Corporate governance and strategy

People with expertise in this area
Research interests

Andrea Beretta Zanoni: Full Professor
Silvia Cantele: Associate Professor
Andrea Chiarini: Associate Professor
Silvano Corbella: Full Professor
Corrado Corsi: Associate Professor

Paolo Farinon: Assistant Professor
Andrea Guerrini: Associate Professor
Paolo Roffia: Associate Professor
Silvia Vernizzi: Associate Professor

Research interests
Topic	People	Description
Corporate governance in SMEs	Paolo Roffia	Study of corporate governance considering the local firm as small and medium-sized enterprises. Focus oriented to the analysis of the specific characteristics of these companies and of the peculiar features that can be further developed. Use of quantitative empirical analysis, with sample surveys (mainly through questionnaires and the use of databases) for studying the population of local businesses, as well as the qualitative analysis of some case studies through interviews.
Process of formulation and implementation of corporate and business strategy	Andrea Beretta Zanoni Silvia Vernizzi	Analysis of current trends on formulation and implementation of strategy in companies of various sizes (medium size in particular), considering the relevance that has been ascribed to the transition from structural risk conditions to structural conditions of uncertainty redesigns strategic processes and partly redefines the concept of strategy itself. There is a continuous critical monitoring of the best scientific literature on the topic and, above all, through the analysis of specially selected case studies.
Internal auditing	Paolo Roffia	Focus on internal controls and the link with the Italian regulatory compliance referred to in Legislative Decree 231/2001. The research methodology used focuses on the use of quantitative empirical analysis, with surveys (mainly through questionnaires and the use of given databases) aimed to study the population of local businesses, as well as qualitative analysis of some case studies through interviews.
Governance in water services	Andrea Guerrini	Study of the European water cooperatives for the evaluation of the possible differences in performance between the operators organized in the form of a cooperative and those with a more "traditional" governance, such as the municipal companies, the joint-stock companies with private partners, the private public partnerships (PPP). The performance measures observed are, among others, the tariff, the planned and realized per capita investments, the ability to collect financial resources from banks and other lenders. Analysis of the corporate governance models of European water cooperatives, mapping some of the main decision-making processes. Extension of the cooperative model applied to water services to other European countries or regions, in addition to those in which it is already widespread, identifying any conditions necessary for its adoption.
Compliance program	Silvano Corbella	Within the broader field of Internal Control Systems, study of corporate compliance systems, with particular reference to a specific case of “compliance program” required by Italian legislation: Organization, Management and Control Models ex D.lgs. (pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001). Use of both case studies, developed in coherence with methodologies of analysis acknowledged in international literature, and a practical-interpretative approach aimed at publishing a business contribution in the context of a commentary coordinated by a team of business law scholars.
Business networks: antecedents, life-cycle and critical success factors	Silvia Cantele Silvia Vernizzi	Analysis of the business networks phenomenon, from the standpoint of antecedents that enables the collaborative strategies and of expected outputs in terms of competitive advantages for firms in the networks. The life-cycle stages and the possibile failure factors that lead to termination or stasis are analysed. The research methodologies consist in interviews, focus groups, but also quantitative analysis.
Strategic operations management and performance measurement systems	Andrea Chiarini	Deployment methods of strategic objectives, aligning operations processes and introducing innovative performance measurement systems
Firm’s values and performance of SMEs	Corrado Corsi Paolo Farinon	Analysis of firm’s values and of their influence on financial performance. Recognition and analysis of specific value-systems in local context characterized by a high concentration of “excellent” firms (among which, province of Vicenza). Quantitative and qualitative research methods; case studies analysis; theoretical discussion.