The 2020 edition of a collection of entrepreneurs and managers’ stories offers new opportunities for a better understanding of the value and nature of production organisations

The company as a cultural expression and also as an art form. It’s certainly unique. Of course, it’s not always so. But it’s still something to explore and to read about. For this, it’s worth reading O l’impresa o la vita. Storie organizzative ed epiche (“work-life balance: organisational and epic stories”) by Luigi Maria Sicca. A second, updated and revised edition was published a few weeks ago.

The main theme of the book is a series of successful managerial and entrepreneurial stories, along with the same amount from the artistic and musical fields. Companies that produce products or provide services, besides others which have the highest artistic expressions as their goal, from around the peninsula. The one common denominator is: a goal to strive for.

After two chapters which frame the theme and make sense of it, the author lines up a series of chapters, each dedicated to particular characters that you can find in organisations designed to achieve a goal (which may or may not be a business goal in the traditional sense). They taken in the accounts of the CEO, the chairman, the orchestra conductor, the cultural researcher, the film producer, the orchestra director, the healthcare worker, the teacher or trainer, the human resources manager, the manger and so on.

Among the names of the companies and experiences shared are those of SEA Aeroporti di Milano, Concerto Italiano, Banca Etica, Rossini Opera Festival (ROF), Mad Entertainment, Scuola Musica Fiesole, Laminazione Sottile, Fondazione Teatro di San Carlo, Strega-Alberti Benevento SpA, Società del Quartetto di Milano, Ferrarelle S.p.A., puntOorg International Research Network, SDN and Synlab International GmbH.

Everything about Sicca’s book is to be enjoyed, in the knowledge that not all the pages will be in tune with one’s own experiences, but that many others will be able to give readers a more precise understanding of doing business.

O l’impresa o la vita. Storie organizzative ed epiche

Luigi Maria Sicca

EGEA, 2020

The beauty of Dante’s Italy, the literary geography of the towns and cities that fill the pages of the Divine Comedy (just written about by Giulio Ferrini in a fascinating book for the publisher La nave di Teseo). The beauty of the places visited by European aristocrats and intellectuals on the Grand Tour, including Johann Wolfgang Goethe (“Italy without Sicily leaves no image in the soul: here is the key to everything”). In Guido Piovene’s book Viaggio in Italia for Rai and Corriere della Sera”, he goes from Bolzano to Palermo at the end of the 1950s, between reconstruction and the economic boom. It is a fragile country, but one with a strong character that withstands the most dramatic tensions in its history. Testori and Meneghello’s Northern souls, Magris’s sea at Trieste and the sea round Camilleri’s island, Crovi, Guccini, Nigro and Lupo’s Apennines, not forgetting Carlo Levi and the engineer-poet Leonardo Sinisgalli who were inspired by the nostalgia of Basilicata and Lombardy’s industrial vigour. In “Viva l’Italia”, Francesco De Gregori sings of villages and big cities. The Italy of science with Giulio Natta‘s Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Rita Levi Montalcini’s Nobel Prize in Medicine and their impressive roster of heirs. The dynamic Italy of business, whose citizens have been “accustomed to producing beautiful things that the world loves, in the shadow of bell towers, since the Middle Ages,” as Carlo Maria Cipolla so well put it. Industries with strong roots in their places of origin and an innovative outlook, open to international markets. This is a portrait of Italy. With its variety of landscapes and attitudes, it has a mixed identity and a pride in its diversity, a sense of unity that you can see when one Italian looks at another. Italy is a living kaleidoscope.

Italy’s provinces, which are often anything but provincial, now find themselves working to redefine their own future. The most responsible quarters know they must commit themselves to making good use of the 200 billion euro EU Recovery Fund, to fundamentally change their models of economic and social development. To do this, they must move towards a green and digital economy, in other words environmental and social sustainability together with profound innovation in factories, services, consumption and lifestyles.

