Learning objectives
The objective of the course consists in presenting the main models and tools for business management. The course aims first to provide a wide-ranging reading of the interrelations that the company puts in place with the external context and of the governance systems that it can adopt for the pursuit of its objectives. Subsequently, the course illustrates the sources of information used by management to assess the impact of the company's strategic and operational decisions, also addressing the problem of decision-making systems through which it intends to ensure consistency between decisions and objectives.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: At the end of the course the student will have to know the fundamental principles of the business economy. In particular, through the lectures held during the course, the student will acquire knowledge of the tools and techniques of balance sheet’s analysis, costing and evaluation of industrial investments.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Through practical exercises, students learn how to apply the knowledge acquired in a real business context. In particular, the student will have to apply the acquired knowledge and draw up, read and analyze a balance sheet, calculate the cost of a product / service, evaluate the convenience in making an investment project.
MAKING JUDGEMENTS: The student will have to be able to critically evaluate the general performance of a company, and in particular to analyze its balance sheet data, evaluate the convenience in realizing a specific product or in undertaking a specific investment project.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Through the lectures and the comparison with the professor, the student acquires the specific vocabulary of the business economy. It is expected that, at the end of the course, the student is able to transmit, in oral and written form, the main contents of the course, and to present in a clear manner the results of analysis and economic evaluations.
LEARNING SKILLS: The student who has attended the course will be able to deepen his knowledge in the field of business economics through the independent consultation of specialized texts, scientific or popular journals, even outside the topics investigated during the course, in order to effectively deal with the inclusion in the world of work or undertake further training courses.
Prerequisites
None.
Course unit content
The course aims to introduce students to the use of conceptual tools and operating techniques useful to understand and address the economic dimension of the enterprise, with particular reference to the financial statements (part I), cost analysis techniques (part II) and capital budgeting (part III). After a brief introduction on business management, as for the first part both theoretical and practical aspects of the balance sheets are analysed, followed by the main balance indicators. In the second part of the course, after introducing the cost concept and the classification criteria, the main costing methodologies (namely, full costing and direct costing), the main criteria for the so called “cost-volumes-results analysis” are discussed. Finally, the last part of the program presents the main financial instruments for evaluating an industrial investment.
Full programme
INTRODUCTION
Elements of business economics; Introduction to business management.
PART I: BALANCE SHEET AND INCOME STATEMENT
The balance: Financial accounting; Accounts documents (list of assets, financial state); Reading the statement of accounts. Balance sheet analysis.
PART II: COSTING
Cost classification systems; Cost-Volume-Profit analysis; Full costing: Cost allocation; Job costing; Process costing.
PART III: CAPITAL BUDGETING
Basic concepts: Basic concepts of investment analysis; Cash flow and investment evaluation method: Discounted Cash Flow techniques; Net present value; Internal rate of return; Profitability Index; Pay-Back period.
Bibliography
The suggested book is “Economia Aziendale" (a.a. 2021-22, Barbara Bigliardi, Create McGrawHill – ISBN: 9 781307 731507). Moreover, the notes of the professor, as well as exercises, their solutions and all the supporting material used during the lessons will be available for students on the home page of the course on the web platform Elly.
In addition, the students may refer to the following secondary books:
- Cerbioni, Cinquini, Sostero, -82018), "Contabilità e bilancio", McGraw-Hill, Milano.
- Anthony, R.N., Hawkins, D.F., Macrì, D.M., Merchant, K.A., (2005), “Analisi dei costi”, McGraw-Hill, Milano.
Teaching methods
The course includes both theoretical lessons and exercises. Frontal moments and interactive moments with the students will be alternated.
During the theoretical lessons, the main models and tools for business management will be discussed, with the aim of providing a conceptual and operational framework of the functioning and conditions that govern the survival and development of the company. To this end, first of all, the theoretical lessons are intended to provide a broad reading of the interrelationships that the company puts in place with the external context and the systems of governance that it can adopt for the pursuit of its objectives. Then, they illustrate the sources of information used by management to assess the impact of strategic and operational decisions of the company, also addressing the problem of decision-making systems through which it intends to ensure consistency between decisions and objectives.
During the exercises the student will be able to practically realize the solutions of the problems outlined in theoretical form during the lessons. In addition to the normal exercises, simulations of the exam will also be scheduled: during the simulations students will be asked to work independently (as during the exam) in the resolution of the exam text. The simulations will not be evaluated, they have a self-evaluation purpose: each student will be able to verify his or her level of preparation and understand, for example, which part of the program or which type of exercise he or she will have to focus on in view of the exam. Simulations also help understanding how to manage time during the exam.
Lessons and exercises will take place in presence. In the event of a health emergency, the teaching activities may take place in other forms such as mixed mode (limited number of students in the classroom and simultaneous streaming) or entirely at a distance. Information on such emergency arrangements will be published on the website www.unipr.it.
Assessment methods and criteria
The final test of the students' preparation is based on two WRITTEN TESTS:
- the first test (graded in thirtieths) includes theory questions of the types "multiple choice", "true or false", "complete sentence". The "threshold" score for taking the second test is 16. There is no penalty for incorrect answers.
- the second test (scored in thirtieths) involves "free-form" theory questions as well as solving exercises (one exercise for each part of the program). There is no penalty for incorrect answers.
For each question (of both tests) the mark achievable in case the student provides the correct answer will be indicated.
The overall grade earned by the student is the arithmetic average of the grades from the two written tests. The final grade will be announced after the written tests directly in Esse3. The grade of 30 cum laude may be awarded only to students who have achieved the highest grade in both written tests and, in any case, only as a result of an additional oral test.
Both written tests must necessarily be taken in the same call and on the same date. Typically, the taking of the second written test takes place at the end of the correction of the first written test.
It is mandatory to register for the exam, exclusively via the Internet (https://unipr.esse3.cineca.it) up to 7 days before the exam itself.
It is also possible, for students attending the course, to take two in-course tests (the first about halfway through the course on Part I of the syllabus, and the second before the end of the course on Parts II and III of the syllabus) in lieu of the final test. The dates of the in itinere tests will be agreed upon at the beginning of the course. The itinere tests will have the same structure as the final test. The final grade for the in itinere tests, announced after the written test through Elly, will correspond to the arithmetic mean of the grades obtained in the two in itinere tests, both expressed in thirtieths.
It is mandatory to register for the first in itinere test; a special registration procedure will be opened on the course's Elly page for registration. Students will be notified by email of the opening of registration and the deadline by which to register. ONLY students who obtained a passing grade in the first in itinere exam will automatically access the second in itinere exam (therefore, it will not be necessary to register for the second in itinere exam).
A calculator may be used during the examination/itinerary tests as long as it is non-programmable, and no phones, smartwatches, books, notes, handouts, or other teaching materials may be consulted during the course of the tests.
During the academic year there are 7 appeals (in addition to the in itinere tests), divided into the three sessions January/February and March/April, June/July and September, of which 3 in the session immediately following the course (January/February and March/April), and 2 in the remaining two sessions.
Other information
Non-attending students are recommended to periodically check the available teaching material and the instructions provided by the professor on the Elly web platform, this is e only professor/student communication tool. On this web platform, the slides used during the lessons and any additional material provided by the teacher will be uploaded weekly.
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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