Business History

Code: HIS12613L

3 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/78 hours

Scientific Area: History

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Presentation

This course in Business History aims to provide students with essential knowledge about the historical path of large companies in their productive, management and marketing dimensions, also considering their political interaction with culture and societies.

Sustainable Development Goals

Erradicação da pobreza - Acabar com a pobreza em todas as suas formas, em todos os lugares

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Trabalho decente e crescimento económico - Promover o crescimento económico sustentado, inclusivo e sustentável, emprego pleno e produtivo, e trabalho decente para todos.

Learning Goals

In modern economies firms are organised in variety of forms and many very different businesses models co-exist. Firms vary in size, forms of control and organization, managerial structures, forms of governance, core functions and focus, operational scope, uses of technology and labour. The aim of the course is to provide an academic historical knowledge on Firms origins and traditions over time and space, the factors of such a variety of models and forms of entrepreneurial organization, and the dynamics and abilities to adapt to changing conditions of contemporary world. The exploration of this cognitive scope goes along with the development of instrumental skills [oral and writing communication in native language; Reading and working in a professional environment in more than one language], systemic skills, ethical values [academic honesty] and specific skills (understanding the historical foundations and the multiple evolutions and configurations of Business and Capitalism).

1. Business History: Approaches and Debates. Historiography, Economic Theory and Management Studies. The Historical Approaches: from hero and robber (entrepreneur) and black box (firm) to academic research.
2. The long process of invention of enterprise. Scientific Knowledge, Industrial technique, business enterprise, entrepreneurial freedom and entrepreneurs before the Industrialization. The Great Divergence.
3. Dynamics of Modern Capitalism. Varieties, firms and entrepreneurs.
4. The variety of European Capitalism and Family Firms. The Modern Metropolitan and Colonial Portuguese Experience.

Teaching Methods

The course is taught using a mixed method, where the introductory lesson is combined with the analysis of case studies based on reference texts. Lectures introduce key topics, develop the subject overview, and provide students with a framework for reading and exploration. Hands-on exercises during sessions aim to reinforce students' understanding of key readings, topics, and guidelines for exploring the case studies. These exercises, submitted by the moodle platform, are essential requirements for students to perform the two frequency tests.
The attendance tests consist of exercises to control knowledge (basic skills) and the elaboration of a short original individual essay. The final grade is obtained by the average of the two frequencies. Students who do not obtain 7.5 or more in each test must submit to an exam.