A78604 Company Networks Management and Design

To be able to identify in a specific situation the opportunity to create a network of companies, to be able to identify the nature and the caracteristics of the networks present in a  company

The course presents the key features of the Italian business model, specifically looking at the importance of a network approach to strategy making. The course integrates recent theoretical and methodological developments with company presentations.

The course is structured in four main parts. In the first one the Social Network Analysi theory  and the applications.    The importance of organizational networks at different level is introduced and discussed using recent academic papers and practical lab sessions. This part will be delivered as a full time seminar including  short lectures,  group discussions on selected readings and some lab activities. The second part of the course mainly consists of company presentations: representatives from leading Italian firms will be invited to deliver presentations to students. The third part of the course the students will be grouped in small team-works required to deepen a specific issues related to the course content trough a specific analysis on the field. At the end of the classes a presentation will be required. The presenations will be followed by a discussion and an update on the status of the different group projects. The final part of the course will be dedicated to sistematize the various concepts learned in the course.