Business Management – Global and Emerging Markets

This course focuses on the main components of accounting, budgeting and cost analysis. In addition the course will train students on how to analyze economic-financial forecasts and budgets as well as understand the measurement and interpretation of the economic-financial performance of the company. Calculation and analysis in decision-making, management supervision, strategic control and strategic cost management will also be explored.

Corporate sustainability and the circular economy are currently among the most discussed topics internationally, also due to climate change. The aim of the course is to understand why these issues are of such importance, underlining their urgency. We will learn more about the innovation activities of operational and system processes that companies adopt to implement strategies aimed at the Circulary Economy and the transition to a low carbon business model.

This course enables executives to use financial tools to make better decisions. The teaching method combines class lectures and discussions to case studies and spreadsheet modelling to get a deeply and insightful understanding of topics in corporate finance. These topics include, but are not limited to, capital budgeting, project and company valuation and the optimal financing and hedging decisions.

The course aims to introduce students to the most relevant issues (foundational and more advanced) of digital technologies, discussing the most important present and future consequences on the lives of individuals and on the structure and functioning of organizations and processes. The course consists of 5 seminars: Ai & Machine Learning, All-in Security, Cloud & Beyond, The Science of Data, Internet of Things.

The objective of the course in Digital Marketing is to provide the necessary knowledge for successfully implementing a marketing strategy utilizing new information technology, analyzing the needs of the client, the company communication and sales. A principally quantitative approach for measuring the effectiveness of Digital Marketing activities, which finds their natural application in an online context (e.g. Social Media, E-Commerce, Direct Marketing), without overlooking the application of new technologies in an offline context (e.g. Apps and Mobile Marketing in a modern Retailing environment). At the end of the course, it is expected that the students will have acquired a high level of knowledge on the main tools used in the field of Digital Marketing, allowing them to: define and implement a coherent Digital Marketing strategy; select the best suited tools based on strategic objectives; monitor the effectiveness by means of rigorous analytical procedures.

From the business model to the operational marketing plan. The fundamental conceptual and quantitative tools necessary for understanding, analyzing and constructing the relationship a company establishes with its market of interest: the centrality of the client, studying acquired behavior, the processes of segmentation and positioning, the development of new products and the spread of innovation, pricing decisions, distribution and communication.

Introduction to marketing research: descriptive analysis. Utilizing probability and hypothesis in marketing research. Design and technical development finalized for collecting primary data. Data analysis: regression. Segmentation and clustering techniques. Perceptual maps and positioning.

The course focuses on issues related to the management of materials along the supply chain, from suppliers to distribution channels. In this regard, they have a vital role. Managerial and organizational decisions made about the relationships with external companies with which we relate to, are the focal point of the course. In analyzing the vertical relationships between firms, the course seeks to develop: sensitivity to the Strategic Importance of the reports, the technical and managerial knowledge needed to deal with the decisions in the matter and organizational skills needed to manage them.

Every time and every where, close to my lifestyle. These are the key points of the omnichannel strategy. It doesn’t mean only the act of purchasing but is covering many different aspects like:

• a way to increase brand awareness,
• a way to disclose consumer habits,
• a way to create groups based on similar interests
• finally, can also generate a huge number of sales.

Young people (Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Y) are expecting more sophisticated ways to be close to their new lifestyle and to their culture so an omnichannel strategy is not an option, it is the new business model for the brand that want to approach these markets.

The course focuses on omnichannel strategy with a particular emphasis on Far East markets. After a brief analysis of the evolution of trade, it will examine the development of both offline and online channels, providing a comparative analysis across the major Far East countries. Students will explore all aspects of distribution channels in the region in order to identify optimal strategies and understand the overall cost structures associated with them. In the final part of the course, students will analyze the channel structures in the key Far East countries. The aim of the course is to convey managerial insights and illustrate the main trade systems and business models through practical examples and case studies.

The course is divided into 10 hours of lectures and three one-month corporate projects.

LECTURES: Goal of these lectures is to analyze the role of China as a new focal point in the world economy. We will start focusing on how changes in geopolitical and geoeconomical equilibria may change business strategies. Trilateral relations between Europe, US and China will be the core of our analysis. Internationalization strategy must take into account macro and micro economic variables and policy variables.

COMPANY PROJECTS: The course also includes three business projects, each lasting one month, focused on internationalization initiatives in the various emerging markets covered in the Global and Emerging Markets track. The project work is carried out in groups of 4–5 participants and begins with a company presentation by a manager from a partner firm within the School’s network, who then sets the project topic for the groups. During each project, participants work under the guidance of a tutor, who provides ongoing support to develop a project with appropriate content and methodology. At the end of the month, a meeting is held with the company’s management, during which the participants present their work. Evaluation is conducted jointly by the faculty and the company management, with the aim of assessing both the originality of the proposed managerial solutions and their practical feasibility and potential implementation in a real business context.

The development of international markets by enterprises requires a solid understanding of international trade practices and the key regulatory frameworks that govern their dynamics across different countries. This course will examine the strategies adopted by firms in light of both competitive and regulatory contexts, with particular attention to selected emerging markets and their specific characteristics. The cases of Japan, Southeast Europe, Latin America, various Middle Eastern countries, and the Mediterranean area will be explored in depth, highlighting growth opportunities, entry barriers, partnership and business models, as well as the cultural, regulatory, and organizational adaptations that companies must undertake to compete effectively in these environments.