Getting the north west of Italy moving again. And promoting the recovery, in the new maps for Italian development, of two geographical areas – Piedmont and Liguria. While the decline of these regions may differ somewhat in terms of scale (greater in Genoa, less in Turin), it nonetheless creates imbalances that are reflected in the competitiveness and productivity of the whole of Italy’s most dynamic territory, which is located at the heart of industrial Europe.

This objective – which has long been highlighted in the analyses carried out by the studies and statistics offices, as well as in economic literature, debates and conferences conducted by the most informed social players – has recently come to the fore in public discourse with the paralysis of transport all around Genoa, as a result of the maintenance work being carried out on the motorway system in order to ensure its safety, which has led to congested traffic and the closure of the port, as well as resulting in major repercussions for the entire north of the country. “Genoa is an island which is far away from everything; the city and its port are cut off from communications with the rest of the country and with northern Europe as a whole, and we are at risk of extinction,” declared Luigi Attanasio, president of the Chamber of Commerce (in the Corriere della Sera, 5 July), ready to send a white paper on the serious flaws in the infrastructure to Palazzo Chigi, as well as to the offices of the European Commission in Brussels: “In economic terms, what’s happening now is worse than the Morandi Bridge collapse.” The Chinese shipping company Cosco (one of the leading international maritime operators) has written to its customers recommending other ports – Rotterdam or Antwerp. And the risk is that once the once the docks have changed, the traffic will be gone for a long while, with profound economic consequences for the whole Italian system (and on the State coffers: less commercial traffic, less in the way of customs duties and other taxes).

The damage suffered by Genoa affects the entire north west. “The heavy restrictions on traffic on the motorway network are also undermining the competitiveness of entire economic sectors in Lombardy, from manufacturing to tourism, resulting in rises in transport and logistics costs, as well as leading to negative effects on the operation of the Ligurian ports, with inevitable repercussions on exports throughout the area,” explains Alessandro Spada, president of Assolombarda (in Il Secolo XIX on 2 July). For some time, however, the entrepreneurs of Assolombarda, the Industrial Union of Turin and Confindustria Genoa have been denouncing the limitations of the logistics systems within the region, criticising the fragility of the infrastructure and the stagnating construction sites: “In 2019, 80% of the projects being monitored didn’t move forward compared to the previous year. And this lack of new infrastructure is combined with the fragility of the existing systems,” continues Spada.

Here’s the point: completing the new infrastructure – from the third railway crossing to the “Gronda di Genova” motorway bypass and all the other works that will enable the entire north west to connect with the rest of the country and with the relevant areas in Europe, including the high-speed rail network – is a responsibility that falls to the government, as is increasingly clear, but those in charge are have unfortunately proved to be careless, indecisive, and rather too prone to putting things off.

Infrastructure is one of the core elements of the recovery plan that the government must present to Brussels in order to benefit from the Recovery Fund resources, which are geared towards the environment and the digital economy, and more specifically, environmental and social sustainability and innovation. But for infrastructure, the government must seek to access the funds that already exist in the public budget but which cannot be spent, due to the tangle of regulations, bureaucratic red tape and the complexity of the various checks that must be carried out: another of the themes upon which the entrepreneurs of Lombardy, Piedmont and Liguria have been particularly insistent.

Still in relatively recent memory is the acronym which, during the economic boom of the fifties and sixties, was used to refer to the “industrial triangle”: Ge.Mi.To, which stands for Genova, Milano, Torino. Today, the fear is that this acronym will become synonymous with suffering, and with an economy painfully in difficulty.

Here, again, we see the harmony of the north west. For some time now, development maps have identified a “new industrial triangle” between Lombardy, the north east of Italy and the Emilia-Romagna region, characterised by high-quality manufacturing, innovative services and a strong emphasis on exports. More specifically, it is the automotive sector – which once played such a central role, with Fiat in Turin, and a very strong supply chain in Piedmont – which now incorporates new areas of reference, from the Motor Valley in Emilia-Romagna and the high-quality component supply networks that span the Lombardy and Veneto provinces, setting their sights on the major German car manufacturers.

The goal is to strengthen Italy’s industrial heart, which lies at the very core of the European manufacturing sector, not least to reinforce the drive to rebuild European supply chains after the pandemic forced us to critically reconsider long industrial supply networks, abandoning these in favour of more balanced “short” industrial supply chains within Europe.

