The aim of this course is to provide students with the basic concepts for the analysis of the economic system and the strategic and operative behavior of firms, the nature and the tipes of companies, and the  theoretical fundamentals of  business administration.
The course also aims to provide students with the knowledge of business management and the phenomenon of the creation of new businesses, particularly in addressing the issues related to the process of start-ups and spin-offs. To this end, it places special emphasis to the analysis of economic and financial feasibility of new business initiatives through the instrument of the business plan, as well as to the management, to the transfer and protection of innovation and technological knowledge, focusing on the law and practice relating to patents and know-how.

1)    Fundamentals of business economics
   -General principles of Business Administration and brief remind to basical concepts of micro/macro economics

    The definition of a company, classes and types of companies  
  -The elements (sub-systems) of the company:
    People (organization)
    Assets (capital)
    Operations (the management)
  -The economic and financial balance

   The concepts of cost, revenue and income

   The break-even point (BEP)
   Financial needs,  sources of funding and financial structure of a company
2) The creation of a new enterprise, business plan and start up

    New businesses and new entrepreneurs

    Contexts and environmental conditions for the development of entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurial skills and external factors
     in support of new entrepreneurial initiatives. Start up and innovative firms,
    From research & development to the creation of a spin-off and a new venture.

    The business plan
   Summary of the business project: Purposes, utility and functions
   Structure and content of the business plan

3)   Patents and  Technological transfer

  How to manage the technological and innovative assets of a company
 Types of patents, types of protection and laws; national and international   patenting.
     

Not existing.

D1:(knowledge and understanding):The student must show an understanding of the concepts and theories provided by the course on Business Administration; he/she must be able to identify and interpret the management and business problems in the start-up stage and during the life of the business. The teaching methods used to achieve these results  will consist of lectures and seminars.  Assessment  types will consist of structured tests (multiple choice, true/false questions).
short written papers (answers to open questions); oral interview. semi-structured tests (exercises to be carried out).
D2:(applying knowledge and understanding):The student must show the possession of the ability to use knowledge and concepts that allow to reason according to economic logic business management.The teaching methods used to achieve these results  will consist of lectures and seminars.  Assessment  types will consist of unstructured tests (brief exercises to be carried out).
D3:(making judgements). The student will be able to identify the relevant factors for the start-up of a company  and to assess the entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviors for the entrepreneurial activity, as well as the external and environmental factors which affect the business activity and the weaknesses and strengths of the business idea. The teaching methods used to achieve these results will consist of  seminars, case-studies, working and focus groups. Assessment will be based on structured tests and short written papers (answers to open questions).
D4:(communication skills). Students must be able to adequately use the terminology proper to Business Economics and Business Administration, demonstrating a good command of the lexicon relating to the topics covered during the course. The teaching methods used to achieve these results will consist of  lectures and seminars. Assessment will be based on oral examination.
D5: (learning skills)  Students must have developed good learning skills, which allow them to master the topics covered during the course and to lay the conceptual and operational functioning of an established or a new business. Moreover, students must show an understanding of the provisions on intangible assets and  the choice of consistent  forms  of protection of industrial inventions.Moreover, the student must be able  to analyse a business plan related to a new business venture or new investments and to identify the suitable forms and financial channels and resources.The methods of teaching work with which these results will be achieved will consist of: frontal lessons and seminars.The learning assessment will consist in strutctured, semi-structured and oral examination.

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

On going assessment: during the course the teacher will organize exam simulations to allow the student self-evaluate his/her learning level.

Lectures and seminars to deepen specific topics, through team-works, working groups, focus groups and in-depth papers analysis. 
A copy of the textbook (of the relevant paragraphs of reference) is available at the secretary's office.
Further supplementary material will be made available by the teacher in either electronic or paper format during the lessons.

Teaching

Lectures, seminars to deepen specific topics, through team-works, working groups, focus groups and in-depth papers analysis. On campus students's tutorship (delivered by students' tutor, if available).

