Corporate and Public Administration Communication

The course aims to provide students with the conceptual and methodological tools to understand and examine the origins, characteristics, subjects and main changes of both public and private socio-economic organizations in contemporary societies. The attention is paid: - on the changes in the structures and processes of work organization, with reference to the impact of technology on human work and to the conditions of consent given by the worker for his/her contribution; - on the functions of the rules and the strategies adopted by individuals in public administrations; - on the dynamics of capitalism and of the labor market, with particular reference to the personal and social consequences of flexibility, in terms of unemployment and new forms of inequality. The focus will be on the Italian situation, in a perspective of comparison with the European and international level. The specific objectives of the discipline include: 1) the knowledge and comprehension of fundamental theories and concepts elaborated by sociological reflection on the main changes of institutions and processes related to public and private socio-economic organizations; 2) the capacity to interpret qualitative and quantitative data for the critical reading of institutions and socio-economic processes, with specific attention to the possibility of referring it to personal and eventually professional experience; 3) the ability to exercise critical thinking and communicate what it has been learned, both through the attendance of lectures and seminars and through the active participation to debates and working groups; 4) the capacity to continue the study autonomously, through the acquisition of a working method based on the cultivation of intellectual curiosity, systematic analysis and questioning of social representations coming from common sense and public discourse about the topics covered by the course. Part A): The sociological reflection on socio-economic organizations: technology and consent Changes in the structures and processes of work organization, with reference to the impact of technology on human work, to the conditions of consent given by the worker for his/her contribution. In particular: the scientific organization of work (Taylorism); the birth and fortune of ‘The Human Relations’School; the company as a cooperative system; the theories of personality growth; the impact of technology on human work and the plurality of industrial forms; the flexible specialization, the streamlined production and the modular factory. Part B) Functions of the rules and strategies adopted by the individuals in public administrations The evolution of the "bureaucratic issue" with regard to theoretical and methodological contributions by classic and contemporary authors. In particular, the following topics will be addressed: the bureaucracy as an apparatus of legal power (Max Weber); the unexpected consequences of the bureaucracy (Robert Merton); the plurality of bureaucratic models (Alvin Gouldner); organizational logics and leadership (Philip Selznick); bureaucratic systems and strategies by the actors (Michel Crozier). Part C) Capitalism and labor market in the late modernity The dynamics of capitalism and of the labor market, with particular reference to the personal and social consequences of flexibility (unemployment and new forms of inequality), with a focus on the Italian situation, in a perspective of comparison with the European and international level).

With reference to the knowledge that the student must possess at the beginning of the teaching activities in order to understand their contents and achieve learning objectives, no prerequisite is requested.

Part A) The sociological reflection on socio-economic organizations: the industrial question and the bureaucratic question 1. G. Bonazzi, 'Storia del pensiero organizzativo', FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2016: Part I (except chap. 6) and Part II (except chap. 6) Part B): Capitalism and labor market in late modernity 2. One book to be chosen among: - R. Sennett, 'L’uomo flessibile. Le conseguenze del nuovo capitalismo sulla vita personale', Feltrinelli, Milano, 1999 - E. Antonini, 'Giovani senza. L’universo Neet tra fine del lavoro e crisi della formazione', Mimesis, Sesto San Giovanni, 2014 - A. Casilli, 'Schiavi del clic. Perché lavoriamo tutti per il nuovo capitalismo?, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2020 (except Part III) - D. De Masi, 'Smart working. La rivoluzione del lavoro intelligente', Marsilio, Venezia, 2020 (three Parts of one's choice ) - F. Coin, 'Le grandi dimissioni. Il nuovo rifiuto del lavoro e il tempo di riprenderci la vita', Einaudi, Torino, 2023

Teaching activities will be carried out through the combination of lectures, analyses of case studies, group exercises and seminars by experts from socio-economic organizations.

Course attendance is not compulsory but highly recommended for the purpose of passing the profit verification tests.

The evaluation of the profit will take place both in written form, through intermediate tests, both in oral form, through a final interview and will be finalized to verify the achievement, by the student, of the course objectives, that is, having acquired the knowledge of the main paradigms and methods developed by classical and contemporary sociological reflection in reference to socio-economic organizations, together with the ability to critically reflect on the functioning mechanisms and the processes of change taking place in them. The intermediate written test will focus on the contents of the topics covered in Bonazzi's book, by proposing multiple choice tests or thematic tracks to be held in open form. Students will also be proposed to focus on a group project work, aimed at critically developing a topic covered in one of the books of their choice and presenting it in the classroom in the second part of the cycle of lessons. For those who have taken the intermediate written text and developed a group project work, the teacher will proceed to record the average mark resulting from both tests. For those who have taken just the intermediate written test, a final interview will take place during one of the exam sessions scheduled at the end of the lessons. The interview, lasting about 10 minutes, will focus on the content of the text chosen by the student. For those who have taken no intermediate test the interview, lasting about 20 minutes, will take place on the basis of questions related to each part of the program, with specific reference to the different modules in which the course was articulated. During the lessons there will be reflection exercises, also in written form, to be carried out individually or in small groups. For the purposes of evaluation, the ability to reflect and study autonomously, as well as the frequency of lessons and the active participation in debates and group exercises will be taken into consideration, as useful criteria for verifying individual skills in analysis, synthesis and exercise of critical thinking.

- H. Arendt, 'Vita activa. La condizione umana' (1958), Bompiani, Milano, 2017 - L. Gallino, 'Il lavoro non è una merce. Contro la flessibilità', Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2009

Teaching activities will be carried out through the combination of lectures, analyses of case studies, group exercises and seminars by experts from socio-economic organizations.