The paradigm of reference is the development of the so-called “A4 region“, the macro-area that stretches from Piedmont towards the Friuli region and the Adriatic Sea and towards Emilia-Romagna, following the outline of one of the busiest motorways in the country and one of Europe’s major “corridors”, the West-East route. Extending from the Atlantic to the Balkans, this road represents a fundamental axis in the north-south intersection which is centred at the point where the Piedmont and Lombardy regions meet, between continental Europe and the Mediterranean. It is this location which – through a fundamental overhaul of the port system, from Genoa to the Adriatic – can help breathe new life into the flailing economy.

Indeed, it is a zone which is teeming within highly competitive businesses (mechatronics, rubber, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, agro-food, etc.), many of which already meet the criteria and objectives of sustainability, digital culture, the data-driven economy and the so-called “knowledge economy”. Here, too, are numerous universities and training centres of international renown, and away from the chaos caused by the pandemic, these institutions are more appealing than ever to international talent. Moreover, this is a region that is well aware of the fact that it is connected with the rest of the country, a region that must act as an allied driving force for a balanced approach to development that also engages the south of the country.

Together, Turin and Milan have a safe bet on the table: they are already home to a number of powerful points of connection within the world of industry, finance (Fondazione Cariplo and Compagnia di San Paolo, Banca Intesa’s leading shareholders, are the most obvious manifestation of this) and last but not least, education (with a number of collaborative projects between the two polytechnic universities and leading international schools). Added to this is a network of transport infrastructures (the Alta Velocità high-speed rail network, but also the motorways) and interesting cultural partnerships (MiTo, the music festival in September, is a good example of this). And finally, a geography that is made up of relationships, and which also involves another of the regions known for its industrial quality, Ivrea, ever associated with the memory of Olivetti, as well as with the current research into new possibilities for business development.

In the post-COVID recovery era, and in order to overcome one of the deepest recessions in our history, the “new” north west may become a key pillar of support for Italy, by highlighting and strengthening the network of relationships between the various industrial supply chains, centres of the “knowledge economy” and innovative services. In a nutshell, collaboration and competition are words that can act as a guiding light as we seek to relaunch the country. And the “Northwest Passage” is a fertile road towards balanced development.

Formula 1 returns on 5 July 2020, and we will be following this unusual season, bringing stories of drivers, cars, and racetracks. Stories in which Pirelli has played its part, on circuits the world over. During the first and second weekend of July, the race will be in Austria, a circuit where champions like Nigel Mansell and Gerhard Berger raced, with Lotus and Toleman, in Pirelli’s thrilling F1 testing season in the 1980s.

The racing calendar will then take Pirelli to Hungary: a competition that harks back to the feats of Tazio Nuvolari, who in 1936, at the age of 44, triumphed with Alfa Romeo in Budapest, in the first Hungarian Grand Prix against his young rival Bernd Rosemeyer with Auto Union. For another two weekends in August, the contest will move to England, recalling the victories of Stirling Moss in his Vanwall in 1957 and Mansell’s later exploits with Lotus in 1983, Ayrton Senna with Toleman in 1984, and Nelson Piquet with Brabham in 1985. The Spanish Grand Prix will be held in mid-August, bringing to mind a race in Barcelona that took place nearly thirty years ago. It was in 1991 when a young driver with Benetton secured an excellent sixth place: his name was Michael Schumacher. After Spain, the races will continue on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, where a champion of the past, Antonio Ascari, drove to victory in his Alfa Romeo P2 in his very last race, in 1925. On 6 September the race will be in Monza, in Italy. Exactly seventy years ago in Monza, in September 1950, Nino Farina in his Alfa 159 fitted with Pirelli Stella Bianca tyres drove to an unforgettable triumph in the first ever Formula 1 World Championship race.

Races with their ups and downs but all with one thing in common: a passion for challenges, the driving force behind a new beginning, both on the track and off.

A recently published article analyses the positive relationship between business culture and digital storytelling techniques

Entrepreneurs may (perhaps) be born not made, but there is no doubt that we can learn to be better in business, and in a more effective manner. However, the path that leads to entrepreneurship is complex, and requires particular training tools, specific learning techniques, and a special focus on the creation of a culture that differs from that which is currently prevalent.