It’s the name given to the strategy by the European Commission in Brussels that we should note: “Next Generation”. A better future for our children and grandchildren, with long-term investment in schools, training, research and new “clean” technologies. The Italy of dynamic, competitive cities which are open and inclusive (of which Milan may well be a model), and towns that need to be brought back to life, so that widespread industry and extraordinary community culture can play on conducive ground. An Italy that shows itself to be not the “brothel” vilified by Dante, but “the key to everything” described by Goethe, between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, as in the greatest moments in its history.

From being closed in our homes and working remotely (which is really only partly smart, but still linked to digital connections), a fear of crowded places (a neurotic but stimulating characteristic of large cities) and passion for open spaces, nature and gardens, the pandemic has put the idea of a useful division back in our minds. This could potentially mean a different economic and social geography, with the relocation of many activities and a change in personal and family practices, dividing time between cities and small towns. If you can work remotely, why go through the rigmarole of rush hour traffic (and there will be no more rush hour, or almost none), crowded trains and tubes, identical timetables for everyone, living and service choices where hurried, busy humanity is concentrated?

It is true that for some time, the end of the “Fordist” working era has partially changed habits and lifestyles. Now the pandemic has accelerated the process, encouraging people to take up remote working and forcing people and companies to rethink time structures, production processes and service methods. This has led to the rediscovery and revaluation of Italy’s villages, towns, provinces, countryside, hills and even islands. A change in the living and production paradigm will go ahead, encouraged by an appreciation for “soft mobility” and the rethinking of residential forms and functions that are more geared towards “well being”.

For years, prestigious associations with rich environmental and beauty cultures (the Touring Club, Fai, Symbola) and intellectuals with international and vast experience (Renzo Piano with his idea of “mending” the suburbs, Stefano Boeri with the rediscovery of the Apennine villages), far-sighted public administrators and entrepreneurs with a strong civic sense (Dallara in the Emilian hills thanks to the commitment of its CEO, Andrea Pontremoli, Loccioni in the Marche, Cucinelli in Umbria, Carrano in Basilicata and many others) show how Italy, with the cultural and professional wealth of its regions, is already well on its way to designing a different and sustainable quality of production and life. A country to be saved from the risk of decay, villages to be rescued from trends of abandonment. In short, a heritage that can be regained and enhanced.

It’s true that there are problems to solve, even some with great impact, from digital connections to interconnections, to the efficient redesigning of production methods and industrial relations (also radically innovating employment contracts, linking them to productivity results rather than time working in the factory or office), to widespread services (schools, health and leisure). Not all jobs can be “remote” but many, certainly smart ones will be transformed by digital tools. It’s definitely something to think about and reform. The map of economic geography must be redrawn – it’s an extraordinary social and cultural challenge, as well as an ethical one – highlighting a characteristic of Italian history and civilisation: multi-centred and with an aptitude for the rich complexity of interactions.

The recommendations of the Recovery Fund (environment, innovation, social balance, education, energy, research) are ideal for such a task. Woe betide those who waste it.

The 5G network (high speed digital connections) will be part of this strategy, leading to a great change of production and service assets all over the country: if it is managed efficiently, transparently and with attention to the quality of public services, it could be the key tool for Italian development and for linking big cities and small towns, the North and the South, and businesses with markets. It would increase the opportunities for Made in Italy in even the most remote places in the mountains and on the islands. Between smart working, distance schooling, health monitoring and access to all the opportunities offered by the network, it would guarantee the effective participation of everyone in production and cultural life. This is exactly how the Recovery can truly mean reconstruction, restart and recovery. Creating more balance than in the past with its fragility and crises.

A thesis discussed in Pisa examines the relationship between digital tools and company museums

Business histories on show in virtual as well as physical places. A new – in a manner of speaking – tool is available to tell the stories of production culture. Digitalisation can open up different and effective ways for those who want to learn more about good entrepreneurship, as well as the knowledge of production that still plays a great part in national industry. Of course, it is necessary to understand firstly what a corporate museum is and, secondly, how digital tools can help its accessibility. Fabrizio Procopio’s dissertation at the Faculty of Economics and Management at the University of Pisa, has its sights on this objective.

