Corporate history, to better understand the present
The story of Sardinian refinery group Saras
Understanding the present while looking at the past – an important and valuable approach that, in terms of know-how, can also “secure” business planning. In other words, an approach based on the wise notion that we can always learn from our mistakes. Learning about the past vicissitudes of major companies can therefore – always – be beneficial, just as much as reading “La Saras. Quarant’anni di strategia petrolifera familiare tra storia d’impresa e storia del lavoro (1962-2001)” (“Saras. Forty years of family oil strategy amid corporate and labour history (1962-2001))”, research paper by William Mazzaferro (University of Turin) recently published in journal IMPRESE E STORIA (ENTERPRISES AND HISTORY).
The article’s first lines summarise its aim, which consists in meeting a twofold requirement: “filling what objectively is a historical gap” and “understanding the reasons underlying the success of Saras (Società anonima raffinerie sarde)”.
Quite a unique case study, as Saras is “a company that succeeded not only in entering a market renowned for its difficult accessibility, but also a company that, over time, managed to effectively overcome several difficulties and become what is now the largest active oil refinery in Italy.”
Mazzaferro traces Saras’s corporate history from 1962 to the beginning of the 21st century and discusses the key features of what is known as a firm of “fourth capitalism” – in particular, its powerful internationalisation, medium size (in terms of employees), and origins rooted in family history and a family estate. An intriguing story that furthers our understanding of how our current industrial context developed (and in such a delicate segment as the energy one, moreover).
La Saras. Quarant’anni di strategia petrolifera familiare tra storia d’impresa e storia del lavoro (1962-2001) (Saras. Forty years of family oil strategy amid corporate and labour history (1962-2001))
William Mazzaferro
IMPRESE E STORIA, issue 2022/46
The story of Sardinian refinery group Saras
Understanding the present while looking at the past – an important and valuable approach that, in terms of know-how, can also “secure” business planning. In other words, an approach based on the wise notion that we can always learn from our mistakes. Learning about the past vicissitudes of major companies can therefore – always – be beneficial, just as much as reading “La Saras. Quarant’anni di strategia petrolifera familiare tra storia d’impresa e storia del lavoro (1962-2001)” (“Saras. Forty years of family oil strategy amid corporate and labour history (1962-2001))”, research paper by William Mazzaferro (University of Turin) recently published in journal IMPRESE E STORIA (ENTERPRISES AND HISTORY).
The article’s first lines summarise its aim, which consists in meeting a twofold requirement: “filling what objectively is a historical gap” and “understanding the reasons underlying the success of Saras (Società anonima raffinerie sarde)”.
Quite a unique case study, as Saras is “a company that succeeded not only in entering a market renowned for its difficult accessibility, but also a company that, over time, managed to effectively overcome several difficulties and become what is now the largest active oil refinery in Italy.”
Mazzaferro traces Saras’s corporate history from 1962 to the beginning of the 21st century and discusses the key features of what is known as a firm of “fourth capitalism” – in particular, its powerful internationalisation, medium size (in terms of employees), and origins rooted in family history and a family estate. An intriguing story that furthers our understanding of how our current industrial context developed (and in such a delicate segment as the energy one, moreover).
La Saras. Quarant’anni di strategia petrolifera familiare tra storia d’impresa e storia del lavoro (1962-2001) (Saras. Forty years of family oil strategy amid corporate and labour history (1962-2001))
William Mazzaferro
IMPRESE E STORIA, issue 2022/46