Elisabetta de Marco from the University of Salento has attempted to perform a close analysis of so-called digital storytelling, and its relationship with the creation of entrepreneurial skills. “Digital storytelling e competenze imprenditoriali: analisi di buone pratiche di formazione all’imprenditorialità” (“Digital storytelling and entrepreneurial skills: an analysis of good practices in entrepreneurship training”), which has just been published in Sapere Pedagogico e Pratiche Educative, sees de Marco turn her attention to the “link between training and education in entrepreneurship and digital storytelling,” beginning with the observation that innovative teaching and learning methods and techniques are now widespread in entrepreneurship education. Specifically, digital storytelling is highlighted as a specific inter-subjective didactic device, where learning is viewed as being part of a social and cultural process that emerges from the interaction between the students who are learning and the digital narrative tools employed. As such, entrepreneurial skills arise from the continuous educational interaction between those who are learning and those who give the training, with storytelling used as a learning tool.

De Marco’s essay begins by summarising the history of entrepreneurship education, before moving on to examine the EU policies that focus on this particular field of training. She then touches upon “the pedagogical approach to constructing stories,” or in other words, the ability to learn the art of entrepreneurship through the narration of experiences related to this. The article ends with a series of good educational practices that use narration as a tool for training and learning.

Elisabetta de Marco’s findings certainly help us to gain greater insight into a complex theme; her work is also a good read for all those looking to achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms that help good business culture grow.

Digital storytelling e competenze imprenditoriali: analisi di buone pratiche di formazione all’imprenditorialità

Elisabetta de Marco

Sapere pedagogico e Pratiche educative, n. 5, 2020

A book has just been published on how certain brands have become so inimitable and unique

 Companies that become legends. Or rather, brands that become legends. Objects and images that, on the basis of a particular process of alchemy are transformed from being simply good products into something unique and iconic, inimitable and yet often imitated. True legends. Understanding when, how and where such processes take place is important. These are the legendary brands that can teach us a wealth of things, by revealing to us a culture of production that is able to convey something different to other companies. Legendary Brands. Elogio all’irripetibilità, alla scalabilità e al fascino (“Legendary brands. In praise of inimitability, scalability and appeal”) by Emanuele Sacerdote is a good read if you want a deeper understanding of the alchemy referred to above.

The book seeks to understand the nature of legendary brands, and the process through which they are created. It is important to state from the outset that this is not a business management manual, but rather an account of a journey that touches upon a number of different, unusual and unique business stories.

Sacerdote begins with the observation that masterpieces (in this case businesses) – if they really are masterpieces – can generate a positive alchemic blend of inimitability, scalability and appeal. The author’s argument thus starts with his thoughts regarding the existence of economic (material) and emotional dividends and the often overlooked importance of the last of these. Sacerdote then takes a closer look at the nature of being legendary, attempting to identify some characteristic traits of the characters, events and circumstances that have become legendary over time. As such, using eight examples (Channel, IKEA, Vespa, Ferrari, Armani, Apple, Google and Tesla), Sacerdote identifies 10 exclusive principles: commercial creativity and identity, fame, establishment and stratification, founder, forces, typologies, treasure, empire, regeneration and a better world. These are the pillars that underpin the creation of a “code”, the application of which elevates the brand in question to a higher position than others around it. It is a journey with a number of crucial milestones: innovative discontinuity, public establishment, inter-generational sedimentation and cognitive regeneration.

Emanuele Sacerdote tells the stories of businesses that have given rise to legends, where technology and humanity come together as one. And he recounts all this using a very diverse range of sources of analysis. The result represents a useful lesson for us all: discontinuity and the ability to break the mould are fundamental elements in any brilliant business.

The quote from T.S. Ashton (one of the great analysts of the Industrial Revolution) that Sacerdote includes in his book is wonderful, and still applies today: “Inventions arise more easily in a community that takes intellectual values into account, rather than one in which only material ends are pursued.”

Legendary Brands. Elogio all’irripetibilità, alla scalabilità e al fascino

Emanuele Sacerdote

Editoriale Scientifica, 2020

How can we emerge from this pandemic, and above all, how can we relaunch a process of economic development that is more robust, socially inclusive and sustainable? How can we move beyond the fragility that has been dramatically revealed to underlie our complex and interconnected societies, which are fast, frenetic, obsessed with progress but oblivious to limits and inequalities, and increasingly exposed to environmental, social and health shocks? Or in short, how can we transform the pain of the Covid-19 crisis into an opportunity for better growth, in a country like Italy that has long been characterised by low, non-inclusive growth?

It’s partly a question of merit, choices, investments and reforms. But it’s also a question of method, which is closely related to good policy and relationships between the government, political forces and various social players. The latest idea being discussed in these fraught weeks is that of “negotiated democracy“.