“The impact of digitalisation on Corporate Museums: the case of the Virtual Museum”, is an investigation that looks at the nature of corporate museum exhibitions and their virtual versions. The author explains that the aim is “to provide data about the opinions and attitudes of potential visitors towards the virtual corporate museum.” It is based on one consideration: “Given the progress of technology and its impact on museums, corporate museums cannot be exempt from these changes.”

The work, which was made possible to a large extent by the Museimpresa Association, is organised in a clear and linear fashion. Before getting to the real research, a summary of the topics covered in the research is provided. The first theme addressed is the corporate museum as a service with its connection to marketing services, as a tool for sharing corporate culture and values, and as a vessel for the company to recount and treasure its history. It also covers relations with the region and Corporate Social Responsibility. The second part of the research deals with the digitalisation of corporate museums, this is explored in depth on the basis of evidence that is already present in the literature. It also shows the features and differences between technologies for remote and on site use. This part concludes with an overview of the virtual corporate museums that already exist, paying particular attention to the Valentino Garavani Museum, on which some in-depth studies are carried out (using a field survey). These are related to the opinions and attitudes of the public and the effects of the latest restrictive measures for visiting the museum due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Procopio’s work is certainly not the last word in terms of virtual corporate museums, but it is nevertheless an important step towards the definition and clarification of aspects of production culture that still need to be studied in depth.

L’impatto della digitalizzazione sui Musei d’Impresa: il caso del Museo Virtuale

Fabrizio Procopio, dissertation, University of Pisa, Faculty of Economics and Management, 2020

Recently republished in Italy, this book addresses one of the most interesting subjects of corporate culture

Men and women bring productive organisations to life and both manage to shape the outcomes with behaviours that are different every time. It is good to try and outline careful analysis to understand its meaning and evolution. Studying organisational behaviour is still useful for those who want to get a better understanding of the state and the evolution of companies. Reading the third edition of Comportamento organizzativo (“Organisational behaviour”), written by Massimo Pilati and Henry Tosi, is a good route to take.

The book provides a systematic, scientific and up-to-date analysis of organisational behaviour studies, in relation to both the main theoretical frameworks and the most relevant results from empirical research. Particular attention is paid to the applications and managerial implications of studying organisational behaviour. Written by a professor of corporate organisation and by a professor emeritus of organisation and management, the book illustrates the study of behaviour within production organisations, using multidisciplinary theoretical and research perspectives, in a psychological, sociological and economic matrix. A common objective of this discipline emerges from the pages of the book: study the actions and interactions of individuals and groups in organisations, to understand and predict the determinants of individual, group, and organisational performance, and to explain how they work, identifying potential areas for improvement.

To achieve this goal, Pilati and Tosi begin by addressing character analysis and then the mechanisms related to attitudes, emotions, perceptions and judgements, from the perspective of individuals. Next, they move on to thinking about relationships between individuals and then to the links between people and productive organisations.

The subject matter of the book is certainly not easy, but the pages are written in direct and simple language. What matters most is the development of close links between organisational behaviour and the more general production culture that shapes an entire company.

Comportamento organizzativo

Massimo Pilati, Henry Tosi
EGEA, 2020

A survey just published by Bank of Italy helps shed light on one of the most important issues for industrial production

Robots versus man. Automation versus employment. Clashing opposites. The conflict between human labour and machine work is a subject as old as the Industrial Revolution. At the end of the day, the ideologies and the economic and industrial policy settings that have made history were built on this conflict. It is certainly true that the advent of machines (digitalisation and robots today), brought about major changes at work in some way. We need to take a good look at the facts though. This is covered in “Robots and employment: evidence from Italy” written by Davide Dottori and published in the Bank of Italy’s Questioni di Economia e Finanza.

The author explains that the research estimates the effects of the increasing use of robots on employment in Italy. This is an important objective because our country is the second highest user of robots in the EU, after Germany. The author explains that it is also a complex objective to achieve, as the effects of robotisation “are uncertain, as robots can both substitute and complement human labour”.

In order to try to understand the situation, Dottori conducted analysis at both a local labour market level and using micro-data from an administrative source, ranging from the early 1990s until 2016.

