Corporate identity and image

The competitiveness of a company results from numerous factors, both tangible and representational, which constantly influence each other. In today’s business landscape, intangible factors have become increasingly important. A company’s identity serves as the glue that enables organizations to navigate ever-changing and unstable environments. It allows companies to evolve rapidly while maintaining distinctive and recognizable traits that strengthen relationships with stakeholders, influencing and stabilizing their perceptions of the organization. Understanding and proactively managing these intangible aspects enhances corporate strategizing, particularly by revealing the crucial role that explicit discussions around these elements play in shaping strategic decisions.

This course equips students with the knowledge to understand the significance of an organization’s identity, corporate branding, image, and social judgments—particularly reputation—in management and corporate strategy development. It provides both theoretical insights and analytical tools to navigate and influence these critical areas for effective strategy formulation.

In presence

This course consists of approximately half lectures and half activities designed to expose participants to close-to-reality thinking and experiences. In particular, the group activities will focus on developing a business model for a hypothetical company, shaped through a progressive analysis of company's identity, its brand, competitors' corporate images, and potential social evaluations directed toward the company. Students are expected to actively work in groups on assignments (work-out units) both during class sessions and outside of class. 

Each student's evaluation will be based on the following criteria:

• Team’s work-out activities: 30% (Individual grades may be penalized for "free-rider" behavior in teams)
• Final Exam: 70%

The course is considered passed if the student achieves an overall sufficient grade, calculated as the weighted average of the components listed above. 
Excellent participation and contribution to discussions in class will be rewarded with up to 0.5 bonus points towards the final grade.