Let’s begin with merit. We must decide how we can effectively use the extraordinary financial resources made available by the loosening of EU restrictions, the ECB’s decisions on liquidity, the SURE and ESM funds (which it would be irresponsible not to use, given that the 36 billion euros up for grabs comes with negative or zero interest, and just one constraint, namely that they be used for general health care, which means new and better hospitals, pharmaceutical research, quality of care, but also stimulus packages for the robotics and healthcare equipment industries, two high-tech areas in which Italy excels) and the 170 billion euros and more in the Next Generation EU recovery fund, destined to support the Green Deal and the digital economy.

Conte’s government has not shown any evidence of clear thinking; internal disagreements between the political forces of the coalition are tearing them apart, and the government is taking refuge in rhetoric and propaganda (the concept of the Estates-General, the useless proposal to cut VAT, the postponement of decisions regarding the ESM, etc.), and one is reminded strongly of the lucid, cynical comment attributed to Giulio Andreotti: “It is better to scrape by than to give up entirely.” The opposition, which is divided internally, alternates between anti-EU statements (above all from Lega) and calls for a government led by Draghi (a pillar of the EU and the ECB policies who is unpopular with anti-EU populists), suggestions for a flat tax and displays of a deep sense of responsibility for and a shared commitment to the anti-crisis measures (Forza Italia and its leader Silvio Berlusconi).

And yet, there is a whole catalogue of clear, serious choices the government could make in order to get the economy back in gear and focus on growth in the medium term. There are the 120 pages to the “Colao plan“, many of which are teeming with practical proposals. Or there are the 91 “simple” anti-bureaucracy proposals, prepared by Carlo Cottarelli and sent last Saturday to the Ministry of Public Administration (as explained in great detail in La Repubblica). Or indeed, the “proposals for development” contained in the weighty “Italy 2030” volume presented at Assolombarda last week, and edited by 12 of Italy’s top experts in the socio-economic sphere, containing both extensive analytical data and a wealth of concrete proposals. But there is also the first in a series of Confindustria documents, dedicated to energy and competitiveness, which have been met with great appreciation by the Minister of Development Stefano Patuanelli; further documents on infrastructure, bureaucracy, productivity, the labour market, innovation, etc. are being prepared, and Partito Democratico has also already presented its “plan for industry.” In short, there is no lack of ideas or proposals. Not to mention an extensive body of expert, well-supported economic literature.

What are in short supply, though, are lucidity and the political strength to choose and launch the debate in parliament, in order to create a reliable plan for programmes and begin investment and reform.

This leads us to the second question, of method.

In order to get the country back on track, we need a comprehensive, convergent commitment from all political and social forces, similar to the one we had during the other serious crises in recent Italian history – from the immediate post-War period with the constitution and reconstruction, to the response to the economic crisis and terrorism during the Years of Lead, right up to the terrible year 1992, which saw the political and judicial crisis of Tangentopoli, attacks by the mafia on the state, like the bloody murders of magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, and the dramatic speculative attack on the lira in the late summer of that year.

We emerged from these events with an assured sense of political and social unity. And indeed, it was in the early Nineties that Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, as prime minister, launched the season of “coordination”, a government decision that served to dampen radical conflicts with a style of discussion based on getting the essential answers that were needed. There is a political class that – in spite of the storm that was Tangentopoli – has succeeded in getting high-quality people into institutions. The business community and the trade unions are in agreement that reforms, modernisation of the economy and privatisation and then closer connection to the EU are the main way to save Italy from degeneration and decline.

During a period of difficult transition such as this, the government at the Quirinale serves as the main point of reference and assurance, with its succession of prestigious figures who demonstrate a solid sense of responsibility and a strong political and institutional culture: Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Giorgio Napolitano and, now, Sergio Mattarella.

In the current crisis, which is the result of the pandemic and the recession, there is much to be done in order to get a frightened and impoverished Italy back on its feet. The nation’s health has been wounded, but above all, so has its trust in the future.

These are difficult times, where seriousness and a sense of responsibility are needed, and not demagoguery and illusions about the extraordinary powers of a single “strongman”.

This is why the idea of a “negotiated democracy” is beginning to gain ground in public discourse, as eloquently described in a recent essay which features in the latest issue of Il Mulino by Carlo Trigilia, professor of economic sociology at Cesare Alfieri School of Political Sciences at the University of Florence and former Minister for Territorial Cohesion in the Letta cabinet, as well as in the pages of the book Italia 2030 – Proposte per lo sviluppo (“Italy 2030: proposals for development”), which we have mentioned previously. The idea has also been firmly adopted by none other than the new president of Confindustria, Carlo Bonomi.