The author’s findings indicate that there does not appear to be any statistically significant negative effects on the increased use of robots on overall employment at a local level or on the average employment and wages of incumbent workers in manufacturing at an individual level. Robotisation may have contributed, however, to the cross-sector reallocation of new workers, by increasing the share of the tertiary sector.

In other words, with the use of statistical instruments, Dottori’s research indicates that the introduction of robots to the Italian manufacturing industry has contributed to a kind of transformation in factory work, that has probably not yet finished and that forces a change in production methods and culture. This is a change that not only affects entrepreneurs and managers but all the players in the production process.

Robots and employment: evidence from Italy

Davide Dottori

Bank of Italy, Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers), no. 572 – July 2020

Say the words “soft power” and the sharing of ideas, cultural discussions, political debates, opinions based on good journalism, artistic initiatives, literature and film immediately come to mind. In short, the “discursive” public opinion favoured by Jürgen Habermas, i.e. critical and well-informed public discourse, along with parliamentary democracy, diplomacy and courteous relations between different people, in order to find common ground. Think about it a little more and you realise that soft power can also be the manipulation of ideas, the spread of fake news, using social media to spread fear, hostility, political and social tension. Either way, soft power is the power of stories and the words used to create them.

So it’s worth trying to understand this a little better. Let’s refer to the first Soft Power Conference, organised earlier in the week at the Cini Foundation in Venice by Francesco Rutelli, founder of the Soft Power Club, former minister of the Environment and of Cultural Heritage and mayor of Rome. The objective was to revive the profound meaning of the ideas of the American political analyst, Joseph Nye, a professor at Harvard. He was the author of a series of studies on the subject in the early 1990s, which were then made into an extremely original book on contemporary political thought in 2004: Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics (the Italian edition was published by Einaudi in 2005).

Soft power is the “other side” of so-called hard power, power politics based on military might, the amount of economic growth or using force in international relations. The bipolar balance between the USA and the USSR dominated the world from 1945 until 1989, from the end of the Second World War to the long era of the Cold War and the tentative “de-escalations”, until the fall of the Berlin Wall and the implosion of the Soviet empire. After this, the 1990s and 2000s were times of globalisation, new players on the international stage, radical changes in public opinion, all boosted by new technologies. There are also environmental and social crises, leading up to the current fears about the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the dramatic global recession.

In Venice, it was said that a new world order is needed, which revives the values of dialogue, discussion and the power of ideas. This would address the tensions of new nationalism and overbearing populism. It would positively engage political and economic players, cultural elements and social forces to create the stories which shape and describe new world balances.

Faced with waves of nationalist and racist clashes, we need policies of inclusion and integration, based on the assimilation of rights and duties. Faced with unrestrained and unregulated globalisation (the hard power of the strongest), we need to reform and strengthen international bodies, shifting from the free trade favoured by the OECD in the early 2000s (foreign trade without limits) to fair trade, a trading system that takes environmental, social and personal rights into account. Faced with temptations and the dark fascination of old and new authoritarianism, this is the revival of liberal democracy. Faced with new developments in the digital age, there needs to be a strong focus on combating manipulation, fake news, network oligopolies and the risks of cyber crime.

In the Corriere della Sera, Rutelli summarises: “In a ‘unipolar’ period dominated by the USA, Nye argued for the value of an equilibrium based on mutual understanding between nations, dialogue based on pluralism and cultural diversity at the same time as the ability to do business. Now everything has changed, but global interdependence seems even stronger, to help prevent selfishness and radical polarisation leading to new conflicts. We need to revive a meeting space, reminding everyone how vital the responsible use of the internet and social media is.”

The main focus is on Europe, the institutions and the political choices of the EU, which, in this time of crisis, is reviving policies of cooperation, the values of liberal democracy and market economies with strong social values. The “Next Generation” recovery fund, aimed at young people, the environment, innovation and greater social balance, is a good example of the use of soft power both for EU citizens and players on the international scene. It calls to mind the positive effects of the Marshall Plan, which was praised by Nye and with which the USA led the post-War reconstruction in Europe and consolidated the global influence of a great democracy.