In addition to class teaching actitivities, students are call to take part to seminal lessons/workshop that will involve entrepreneurs and practitioners who will take lectures on topics aimed to deepen the topics covered by the course program. 

Innovative teaching methods

Teaching adopts innovative methods: problem-based learning, learning by doing, and debate.

Attendance

There is no obligation to attend. However, attendance at the lesson is highly recommended. The matter requires, in fact, the acquisition of a specific technical language, as well as the ability to conceptual abstraction and concrete application of some methodological tools. In order to facilitate the gradual learning of the appropriate subject and terminology, therefore, frequent lessons are recommended.

Course books

Texts of study required

1) M. Paoloni, P. Paoloni, Introduzione ed orientamento allo studio delle Aziende, Giappichelli, Torino, 2021 (all chapters, except for chapter 3).

2) D. Nicolò D. (2021) Business plan nella fase di start up. Idea imprenditoriale, modello di business e identità aziendale, Egea, Milano. Chapters: 1, 2, and 3 (excluding paragraphs 3.6.1, 3.6.2, 3.7.1 and 3.7.2).

3) L. L Nadotti, M. Gallo, D. Martelli, V. Vannoni, Il finanziamento delle start-up innovative, Isedi, Milano, 2023. Chapters: 1 (excluding paragraph 1.3.), 5 (excluding paragraphs 5.1 e 5.2).

4) G.F. Campobasso, Manuale di Diritto Commerciale, Utet Giuridica, Torino, 2022. Chapter 7 (Opere dell’ingegno. Invenzioni industriali).

Assessment

Written test (including both open questions and closed questions for a total of 10  to be completed during the timeframe of one hour) aimed at assessing students’ knowledge relative to the first part/module of the program (Business Economics/Business Administration). Each question (structured closed questions; true/false questions and open questions with a brief text of reply) is assigned a score of 3, for a total of 30 points.Exceeding the written  test (obtaining a score at least equal to 18/30) is required to access the oral examination.
Oral test is based on the remaining parts of the program.The oral examination consists of maximum 3 open questions (about 15 mn)  to verify the knowledge of the topics discussed in the course. Also for oral questions the maximum score is 30/30. The student must answer the open questions in an articulated and in-depth way, in order to demonstrate: to have mastered the concepts introduced during the course.

The overall assessment of the student's level of preparation will be made taking into account the evaluation of the two tests (written and oral).

Evaluation criteria and scores are determined according to the following scale:

• less than 18/30 - insufficient level: the candidate does not reach any of the learning outcomes foreseen in the point "knowledge and understanding";
• 18-20/30 - sufficient level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the learning outcomes foreseen in the point "knowledge and understanding";
• 21-23/30 - fully sufficient level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the learning outcomes foreseen in the points "knowledge and understanding" and "applied knowledge and understanding";
• 24-26/30 - good level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the learning results foreseen in the points "knowledge and understanding"; “applied knowledge and understanding” and “making jusgements";
• 27-29/30 - very good level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the learning outcomes foreseen in the points "knowledge and understanding"; “applied knowledge and understanding”; “autonomy of judgement” and “communication skills”;
• 30-30 cum laude - excellent level: the candidate fully achieves the learning outcomes foreseen in the points "knowledge and understanding"; “applied knowledge and understanding”; “making judgements/autonomy of judgement”; “communication skills” and “ability to learn”.

The students can: 1) perform the written test and the oral exam on the same day / exam session, thus complete in the same day the exam or 2) hold the oral test in a subsequent exam date included in the same exam session.

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

Non-Attending students could use the same training materials adopted for attending students. Accordingly, the same  methods of verification will be adopted.

Attendance

The same as per attending students

Course books

The same as per attending students

Assessment

The same as per attending students

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.

The student can request to sit the final exam in English with an alternative bibliography.