It is a choice to involve the various political forces – the opposition included – in the preparation of government decisions. It is a choice to pay attention to parliamentary dialectics. To enhance the role of representation and mediation played by key social players and intermediaries. It certainly isn’t the wearying downward spiral of mediation in the absence of a majority political agreement (which is how things stand currently). Nor is it a game of endless discussion and postponement. Far from it. If anything, it is a willingness to listen to and make room for knowledge and skills, legitimate interests well embedded within a general framework, cultures that are widespread in civil society. And then, the government will be called upon to decide on investments and reforms. Not the usual media posturing then, but rather a period of serious, timely, essential work, on what must be done and how, on the obstacles that must be overcome, and on the deadlines and time scales that must be respected.

At least for now, the season of “majority democracy”, of “personal parties” and of a leader-centric approach to politics based on the exasperation of instant consensus (with all the deviations urged and endured through social media channels) has ended, and we find ourselves in a difficult socio-economic phase, where trust must be rebuilt and where the mechanisms of wealth, innovation and well-being must be relaunched.

Inclusive growth is one of the possibilities on the horizon, which is naturally very different to the “high non-inclusive growth” of Anglo-American liberalism (marked by social imbalances and growing inequalities) but also to the low non-inclusive growth that has characterised Italy. The point of reference is Germany, a country that is wisely changing course with respect to the ideological orthodoxy of having the “accounts in order”, rediscovering the good sense behind a solid decision which is focused on inclusive growth and strong social cohesion, in order to relaunch Europe (the memory of Thomas Mann’s dictum is strong: we need a European Germany, and not a German Europe). A proportional electoral system (with electoral threshold), coalition governments, the involvement of social players in key decisions.

The route chosen by Portugal also points to very interesting paths, involving as it does the centre-right opposition in the general decisions promoted by the centre-left president.

This also provides a number of useful indicators for Italy. It is truly a negotiated democracy, with a strong sense of responsibility and some serious teamwork. Ambitious projects for development, to finally raise Italy out of the swamp that is its stagnating economy. And of course, a concrete approach to government.

How many times have the paths of the Quadrifoglio and the Long P crossed in the hundred and ten years of Alfa Romeo’s history? On 7 March 1924 the engineer Nicola Romeo, who for some years had been the owner of the Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, founded in 1910, wrote to the Spettabile Agenzia Italiana Gomme Pirelli: “We are extremely satisfied with the performance of your new Superflex Cord tyres on the chassis of our four-cylinder R.M.” This was the 2-litre phaeton that Alfa entered for its first motorcar races, the ancestor of the legendary 8-cylinder P2 driven by the champions Antonio Ascari and Giuseppe Campari. The conquest of the World Grand Prix Championship with Gastone Brilli-Peri in 1925 was the crowning glory of an Alfa Romeo-Pirelli partnership that was destined to make history on circuits across all Europe, when the triumphs of the Quadrifoglio were linked to the name of the designer Vittorio Jano.

This close feeling with Pirelli continued with Enzo Ferrari, who started putting his own name to Alfa racing cars in 1929, riding to victory in the Targa Florio and in the Mille Miglia, with drivers of the calibre of Tazio Nuvolari. Not even the Second World War managed to loosen the bond between the two companies: when competitions started up again in 1950, the Alfetta 158, driven by Nino Farina and fitted with Pirelli Stella Bianca tyres, won the first Formula 1 World Championship, and it did so again the following year, in 1951, with Juan Manuel Fangio in a 159. Alfa + Pirelli was a combination that became legendary in the collective imagination, and indeed it became the true protagonist of the film Last Meeting, which was shot on the Monza circuit with Juan Manuel Fangio and Amedeo Nazzari. The two companies pulled out of circuit racing – almost at the same time – but this did not prevent their shared passion for motorcar racing from finding new stories and new adventures. Like that of rallying, where Pirelli began leading the way in the late 1960s and where Alfa took part in races with the Giulia GTA. And then there was Gran Turismo, in which the cars of the Quadrifoglio rode to victory thanks to the efficiency of their Pirelli P7 radials. A hundred and ten years out on the circuits: Alfa Romeo together with Pirelli. A hundred and ten years on the roads, and the two great brands, protagonists of motorsport and of the Made in Italy label, still have a great future ahead.