There’s another term, which was dear to Nye, that has a lot to do with soft power, well interpreted by a liberal scholar: ethics. His latest book is Do Morals Matter?: Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump (recently published by Oxford University Press). He argues that ethics play a central role in international relations, despite the contrary views of the “realists” who refer to Machiavelli and Hobbes. The positive example in this case also has roots in Europe: “European liberalism, in the Kantian tradition, states that certain values are universal and must also be applied to foreign policy” (La Repubblica).

To sum up, soft power as a system of values and network of trusting relationships between institutions and society, politics and citizens, markets and business. The sign of a positive model for “quality” development, which the West and Europe can still boast of being good examples of.

The new Pirelli Foundation Educational programme for the coming school year is all set to become entirely digital. Two live-streamed meetings for teachers on Tuesday 22 and Thursday 24 September will give a detailed introduction to the courses for primary and secondary schools with an explanation of the new forms of access and programming. Since 2013, the courses have been focusing on issues related to Pirelli’s business culture and have usually been held at the headquarters of the Pirelli Foundation but this year they have been transformed and, for the first time, they will take place entirely online, thus reaching out to schools across Italy. In the second part of the presentation, participants will be able to go on a virtual guided tour of the Historical Archive and exhibition spaces of the Pirelli Foundation to discover the great wealth of the company’s historical and artistic heritage.

Ever since the spring, Pirelli Foundation Educational has been assisting teachers in distance learning by providing in-depth digital content that can be downloaded from the site. From September, interaction with school classes will be even closer, with several live events, and activities to be carried out independently. This will involve the use of e-learning content based on the materials in our Historical Archive (photographs, documents, audio-visuals, and vintage advertising materials), together with moments of discussion and debate with the students about the work they have carried out.

Primary schools in particular will be able to enter into the world of inventors and inventions, finding out about the relationship between artists and the factory, and listening to stories from leading authors.

Lower secondary schools will have the opportunity to learn about the greatest innovations introduced by Pirelli in almost a century and a half of history, with articles written by great twentieth-century writers for Pirelli magazine, and they will learn about the transformation of the urban territory of Milan.

Lastly, upper secondary schools will find out about the history of a multinational company and today’s digital factory, from the development of its advertising through to the modern concept of sustainable mobility.

To take part in the online presentations of the new programme, please write to scuole@fondazionepirelli.org, giving your name and surname, main areas of interest, and the name of your educational institution.

Full information about the project will be published in the area of the website devoted to education.

To keep up to date on all our activities, you can sign up to the Pirelli Foundation mailing list at the bottom of this page.

The international nature of Pirelli’s audio-visual campaigns as portrayed by famous endorsers from the worlds of sport, cinema, television and fashion: this is the theme chosen for our participation in the third edition of Milano Movie Week, an event organised by the City of Milan from 14 to 20 September 2020. A sweeping programme to promote and bring out the best of the world of cinema and audio-visuals: screenings in collaboration with the Milanese film festivals, reviews and special events in cinemas, meetings and in-depth analyses, and streaming events with talks, interviews, documentaries, films, and workshops. We will be online on 18 September at 6 p.m. with a must-see event: a live virtual tour through the Pirelli films that have made the history of international communication, giving participants a close-up look at the celebrity endorsers who, over the years, have interpreted the values of Pirelli and its products around the world. Marilyn Monroe, who modelled Lastex yarn in 1952, the driver Juan Manuel Fangio, who played the lead in Carosello television commercials for the Pirelli Cinturato, and stars of the silver screen like Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot, and Jane Fonda on the covers of the house-organ Vado e torno. In the 1970s the tennis player Adriano Panatta showed off Superga shoes and then, in the 1990s, world stars like Sharon Stone and the athletes Carl Lewis and Ronaldo were chosen for the campaigns created by the Young & Rubicam agency. A whole series of testimonials for the “Capital P”, who still continue to convey a global message.

Booking required. Please write to visite@fondazionepirelli.org by 15 September, indicating the first names and surnames of the participants.

Full information on the virtual tour will be provided in the booking confirmation e-mail.

Looking forward to being with you!

