ECONOMY AND STRATEGY OF SMES

Course objectives

The course aims to provide the theoretical foundations for understanding entrepreneurship as a subjective characteristic of small business owners and as a process of creating new entrepreneurial ventures. Students will acquire the ability to understand the meaning of entrepreneurship and to distinguish it from managerial functions, as well as to recognize the different types of small firms and entrepreneurs within the national and European socio-economic context. Particular emphasis is placed on the study of strategic, managerial, and organizational aspects of small enterprises, as well as on the comprehension of the employed accounting and information systems.

Channel 1
PAOLA PAOLONI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Module 1 - Entrepreneurship and small businesses The company as a "system of systems"; Economics, systematicity and business purposes, The strategy and policy in the different phases of the company's life, The distinctive characteristics of the entrepreneurial entity The defining problem of the small business, the distinctive characteristics of small businesses, classic conceptions of entrepreneurs and studies on entrepreneurship, types of SMEs Module 2 - The growth models Small enterprises in the Italian industrial system, Growth and development of small enterprises The phenomenon of made in Italy, the internationalization of SMEs Module 3 - Family businesses. Definition and distinctive characteristics, the different family businesses, The generational shift, the actors and the phases, How to facilitate a physiological generational shift. Module 4 - Women's businesses Module 5 - immigrant businesses and virtual / smart working businesses Module 6: The intangibles Evolution, definition, visualization and measurement of intangibles; relational capital as a driver of value; the model of CHAOS Module 7 - the accounting information system
Prerequisites
business administration exame
Books
• P. Paoloni, Elementi di governo d'azienda, Giappichelli, Torino, 2020. (cap 2) • A.Cortesi et al, Le piccole imprese, Carocci editore, 2014 (cap 1,2,3,4,7, 8, 9) • Aureli S., Battistoni B., Cesaroni F.M. (a cura di), Percorsi evolutivi e soluzioni strategiche per la continuità aziendale, FrancoAngeli, 2019 • A. Cortesi, La crescita delle piccole imprese. Fusioni, acquisizioni, accordi, Giappichelli 2004 supplementary materials provided by professor
Frequency
not mandatory
Exam mode
oral exam with questions all related to the modules
Lesson mode
frontal lessons
PAOLA PAOLONI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Module 1 - Entrepreneurship and small businesses The company as a "system of systems"; Economics, systematicity and business purposes, The strategy and policy in the different phases of the company's life, The distinctive characteristics of the entrepreneurial entity The defining problem of the small business, the distinctive characteristics of small businesses, classic conceptions of entrepreneurs and studies on entrepreneurship, types of SMEs Module 2 - The growth models Small enterprises in the Italian industrial system, Growth and development of small enterprises The phenomenon of made in Italy, the internationalization of SMEs Module 3 - Family businesses. Definition and distinctive characteristics, the different family businesses, The generational shift, the actors and the phases, How to facilitate a physiological generational shift. Module 4 - Women's businesses Module 5 - immigrant businesses and virtual / smart working businesses Module 6: The intangibles Evolution, definition, visualization and measurement of intangibles; relational capital as a driver of value; the model of CHAOS Module 7 - the accounting information system
Prerequisites
business administration exame
Books
• P. Paoloni, Elementi di governo d'azienda, Giappichelli, Torino, 2020. (cap 2) • A.Cortesi et al, Le piccole imprese, Carocci editore, 2014 (cap 1,2,3,4,7, 8, 9) • Aureli S., Battistoni B., Cesaroni F.M. (a cura di), Percorsi evolutivi e soluzioni strategiche per la continuità aziendale, FrancoAngeli, 2019 • A. Cortesi, La crescita delle piccole imprese. Fusioni, acquisizioni, accordi, Giappichelli 2004 supplementary materials provided by professor
Frequency
not mandatory
Exam mode
oral exam with questions all related to the modules
Lesson mode
frontal lessons
  • Lesson code10621230
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseEconomics for Environment, culture and tourism
  • CurriculumEconomia dell’ambiente, della cultura e del turismo (Percorso valido ai fini del conseguimento del doppio titolo italo-albanese)
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDSECS-P/07
  • CFU6