Recently translated into Italian, this book sums up the principles of Toyota’s management system

Change, but first learning how to change. Then learning how to resolve the problems (not just in management) that can crop up every day in companies. These challenges are not exclusive to today. The knot of issues that needs to be untied is quite tight. Read Toyota Kata, a book by Mike Rother that has recently been translated into Italian. It’s a good read to begin to untangle the knot.

The book is inspired by the finding that change and the impossibility of forecasting are key features of our times. Ruthless competition, new technologies and changing market conditions make the survival of companies increasingly complex. These situations require flexibility on the one hand and the ability to deal with tasks methodically on the other. The book aims to teach you to be a manager or a team leader, by practising daily routines, called “”“Starter Kata”. The team leader is also a coach, who teaches his team a way of thinking and acting so they can solve problems autonomously.

The real heart of this book is about combining a scientific method with a management method. “Scientific thinking,” as indicated at the start of the book, “is not limited to what scientists do to validate a theory, but it is a way of thinking and acting that enables us to solve problems, without jumping to unfounded conclusions arising from our prejudices about reality and without being paralysed by what is not yet known and often frightens us.”

The book has a simple structure. It starts by looking at scientific thinking and how some of its principles can be transferred into daily practice. The second part looks at the activities that those who work in the company must undertake to be able to apply the scientific method: understand the “challenge”, understand the current condition, set a goal, conduct experiments to move towards the goal. The third part is aimed at the managers of company working groups. The book ends with a series of diagrams and worksheets that can be used for the practical application of what you just read.

Mike Rother’s book is definitely a challenge within a challenge. It can surprise in some places, seem trivial in others and be innovative in others still. It should definitely be read with an open mind.

Toyota Kata. Guida pratica

Mike Rother

GueriniNEXT, 2020

Among the various engineers who made Pirelli great, Mario Mezzanotte undoubtedly deserves a prominent place. From the 1960s to the 1990s, he applied the experience he had gained in the world of racing to the development of road tyres, helping Pirelli establish itself in the segment of high performance tyres and putting it into the leading position that the group still holds today. Mezzanotte joined Pirelli in the 1950s, first working in the Tyre Technical Department, where in 1959 he was one of the inventors of the BS3 tyre with a separate tread. In 1970 he was appointed head of the Tyre Development Department in the US and, shortly after, he became the manager of the sports sector. Pirelli had withdrawn from Formula 1 in 1956 to focus on the development of new radial tyres for road use, but in the late 1960s it entered the rally racing sector. Success was not long in coming, especially with Lancia and the driver Sandro Munari. After the first victory in 1972, with the Fulvia HF, Lancia started racing with the Stratos, an extremely powerful vehicle specially designed for competitions, which needed tyres with a wide tread to ensure maximum grip and safety on uneven roads. Pirelli initially experimented with slick racing tyres, but they were too rigid for the uneven tracks. Going entirely against the general belief that a radial could never meet the demands of a racing tyre, Mario Mezzanotte had a brainwave and made one using a specially modified mould for a slick. And thus it was that the Lancia Stratos abandoned the conventional 205/70-14 and switched to the 225/50-15 radial tyres with a metal belt. Fitted out like this, it won the Rally 4 Regioni in 1974, coming in about a quarter of an hour ahead of the runner-up. The P7 had come into being as the first low-profile radial tyre, which offered considerable grip, a long life, and an absence of vibrations and noise. It was the perfect tyre for racing cars. After its success in rallying, it was also used on circuits, first in Formula 2, in 1979, and then, from 1981, in Formula 1. It was fitted, for example, on Nelson Piquet’s Brabham when he won the French Grand Prix in 1985. His Pirelli radials played a decisive part in this victory, allowing Piquet to skip the pit stop for new tyres while the other competitors had to make one or more stops to replace theirs. Its performance meant that the P7 was chosen as original equipment by several car manufacturers, including Porsche – for its revolutionary 911 Turbo – and Lamborghini. Mezzanotte and his team continued along this successful line and, learning from their experience in racing, a few years later they developed a new low-section road tyre, code-named Zeta, for speeds of over 240 km/h. It was renamed P Zero, to signify the absolute – total perfection. Experimentally introduced as original equipment on the Lancia Delta S4 in 1984, it was officially launched in 1986 as exclusive equipment for the Ferrari F40, and it went on to be adopted by other super cars such as the Lamborghini Countach Anniversary and the Jaguar XJ 220. It was the progenitor of a line of high-performance tyres that combine performance, comfort and noiselessness, and still today it puts Pirelli in the top spot in the high-performance segment. A position for which the foundations were laid back in the 1970s thanks to the intuition and work of Mario Mezzanotte.

