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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "BUS/ITS 260"
COURSE NAME: "Made in Italy: The Italian Business Environment"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2025
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Giulia Rossi
EMAIL: girossi@johncabot.edu
 HOURS: MW 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course analyzes the Italian Business environment, the characteristics of its culture and its inner workings. Students will be able to understand the different types of Italian corporate cultures and the role of family businesses in Italy. The course allows students to assess some of the most popular Italian brands and learn why "made in Italy" is a leading brand in the world, despite recent influences and threats from foreign investors. Company cases and special guests will be an important part of this course and will allow students to relate theory to practice.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course analyzes the Italian Business environment, the characteristics of its culture and its inner workings. Students will be able to understand the different types of Italian corporate cultures and the role of family businesses in Italy. The course allows students to assess some of the most popular Italian brands and learn why "made in Italy" is a leading brand in the world, despite recent influences and threats from foreign investors. Company cases and special guests will be an important part of this course and will allow students to relate theory to practice.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The course analyzes the Italian Business environment, the characteristics of its culture and its inner workings. Students will be able to understand the different types of Italian corporate cultures and the role of family businesses in Italy. The course allows students to assess some of the most popular Italian brands and learn why "made in Italy" is a leading brand in the world, despite recent influences and threats from foreign investors. Company cases and special guests will be an important part of this course and will allow students to relate theory to practice.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Attendance and Class PartecipationIt's requested an active participation in class, with questions to professor and guest lecturers every week. 10%
TestTEST (20% of the final grade): 10 questions (all the same weight), 100 words each, 1000 total. The test will be done on Moodle, in class. Allotted time 75’. Scheduled in class Monday February 24th, at 10.00 to 11.15 AM. 20%
Midterm exam MIDTERM: (30% of the final grade): 3 prompts, 2 to develop (500 hundreds words each) for a total of 1000 words. The test will be done on Moodle, in class. Allotted time 75’. Wednesday, March 5th, at10 to 11.15 AM.30%
Final ProjectFINAL PROJECT: (35% of the final grade): Group Work. Max 4. ppt presentation on a topic chosen from the program and connected with a guest lecture. The final project has to widen the topic not just to repeat contents already shared in class. Topics must be approved by professor, presented in class in front of professor and classmates and uploaded in Moodle. Scheduled in class Monday, April 29th: Presentation of group projects (PART I) + Wednesday, April 30th: Presentation of group pro- jectS (PART II). All final projects must be uploaded to Moodle by Monday 29 April at 10am. (All the components of a group must upload their final project on Moodle).35%
EPCElevator Pitch Competition5%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
The course analyzes the Italian Business environment, the characteristics of its culture and its inner workings. Students will be able to understand the different types of Italian corporate cultures and the role of family businesses in Italy. The course allows students to assess some of the most popular Italian brands and learn why "made in Italy" is a leading brand in the world, despite recent influences and threats from foreign investors. Company cases and special guests will be an important part of this course and will allow students to relate theory to practice.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

Schedule (please note all guest speakers could be from remote and the calendar of their speeches can change)

Week 1

Monday 20th January (first day of classes): Introduction to the course.
Wednesday 22nd January: Sociology of Made in Italy, a social history of an Italian phenomenon

Read:
S. Pelaggi, Sociology of Made in Italy, a social history of an Italian phenomenon

Week 2

Monday, January 27th: Introduction to the course. The Italian Business Culture. (PART I) Wednesday, January 29th: The Italian Business Culture. (PART II)

Read:
International Marketing, ch. 4

Week 3

Monday, February 3rd: Italian business etiquette (PART I). Wednesday, February 5th: GUEST LECTURE:
February 7 (Fri) Make-up day for Monday, April 21

Read:
International Marketing, ch. 5

Week 4

Monday, February 10th: The brand Made in Italy: a critical analysis
Wednesday, February 12nd: Industrialization, convergence and governance. Analysis of the two long-run

equilibria between the northern and southern regions.

Read:
V. Temperini, G. L. Gregori, P.Palanga, The brand Made in Italy: a critical analysis
A.Iona, L.Leonida and G. Sobbrio, Industrialization, convergence and governance, ch 15 (pp. 200-212) in

Italy Today the sick man of Europe, by Andrea Mammone, Giuseppe Veltri, Routledge, London, 2010.

Week 5

Monday, February 17th: How to manage the heritage: a new way to make business. Corporate Museums. Wednesday, February 19th: REVIEW for the TEST (1st assignment)
Read:
F. Corsini, Corporate museums as a tool of brand communications.

Week 6
Monday February 24th : Test: (20% of your grade). The test (individual assignment) will consist in 10

short open questions about the topics already discussed in the class.
Wednesday, February 26th: Twenty years of European founding. Italy is still struggling with implementation.

Read:
S. Milio,Twenty years of European founding. Italy is still struggling with implementation,, ch 16 (pp.

213-228) in Italy Today the sick man of Europe, by Andrea Mammone, Giuseppe Veltri, Routledge, London, 2010.

Week 7

Monday, March 3rd: Review for the MID-TERM EXAM

Wednesday, March 5th: MID-TERM EXAM. (individual assignment). 3 prompts, 2 to develop (500 hun- dreds words each) for a total of 1000 words. The test will be done on Moodle, in class. Allotted time 75’.

WEEK 8
March 10-14 (Mon-Fri) Spring Break

Week 9

Monday, March 17th: Italian business districts.
Wednesday, March 119th: Made in Italy and China. Parallel markets. The case history of Prato Fashion Di-

strict.

Read:
V. De Marchi, R. Grandinetti, Industrial Districts

Week 10

Monday, March 24th: Labour and welfare reforms.The short life of labour unity. Wednesday, March 26th: GUEST LECTURE.

Read:
M. Simoni, Labour and welfare reforms.The short life of labour unity, ch. 17 (pp.

229-242) in Italy Today the sick man of Europe, by Andrea Mammone, Giuseppe Veltri, Routledge, London, 2010.

Week 11

Monday, March 31st: The crisis of Italian firms and the decline of the Italian capitalism Wednesday, March 2nd: GUEST LECTURE.

Read:
R. Minetti, The crisis of Italian firms and the decline of the Italian capitalism, ch. 18 (pp 243-251) in Italy

Today the sick man of Europe, by Andrea Mammone, Giuseppe Veltri, Routledge, London, 2010.

Week 12

Monday, April 7th: Food, Wine & Motors: The model of Emilia Romagna Wednesday, April 9th: Ducati case history, the Museum, the restaurant, the shop.

Week 13

Monday, April 14th: Nation, Region and City Branding. Wednesday, April 16th: GUEST LECTURE.

Week 14

Monday 21st April: NO CLASS (February 7 (Fri) Make-up day)

Wednesday, April 23rd: Review, Work on the group project.

Week 15

Monday, April 29th: Presentation of Final group projects (PART I).
Last day of classes, Wednesday, April 30th: Presentation of Final group projectS (PART II).
FINAL PROJECT:Group Work. Max 4. ppt presentation on a topic chosen from the program and connected

with a guest lecture. The final project has to widen the topic not just to repeat contents already shared in class. Topics must be approved by professor, presented in class in front of professor and classmates and uploaded in Moodle.

May 5-9 (Mon-Fri) Final Examinations