A widespread business school

Franco Cioffi

• Publisher: Rubbettino Editore
• Year: 2020
• Topic: Economics
• eBook ISBN:
  9788849865271
• Subtopic: Economic Theory
• Index: Economics

The book describes all the steps of an integrated civic and economic development project still in progress ("A widespread business school" www.scuoladimpresadiffusa.it) aimed at spreading a business culture in some areas to improve competitiveness and increase employment levels. A broad, deep, uncoded (but ruled) project that is constantly evolving, by multiplying and disseminating the training matrix, which has been identified and arranged for the role. A revolution, which has no geographical, sector and competence boundaries but a unique goal: trying to civilize the South of Italy with bottom-up policies. All the actors involved in this educational civic action are aware that the return on individual investment is given by improving the community public life. A varied network of people (entrepreneurs, managers, cooperators, public executives, young people, etc.) that, over time, has swelled like a river in flood and, overflowing, daily settles knowledge and experience over the surrounding territory. To sum up, a circular, open and inclusive economy is born.

Part One
A proper business management

The leadership style

Within the cultural atmosphere which characterises any company, a sort of tradition is progressively built, due to the contribution of the people who succeed each other in management, the company history itself and of the experiences gained.

This tradition profoundly affects the way managers and entrepreneurs relate to their subordinates and the outside world.

This way or model of behaviour represents one of the characteristic features of each company and determines a real style of management (or leadership), able to consequently affect positively (or negatively) even the civil society.

The leadership style is, therefore, the way in which management relates to employees (but also to the outside world) and, at the same time, it represents a company business card.

The leadership style, merging with the corporate culture in which it was formed, represents a strategic organisational tool for running business, especially as regards the best definition of operational mechanisms and the management of any possible critical issues.

The corporate culture and management style are in a close symbiosis and, by integrating with each other, affect the ways in which co-workers are selected, decisions are taken, tasks are assigned, and individuals’ performances assessed.

The leadership style can take different connotations and characteristics.

Indeed, it can range between the extreme limits of authoritarianism and democratic/participatory relationship.

In the first case, “the boss” manages his/her relationships with his/her subordinates without discussing with them but communicating exclusively through orders and prescriptions.

This approach (widely used especially by old style and not very well educated entrepreneurs) implies a strong centralisation of management and its apparent outcomes, since it tends to take responsibility away, if not even to provide an alibis to employees (I mean...it is useless that I do my best and take any initiative if it is not good and, in any case, it would be subject to control and changes by the boss...).

Conversely, the democratic style is based on dialogue, comparison, participation and delegation.

The choice of the management style adopted is functional and, at the same time, representative of the entrepreneurs’ way of doing business.

It is then up to the wit of managers / entrepreneurs to use variants to the chosen style, adapting them to the interlocutors and specific situations, because in a company organisation there are no pre-packaged recipes that have absolute validity.

On the other hand, there are very important indications, among which that one attributing high flexibility to the business system by multiplying the centres of responsibility.

The human capital

I have always stressed the strategic importance of human resources in companies and how important it is to be able to research, select and manage them.

First of all, it is important to identify and define in detail the professional gap to be filled in the company organisation.

Then, the potential candidate must be profiled, taking into account a series of variables such as:

1. course of study;

2. professional experiences;

3. personality traits

4. personal attitudes

5. recruitments facilitations;

6. age;

7. distance between the place of residence and company headquarters, etc.;

8. means of locomotion;

9. hobbies, etc.

To such variables a “weight”, which varies according to the business needs and the “vision” of the recruiters, is preliminarily and individually assigned.

As for me, I give great importance to the character and attitudinal aspects.

This is because unlike, for example, cultural and training weaknesses that can possibly be filled with targeted actions, I consider them to be fixed elements, difficult to modify.

Based on the profile emerged, the text of the advertisement to be used for the search is built.

The advent of digital marketing and social media, compared to the past, has significantly reduced the research costs and multiplied to the nth degree the possible channels of dissemination.

Once the campaign for joining the job offer is closed, a first “skimming” of the curricula is carried out, checking the general correspondence between the characteristics declared by the candidates and those of the profile built.

At this point, the schedule of interviews is drawn up and the applicants are called.

So, we enter the most delicate phase of the selection, where the techniques, methods and tools used differ according to the schools of thought to which the recruiters belong.

As for me, I prefer not to make use of technical application tools such as questionnaires I consider “cold” and not very functional.

I prefer oral interviews relying on personal sensitivity and experiences gained in twenty years of activity.

Before coming to the final decision, I meet a shortlist of candidates at least three times, to limit as much as possible the chances of error, which are very high at this stage.

During the interviews, I use techniques of applied psychology, in order highlight strengths and weaknesses of the candidates and evaluate their growth potential and chances of a successful job placement.

Where necessary and possible, in an advanced stage of the selection, I get joined by companies inside staff, to obtain a different, even though not binding, opinion on the character and empathetic sides of the candidates.

This is very important, because any working context lives on consolidated balances, rules and procedur...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Sinossi
• Profilo biografico dell'autore
• Colophon
• Preface How to revolutionise the country with bottom-up policies
• Part One A proper business management
• The leadership style
• The human capital
• Managing the company
• Internal decision-making processes
• The generation succession
• Digital marketing and neuroscience
• The role of publishing, digital marketing and social media in civilisation processes
• Some experimental laboratories
• From learners to training matrix
• Part Two A life as a manager
• An experimental life as a manager of complexity to the benefit of the country
• The origins of my pathway
• The CUORE (HEART) project
• The National Committee for the emergence of irregular work
• Business culture
• Professional evolution
• Training
• The course in business management
• The testimonials
• The company symbol of the course in business management: Errewood S.r.l. US of the Rubinacci brothers
• From workers to entrepreneurs: an example of social redemption and local contamination
• Part Three Third sector and public administration
• Some experiences in the third sector: the case of the NCO consortium in Casal di Principe (CE)
• An example of entrepreneurial emancipation of the third sector: the cooperative “Al di là dei sogni” (Beyond dreams) of Sessa Aurunca (CE)
• The third sector as a lever for local development
• The role of “Banca Etica” and foundations for the consolidation of the third sector in Southern Italy
• Experiences in the Public Administration
• President of the Independent Assessment Body of the municipality of Giugliano in Campania (NA)
• A contribution for the development and reorganisation of the municipality of Casal di Principe (CE)
• Considerations
• Conclusions
• The inadequacy of the policy to govern organisational and development processes of public bodies
• A widespread business school