A thesis discussed at Roma Tre University brings order to the vast world of links between productive techniques and people

Control but motivate. Discipline in production, with human participation. The pendulum of modern business management oscillates between these two points. Eternal issues binding the inseparable issues of financial results and personal incentives to work. These issues must always be addressed carefully and can change considerably, depending on your perspective.

Reading Giulia Bulzomì’s thesis, discussed as part of the Graduate Course in Training and Human Resources Development at the Roma Tre University, is a good idea if you want an overview that helps you unravel the different theories and interpretations of the reality.

Bulzomì’s reasoning begins with the statement that “the corporate system is placing increasing importance on the profound changes that are affecting organisational management models, as well as human and social life models.” It’s a complex transformation, that affects companies and the people who work there (and spend most of their lives there) at the same time. Bulzomì explains that “Typically the aim of a company is to make profit, whereas the needs of the individual are his own and do not coincide with those of the company. The alignment of these two sets of needs, which naturally originate from two different paths, means that corporate culture has turned its gaze to a broader outlook of objectives, shifting its focus from productivity for its own sake, to productivity framed within a systemic and long-term vision that involves employees and their well-being. The correlation between this and productivity has been established.”

From a historical perspective to the present day, this research aims to address how literature and companies have sought to combine the two different sets of needs and how historical, economic and social transformations have influenced thought on the issue.

Giulia Bulzomì starts by considering the principles that sustain the company and then moves on to those relating to the motivation of people within companies. In this section, motivational theories, modern motivation techniques, the role of stakeholders from the area, the social context in which the company acts and the company’s social responsibility are reviewed. The last part of the work looks at four cases of “corporate humanisation”, among them Olivetti, and Cucinelli, but also Ferdinand IV of Naples and III of Sicily, who signed the Statute of San Leucio in 1789, regulating the processing of silk on an industrial level. In other words, motivation within companies is not just a current issue.

Giulia Bulzomì’s work has the great advantage of putting a complex and constantly evolving issue in order, and of doing so in a clear and understandable way.

La persona all’interno dell’organizzazione: tra controllo e motivazione

Giulia Bulzomì

Thesis, Roma Tre University, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Graduate Course in Human Resources Training and Development, 2019

Companies operate in at least two different, yet converging, time frames. The medium to long term, for implementing projects and programmes. And real time, for taking decisions, reacting to market changes and taking small steps towards final results. They know how to manage daily timings to control production, sales and stock to avoid excesses. Equally important are the slower, well planned and managed timings for transforming an initial product or service idea into research, through the engineering processes, to production and market supply. Time is allocated for quarterly statements, especially for publicly traded companies. There is also time for the annual budgets or, for the most organised and far-sighted, three-year rolling budgets, which are updated to take macro and micro economic news, social and political developments, the “black swan” effect of sudden events (such as coronavirus, environmental disasters or the neurotic, aggressive tantrums of a ruler with little control) into account. Companies live on time, following the rhythms of their extraordinary complexity and working to simplify things. They do things. They take a long look at every plan and a briefer look at its execution, implementing things that have been announced and promised well and in a timely manner.

But politics runs on a different time to companies, especially in a liberal democracy. It involves long and often tedious times for dialogue and debate, looking to mediate between different demands and for the hard-won conquest of consensus. Things can’t be drawn out for too long though, or they become paralysed, which leads to disillusion at betrayed promises. Politics can’t claim to have the same efficiency as a company (due also to its different governance structure and chain of command). It must be efficient though. A good example of execution can be learnt from companies: take a decision and then know what to do, how, and when, with the correct choices, intermediate goals and clear individual responsibilities. The Conte government should bear these points in mind in taking the necessary decisions for dealing with the Covid-19 emergency and setting out a credible, achievable development plan.