A look at a newly published book on the economy, and its future, based on the principles of Christian ethics

The company – the good company -, designed, built and managed from a different point of view. Guided, not by profit at any cost, but by ethics and in particular Christian ethics. Let’s be clear straight away, this company is not a religious business. But much more. What does this mean? Let’s look at “Less is more. The monastic Rules of Francesco and Benedetto to restore soul to the economy, finance, business and work”, by Francesco Antonioli.

Antonioli is an experienced journalist, and therefore a close observer of facts, but he also is a specialist in the connections (many and complex) that exist between the world of economics and that of ethics and spirituality. On first impressions his is an easy book to read, but this is only because it is well written,
in reality this is a complex work that requires careful reflection. The author’s central theme is the possibility of truly building an economy based on the great principles of Catholic Christianity. This does not mean there is no room for profit and efficient economic management of business. But it means something much more complex and the idea is fascinating.

Antonioli writes ““Less does not in any way mean decreasing. It means withdrawing, yes, from indifference, individualism, conflict and from the bulimia of consumerism and wealth. Actually it means to be more. More civilised, more fulfilled, more human and happier. Yes, less is more. You need creativity, and even a little madness, you need to be hungry for the future”. This is about greater modernity and, therefore, good corporate culture.

The book – as is evident – began with the The economy of Francesco initiative, when Pope Bergoglio called five hundred young economists and entrepreneurs under 35 to Assisi and invited them to write a “pact” to change the current economy and inject soul into tomorrow’s economy. Antonioli uses this event as the starting point for explaining his idea of what should be done. Which is a correction of the growth models that don’t guarantee respect for the environment, social equity, the dignity of workers, the rights of future generations. The basis of his work is the teachings of two charismatic saints, Francesco and Benedetto, who in their own way were inventors of financial prototypes and business organisation. He takes readers on a journey to find the answers to questions about how we can change the course of the economy, then moves to an analysis of the problems of the “other economy” (described as “sad and ineffective”), and then finally looks in more depth at the economy according to, firstly, St. Benedetto and then St. Francesco.

Those who see profit as the sole purpose of a company will not agree with Antonioli and neither will those who think the organisation of production is something to be based on the idea of doing good without any thought for efficiency. On the other hand, those who see the economy and businesses as living entities, made up of women and men who are entitled to dignity and respect, those who hope for this kind of production, will find Francesco Antonioli’s book an interesting read.

Less is more. The monastic Rules of Francesco and Benedetto to restore soul to the economy, finance, business and work

Francesco Antonioli

Edizioni Terra Santa, 2020

A thesis presented at LIUC takes stock of corporate welfare and the necessary conditions for its implementation in small companies

Corporate welfare. This is a concept that has taken hold in the daily life of most companies, including medium and small ones. Yet the concept of applying the welfare idea to smaller production companies has yet to find a complete theoretical basis and, above all, wider and more specific application. From this point of view, it is important to understand individual companies. This is the background of Mirko Cassaro’s research, who joins the two concepts in his thesis “Corporate welfare: “Online Work-Life Balance” presented at the LIUC School of Industrial Engineering.

The research has a dual objective, on one hand, to develop the welfare theory in SMEs and, on the other, to see how it can be concretely applied in a real business situation.

After an overview of the most recent theory and rules of corporate welfare, Cassaro then tackles how the “Online Work-Life Balance” project was implemented in an SME in the Lombardy region (Redimec in Settimo Milanese). The conclusions of the research underline the positives of corporate welfare but also the various difficulties individual companies face in achieving a positive balance between profit and efficiency and corporate well-being. What clearly emerges from the work is the need to reconcile production needs with those of the people involved in the production organisation. This is something that can be achieved with the contribution of trade unions and workers, as well as the employer and management, but also with a set of rules shared and accepted by all parties, including the state.

In this relatively short work, Cassaro manages to summarise a theme as complex as that of welfare and gives a concrete snapshot of how it can be applied.

Corporate welfare: “Online Work-Life Balance”

Mirko Cassaro, Thesis, Università Carlo Cattaneo – LIUC School of industrial engineering, Degree course in Management Engineering, 2019