Family Business in Italy

Catalog description

The provinces of Italy offer a fascinating setting for the study of the family business model that forms the heart of large and small-scale businesses in Europe. This course will present an understanding of family businesses through the lens of large- and small-scale family-owned Italian businesses. Students will study generational issues in the family-driven wine-making regions of Tuscany, explore the fashion district of Milan, examine the small-scale family-run craft businesses in Florence, and contemplate the global challenges associated with this business model. The course will offer a rare opportunity to observe the nexus between entrepreneurship, family, and business, and will provide lessons in the notion of "tempo giusto." This faculty-led study abroad elective will begin online at Fairfield University and then move to Florence, Italy, for seven days during Spring Break. Over the course of six weeks, students will read material and take an exam on family business concepts online prior to venturing abroad, where they will examine firsthand the nature of Italian family businesses. The course will conclude with a group project paper upon our return that highlights a family business case in a particular industry.