The convergence of good political and economical culture, a sense of responsibility to govern well and with clarity of implementation, was the basic idea that inspired “Italy 2030 – Proposte per lo sviluppo” (“Italy 2030 – proposals for development”). This collection of essays, edited by Marcello Messori and Renato Carli, is published by La nave di Teseo, with a foreword by Carlo Bonomi, president of Assolombarda when the book was conceived and now president of Confindustria. The individual essays are by Pierpaolo Benigno, Agar Brugiavini, Carlo Carraro, Marcello Clarich, Ilvo Diamanti, Massimo Egidi, Gabriele Pasqui, Salvatore Rossi, Enzo Rullani and Carlo Trigilia. The board of trustees who reviewed the pages was comprised of Giuliano Amato, Luca Bressan and Elio Franzini. These are all prestigious scholars of economics and politics, several also involved in running companies, universities and financial structures. Some even hold government positions. It’s an original blend of knowledge, skills and experience. In the background, there are at least three big names from the best of 20th century culture: Max Weber, Hans Kelsen and above all John Maynard Keynes have been critically reread, in light of developments of historical ideas and events, which are at the centre of our controversial contemporary world.

The book was presented to Prime Minister Conte by President Bonomi, during the Confindustria meeting at Italy’s States General and launched publicly during a widely viewed webinar from Genio&Impresa, Assolombarda’s web magazine. The pages analyse the reasons for the very low growth of the economy and the stagnant swamp of productivity, which has been at a standstill for over 20 years. This is mainly due to excessive and confusing legislation, inefficient public administration and public services not facing real market competition. Over these years, the best companies have invested, innovated, exported and conquered significant shares of international markets. However, the country remains stalled.

The combination of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic recession has compounded the conditions in Italy.

That said, if addressed properly, the crisis could be an extraordinary opportunity to restart and change, despite the illness, the deaths, the long economic and social paralysis, fears, new cracks that exacerbate old imbalances and increasingly intolerable inequalities, including those of generation and gender.

In addition to the analysis, “Italy 2030” has clear indications on “what to do” and also “how to do”, on the responsibilities of politicians and the role of social forces. Reform and execution, as good corporate culture teaches. The project. It’s implementation.

It’s true that there is no great news in the pages of the book. Just as there is none in the document from the Committee of Experts appointed by the Government and led by Vittorio Colao. Or in other documents, plans and projects that have been discussed in recent weeks. Italian ills, the accumulated factors that hinder its modernisation and growth, have been known for some time. There is abundant economic and social literature on the subject. Unfortunately, it isn’t widely read or taken into account (and this isn’t a recent phenomenon) in the halls of government, with few exceptions.

The hope is that now, when faced with the urgency of decisions, the government will finally decide what to do, how and when. A radical basic choice, which “Italy 2030” explains with great clarity. No more gratuities, subsidies and bonuses handed out at random, as if Italians were subjects in need of protection, but a serious investment plan for change and national growth, based on some fixed key points: productivity, competitiveness, environmental and social sustainability and innovation. In other words, material and intangible infrastructure (such as European 5G), schools and training, research, public administration and judicial reform, stimuli to radically improve the quality of our human and social capital, benefits and job market (with a particular focus on much higher female representation).

No subsidies (except for those who have lost income or jobs due to the emergency), early pensions, generic flat tax or vague VAT reductions. Investments are what’s needed. There should also be a really innovative industrial policy choice, one with an EU feel which strengthens “enabling factors,” one that stimulates productivity and growth in companies, things that jobs, well-being, social cohesion and change depend on.

The financial resources made available by the EU, in various ways (including budget overruns) are huge: almost 500 billion over the next three years, with a massive 750 billion injection from the “Recovery Fund”, called the “Next Generation” (Italy should get around 170 billion of it from 2021 onwards). Money to spend well, according to the common guidelines specified by Brussels: green economy and digital innovation. The funding can also be used as an accelerator for other private investments.

There is also a basic political idea, which is already stirring debate: a “negotiated democracy”, which involves the responsible participation of economic and social forces. Not the populist and ineffective suggestions of “a strongman in command”, “full powers”, plebiscite authoritarian rule that empties parliament, locally elected assemblies and the other loci of liberal democracy. It should be based on a habit of competent discussion with social bodies, so politicians can make knowledgeable decisions with a sense of responsibility, taking the general interest of the country into account first.

When the Ciampi government faced very difficult times of crisis in the early 1990s, one of the finest eras of “cooperation” comes to mind, paving the way for European integration and the adoption of the euro, an extraordinary strong point. Going back even further, the agreement between Angelo Costa’s Confindustria and Giuseppe Di Vittorio’s CGIL, for Italian reconstruction out of the ashes of Fascism and war. It was “first factories, then houses”; in other words, the precedence of work and initiative as a basic condition for restarting the country. With the strength of good governance, a careful examination of the emergency and a forward-looking vision, rather than outbursts of rhetoric and propaganda, we can start again this time too. “Italy 2030” is already around the corner.