of Green Entrepreneurship, Oxford University Press, 2017.
G. Jones, Deeply Responsible Business: A Global History of Values-Driven Leadership, Harvard University Press, 2023.

Assessment is based on an oral exam. The exam will cover the materials indicated by the instructor during the course, the slides, the readings available on Moodle and the topics discussed in class.
Student presentations and in-class exercises are included during the course. Presentations will focus on case studies agreed upon with the instructor and are designed to assess students’ ability to apply the tools of business history to the analysis of sustainability, social responsibility and the relationship between business, the environment and society.
Assessment will take into account knowledge of the course contents, the ability to connect historical cases to contemporary issues, the appropriate use of specific terminology, the ability to critically discuss sources and materials, and clarity of presentation.

oral

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

With regard to grading (mode by which marks are awarded), whether present or absent:
A. Marks in the range 18-22 will be awarded where:
- sufficient knowledge and ability of applied understanding with reference to the syllabus; - limited ability to collect and/or interpret data and to exercise independent judgement; - sufficient communication skills, particularly in relation to the use of specific economic history language; B. Marks in the 23-26 range will be awarded in the presence of
- adequate knowledge and ability of applied understanding with reference to the syllabus; - adequate ability to collect and/or interpret data, exercising independent judgement; - adequate communication skills, particularly in relation to the use of specific language relating to economic history; C. Marks in Bands 27-30 will be awarded in the presence of
- good or excellent knowledge and applied understanding in relation to the syllabus; - good or excellent ability to collect and/or interpret data, exercising independent judgement; - fully adequate communication skills, particularly in relation to the use of specific language relating to economic history.
D. honours will be awarded in the presence of knowledge and applied understanding with reference to the syllabus, judgement and communication skills, excellent.

The course combines lectures, guided discussions, case-study analysis, audiovisual materials, in-class exercises and student presentations.
Lectures introduce the main concepts and historical processes related to the evolution of the firm, social responsibility, the relationship between business, the environment and society, and sustainability from a historical perspective. Guided discussions and case-study analysis allow students to apply the tools of business history to the understanding of managerial, social and environmental issues.
In-class exercises and student presentations are designed to develop critical analysis, comparison of different sources, argumentation, communication skills and the ability to connect historical cases with contemporary issues.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Circular economy, innovation, work" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development