The course aims to provide the students with the concepts and theoretical basis necessary for understanding the meaning of entrepreneurship, considering the process of new business creatio, the characteristics of entrepreneurs and of small businesses, including family businesses.

In particular the course aims at promoting the following specific learning objectives:

-  to know and understand the meaning of entrepreneurship;

-  to know and understand the distinctive features of entrepreneurs;

-  to know and understand differences between entrepreneurship and management;

-  to know and understand the main theoretical models and research streams that have analyzed and interpreted the concept of entrepreneur;

-  to know and understand the main types of small entrepreneurs;

-  to know and understand organizational and managerial specificities of small businesses and how they relate with their  competitive environment;

-  to know and understand main steps and ways to carry out the process of creating new businesses;

-  to know and understand the main components of a business model;

-       to know and understand the characteristics of the lean startup approach 

-  to know and understand how to prepare and how to use a business model canvas and a business plan;

-  to know the presence of small family firms in the Italian and international economic system;

-  to know and understand distinctive features and critical issues characterizing small family firms;

-  to know and understand critical issues concerning succession process and the main steps of this process.

Part 1 - The process of business creation

The process of business creation

Subjective and environmental factors in the process of business creation

Business model, business model canvas and business plan.

Part 2 – Entrepreneurship and small businesses

Distinctive features of entrepreneurs

Main research streams in entrepreneurship

How to define small businesses

Small businesses in the Italian economy

Distinctive features of small businesses

Typology of entrepreneurs

Business growth models

Women entrepreneurship

Part 3 – Family businesses

Distinctive features of family businesses

Variety of family businesses

Succession process in family businesses

The main actors of the succession process

Main steps of the succession process

Conditions favoring or Inhibiting successful succession

Knowledge and understanding

At the end of the course students should have acquired knowledge and understanding of the specific features of the entrepreneurial world and its main actors: entrepreneurs and companies. In particular, they have to know and understand the typical problems of small businesses, the succession process in family businesses and the process of business creation.

Applying knowledge and understanding

Students should be able to appropriately and flexibly apply their knowledge in order to analyze, understand, assess and resolve situations and problems related to the management of small businesses, the creation of new businesses and the succession process in family businesses.

Making judgements

Students should have the ability to use and integrate knowledge gained during the course and to handle complexity and formulate judgment independently.

Communication

Students should acquire clear and effective communication skills and should be able to clearly express and discuss topics covered during the course, thanks to a good command of the lexicon related to course topics.

Lifelong learning skills

Students should have good learning skills and be able to independently deepen knowledge gained during the course and acquire new knowledge, skills and abilities through professional and job experiences.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Various teaching methods will be used during the course:

- Lectures;

- Testimonies by entrepreneurs;

- Group work;

- Classroom discussions.

In particular, during the course group work will be carried out and students will be actively involved in the generation and validation of a business idea, in accordance with the startup approach.

Business ideas proposed by students' groups will be presented and discussed in the classroom.

Attendance

Attendance is not compulsory but strongly recommended.

Course books

1. Cinzia Parolini, Business planning. Dall'idea al progetto imprenditoriale, Pearson, 2016 (Only Cap. 1-2-3-4-5).

2. Aureli S., Battistoni B., Cesaroni F.M. (a cura di), Percorsi evolutivi e soluzioni strategiche per la continuità aziendale, FrancoAngeli, 2019 (Capp. 1-2-3-4)

3. Lecture notes and teaching material availablein  the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Assessment

For attending students the assessment is based on:
- Group work carried out during the course
- Written test
The written test consists of 2 open questions on:
- Entrepreneurship and small businesses 
- Family enterprises and generational transition.
The time available to answer the questions is 1.5 hours. The assessment of each question will be based on the following criteria:
- mastery of the concepts covered during the course;
- Level of comprehensiveness and depth of the answer;
- Appropriateness of the language used.
Each answer is assessed on a 1-10 scale on the basis of the above criteria (with equal weighting given to each criterion).
The evaluation of the group work (elaboration of a business idea) will be carried out on the basis of the following criteria
- originality of the business idea;
- progress of the project;
- clarity of the classroom presentation;
- ability to discuss and argue the choices made;
- constancy and commitment demonstrated during group work.
On the basis of the above criteria, the overall assessment of the project work is expressed on a scale of 1 to 10.
The final mark is expressed in thirtieths, by adding up the marks awarded for each answer and for the project work.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Independent study of books, lecture notes and teaching material available on the online Moodle platform 

Course books

The textbooks are the same as those indicated for attending students.

Assessment

Written exam, consisting of three open questions on the three main topics covered during the course: 1. Entrepreneurship and small firms; 2. The process of creation and strategic management of small businesses. 3. Family firms and generational change.

The time available to answer these questions is 2 hours. The assessment of each question will tbe based on the following criteria:
- mastery of the concepts covered during the course;
- Level of comprehensiveness and depth of the answer;
- Appropriateness of the language used.
Each answer is assessed on a 1-10 scale on the basis of the above criteria (with equal weighting given to each criterion).

 The final assessment is expressed in thirtieths, by averaging the scores awarded for each question.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.