Italian Firms in History: Size, Technology and Entrepreneurship

The economic performance of a country depends, among other things, on the strategies and structures of its firms. In the framework that is designed by institutions and policies and determined by technology and macroeconomic cycles, entrepreneurs decide how to allocate available resources in order to face off competitors and to hook up with demand cycles. This paper looks at the evolution of the Italian economy across the last 150 years from a business history perspective. Analyzing Italian firms over the long-term cycles of the global economy and with respect to the different paradigms of the three industrial revolutions, we identify some structural features that explain successes and failures of the Italian economy. In doing this we explicitly connect the micro level of the business enterprise to the macro one of the national business system and explain the comparatively good performance of the Italian economy from the end of the 19th century to the 1970s. Over the last three decades this performance has turned negative, highlighting the role played by the small average size of firms and the failure of institutions to provide incentives for growth.firm size, technological paradigms, innovation, entrepreneurship

Business History: State of the Art and Controversies

At present business history seems to be in very good health (numbers of journals, associations and papers submitted in international conferences). Everybody uses an adjective to define the present phase: “post-Chandlerian”. The author is not at all convinced that Chandler’s framework should be totally abandoned, if we render it more flexible. However, we now have to go beyond Chandler. Four directions of research seem to be particularly fruitful: the study of the N-Form; the historical perspective of globalization; issues related to the relationship between enterprise, society and culture; and entrepreneurship. In relation to scientific and academic alliances, the best would be to be fully in command of economics, managerial studies, and history, and capable of moving without friction between a department of economics and that of management or humanities. We will also need to concede the most ample freedom to single out objectives and methods of research, remembering always that business history has a crucial role in comprehending the major changes of our epoch.At present business history seems to be in very good health (numbers of journals, associations and papers submitted in international conferences). Everybody uses an adjective to define the present phase: “post-Chandlerian”. The author is not at all convinced that Chandler’s framework should be totally abandoned, if we render it more flexible. However, we now have to go beyond Chandler. Four directions of research seem to be particularly fruitful: the study of the N-Form; the historical perspective of globalization; issues related to the relationship between enterprise, society and culture; and entrepreneurship. In relation to scientific and academic alliances, the best would be to be fully in command of economics, managerial studies, and history, and capable of moving without friction between a department of economics and that of management or humanities. We will also need to concede the most ample freedom to single out objectives and methods of research, remembering always that business history has a crucial role in comprehending the major changes of our epoch

Exploring the Antitumor Potential of Copper Complexes Based on Ester Derivatives of Bis(pyrazol-1-yl)acetate Ligands

Bis(pyrazol-1-yl)acetic acid (HC(pz)(2)COOH) and bis(3,5-dimethyl-pyrazol-1-yl)acetic acid (HC(pz(Me2))(2)COOH) were converted into the methyl ester derivatives 1 (L-OMe) and 2 (L-2OMe), respectively, and were used for the preparation of Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes 3-10. The copper(II) complexes were prepared by the reaction of CuCl2 center dot 2H(2)O or CuBr2 with ligands 1 and 2 in methanol solution. The copper(I) complexes were prepared by the reaction of Cu[(CH3CN)(4)]PF6 and 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA) or triphenylphosphine with L-OMe and L-2OMe in acetonitrile solution. Synchrotron radiation-based complementary techniques (XPS, NEXAFS, and XAS) were used to investigate the electronic and molecular structures of the complexes and the local structure around copper ions in selected Cu(I) and Cu(II) coordination compounds. All Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes showed a significant in vitro antitumor activity, proving to be more effective than the reference drug cisplatin in a panel of human cancer cell lines, and were able to overcome cisplatin resistance. Noticeably, Cu complexes appeared much more effective than cisplatin in 3D spheroid cultures. Mechanistic studies revealed that the antitumor potential did not correlate with cellular accumulation but was consistent with intracellular targeting of PDI, ER stress, and paraptotic cell death induction

Storia della Lancia. Impresa Tecnologie Mercati 1906-1969

- Indice #9- Premessa e riconoscimento #12- La fabbrica e il territorio urbano #151- Tecnologia e organizzazione produttiva alla Lancia (1906-1969) #207- Cinquant'anni di relazioni industriali alla Lancia (1919-1969) #263- La Lancia come fenomeno tecnico #303- Le corse della Lancia #333- Lancia, 60 anni di prodotto le automobili e i veicoli industriali #34

Extending William Baumol’s theory on entrepreneurship and institutions: lessons from post-Second World War Greece

This article examines William Baumol’s theory about the interaction between taxation and entrepreneurship and proposes an extension to it. The analysis shows that the traditional form of Baumol’s model, focusing mainly on the level of taxes, cannot be used in order to explain what happened in the Greek case. Utilising historical evidence from the mid 1950s to the late 1980s, this article confirms that problematic tax rules create difficulties for entrepreneurship and can lead to unproductive forms of it, as Baumol suggests. However, the focus here is on aspects of the system of taxation that Baumol’s model, examining solely tax rates and levels of taxation, neglected. It is shown that, as far as Greek entrepreneurship is concerned, the adverse effects of the system of taxation came not from the level of taxes, but mostly from a series of issues that increased its perceived unfairness and illegitimacy. Some of such issues were the complexity and frequent change of legislation, the insufficient organisation of the tax bureaus as well as the lack of adequate training and arbitrariness of the members of tax services. The evidence presented here suggests that Baumol’s model can be enriched by taking into consideration these aspects of taxation too

United We Stand, Divided We Fall: Historical Trajectory of Strategic Renewal Activities at Scandinavian Airlines System, 1946-2012

Although the second half of the twentieth century saw the rise and fall of ‘multi-flag companies’ in the civil aviation industry, our understanding of how some managed to buck the trend and achieve longevity remains limited. This paper advances business history and strategic management research by examining the strategic renewal activities of Scandinavian Airlines (formerly Scandinavian Airlines System) during the period 1946-2012. The study sheds light on the key roles of private and state owners, rivals as well as banks, in critical financial phases are discussed in terms of longevity in the company. The longevity of the business stems from the leaders’ ability to develop as anticipated and respond to change in their competitive arena in close interaction with the owners. Thus, incumbent firms that strategically renew themselves prior to or during market reform, such as deregulation, enhance their chances of developing the size of their networks and revenue streams. Our main contribution to business history and strategic management literatures is the development of context-specific stages, which shed light on the evolution of strategic renewal activities and shifts from older processes and routines towards customer service and efficiency

Carlo Faina

Biografia di Carlo Fain

Cicli produttivi, tecnologie, organizzazione del lavoro. La siderurgia a ciclo integrale dal «piano autarchico» alla fondazione della Italsider 1937-1961

Storia della siderurgia a ciclo integrale in Itali