Knowledge: - To learn the concepts, models and basic theories to understand what role play entrepreneurs and firms in economic growth. - To know the different types of business organizations. - To understand the dynamics of change in business organizations and its relationship with the transformation of markets, technology and institutions. - To apply the comparative analysis to understand the current business problems, identifying similarities and differences across space and time. Skills: - The students will develop the ability to research, process and communicate information clearly. - The students will develop the ability to work together. - The students will develop the ability to pose questions about the firm and resolve them with the use of economic theory and quantitative methods. Attitudes: - An open-minded attitude towards the alternative approaches for studying the organization of firms. - A flexible attitude to criticize constructively with academic rigor and to accept criticisms. - An open attitude to seek answers to current problems of the firm. - Encourage students' curiosity to address complex issues.

1. Historical overview 2. The rise of big business 3. The emergence of managerial capitalism and the US model 4. The alternative types of firm: Japan 5. Large and dominant? Flexible specialization and industrial districts 6. The alternative types of firm: Europe 7. The alternative types of firm: China 8. Sources of competitive advantage: technological innovation, trademarks, marketing 9. Multinational Enterprises

The knowledge skills and attitudes will be acquired by students by means of: - Lectures - Readings and class discussion of the compulsory and complementary readings - Writing of several essays on the readings. - Class presentations of readings, and - Participation in the discussions that the teacher organizes around readings. The skills will be worked out between the instructors and students with previous meetings, the exhibitions in the classroom, and debates. The attitudes are learned through readings, group work and active participation in class. The course will have the following development: at the beginning of the course will establish a set of basic readings for each topic. As you develop the course will have access to the layout and graphics used in class by the teacher. The aim of the teacher's lectures is that students receive an introduction to each topic, where he summarize the main ideas, concepts, theories and models necessary for its understanding. The theoretical problems posed by the teacher, together with the required readings and individual work of students in search of information, constitute the material that will be articulated in class discussions. The class presentation intended that the student develops the ability to condense an idea and to transmit it in public in a clear, concise and understandable to the rest of his teammates. And to develop their abilities to answer questions about the topic that has worked. The understanding of the theory is secured by the readings, group work and participation in class discussions. The weekly tutorials help to the students in preparing their works, presentations and to enlarge their understanding of the lectures.