Unit INNOVATION AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Course
Engineering management
Study-unit Code
A005332
Curriculum
In all curricula
Teacher
Andrea Genovese
Teachers
  • Andrea Genovese
Hours
  • 72 ore - Andrea Genovese
CFU
9
Course Regulation
Coorte 2025
Offered
2026/27
Learning activities
Caratterizzante
Area
Ingegneria gestionale
Sector
ING-IND/35
Type of study-unit
Obbligatorio (Required)
Type of learning activities
Attività formativa monodisciplinare
Language of instruction
English
Contents
The course adopts a critical and interdisciplinary perspective on technological innovation and organizational change. Unlike traditional Innovation Management courses, which focus primarily on processes, R&D, and innovation strategies, this module interrogates the deeper dynamics of innovation: how it transforms economies, organizations, and societies; who benefits and who bears the costs; and whether current innovation trajectories are sustainable and socially desirable. The course explores four complementary perspectives: innovation as a driver of economic development (Schumpeter, Polanyi), innovation as a socially constructed process (SCOT, Actor-Network Theory), innovation as an arena of power and conflict (Marx, platform capitalism, AI), and the role of innovation in the transition towards sustainability (post-growth, green innovation, degrowth). Organizational change is analysed as the mechanism through which technological and social transformations become real within organizations.
Reference texts
A collection of selected readings will be provided by the lecturer on a weekly basis. The readings will be drawn from the following authors and works:

Acemoglu, D. & Restrepo, P. (2019). "Automation and New Tasks". Journal of Economic Perspectives.

Bijker, W.E., Hughes, T.P. & Pinch, T. (Eds.) (1987). The Social Construction of Technological Systems. (Selection).

Geels, F.W. (2011). "The multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions". Research Policy.

Jackson, T. (2009). Prosperity Without Growth. (Selection).

Marx, K. (1867). Capital, Volume I. (Selection).

Polanyi, K. (1944). The Great Transformation. (Selection).

Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut Economics. (Selection).

Schumpeter, J.A. (1942). Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. (Selection).

Srnicek, N. (2017). Platform Capitalism. (Selection).

Additional readings and materials (slides, case studies, excerpts, videos) will be made available on the University's e-learning platform.
Educational objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Critically analyse the role of technological innovation as a driver of economic development, identifying the mechanisms of "creative destruction" and long-wave cycles (Schumpeter, Polanyi).

2. Apply the perspectives of the sociology of technology (SCOT, Actor-Network Theory) to understand how technologies are socially constructed and co-evolve with organisational practices.

3. Evaluate the distributive implications of innovation, analysing who benefits and who bears the costs of technological transformations, with particular reference to automation, platform capitalism, and AI.

4. Analyse the role of innovation in transitions towards sustainability, critically evaluating the limits of technological solutions and the potential of alternative approaches (green innovation, circular economy, degrowth).

5. Understand organisational change as a response to technological and social pressures, developing analytical skills for transformation processes within organisations.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the fundamentals of business organisation and strategic management, acquired at a Bachelor's level.
Teaching methods
The course consists of lectures and guided discussions for a total of 72 contact hours.

Lectures combine theoretical explanations with the discussion of cases and critical readings.
Other information
Attendance: Attendance is not mandatory but is strongly recommended.

Office Hours: The lecturer is available to students for consultation. Office hours will be communicated at the beginning of the course.
Learning verification modality
1. Individual Essay / Project Work (50% of final grade): An individual essay on a topic of innovation and organisational change chosen in agreement with the lecturer. The essay requires the application of at least two of the theoretical perspectives of the course to a real case or to a contemporary issue.

2. Final Oral Examination (50% of final grade): An oral interview aimed at verifying understanding of theoretical concepts and the ability to critically connect the different perspectives of the course.
Extended program
The course is articulated in the following content.

Part I: Innovation as Economic Transformation
Week 1: Introduction to the course. Why is innovation central to capitalism? Limitations of conventional models. Schumpeter and "creative destruction". The entrepreneur as an agent of change. The long waves of Kondratiev. Polanyi and the "great transformation". The market as a social construct. Fictitious commodities and the "double movement". Schumpeter vs Polanyi: two perspectives compared. Change Management: how firms respond to Schumpeterian cycles. Guiding question: Is innovation always beneficial for the economy? Heterodox perspectives: innovation as discourse. Exercise: discussion of a contemporary innovation through the lenses of Schumpeter and Polanyi.

Part II: Innovation as a Social Process
Week 2: Introduction to the sociology of technology. Why are technologies not "neutral"? The social construction of technology (SCOT). The case of the bicycle. Actor-Network Theory (ANT). How human and non-human actors associate to create innovation. Socio-technical systems. Change Management: how organisations adopt (or resist) new technologies. Guiding question: Who (or what) drives innovation? Heterodox perspectives: technology as a "discourse" that embeds values and interests. Exercise: analysis of a technological case using SCOT or ANT.

Part III: Innovation, Power and Capitalism
Week 3: Marx and the machine. Labour and technology in industrial capitalism. The substitution of labour and the creation of surplus value. Automation and the future of work. Acemoglu & Restrepo: the tension between substitution and "reinstatement". Is AI a "de-skilling" technology? Change Management: how organisations manage (or undergo) technological transformations. Guiding question: Is automation inevitable? Is it desirable? Heterodox perspectives: technology as a tool of control and discipline. Exercise: debate on a case of automation.
Week 4: Platform Capitalism and Data Capitalism. Srnicek: how digital platforms transform capitalism. Data extraction as a new form of value. Who captures the value created by innovation? Inequalities generated by innovation. Change Management: the role of labour, resistance and conflict in organisational transformations. Guiding question: Does innovation create or reduce inequalities? Heterodox perspectives: the "promise" of innovation as ideology. Exercise: analysis of a platform economy case.

Part IV: Innovation and Sustainability
Week 5: Introduction to sustainability and transitions. Why is innovation not sufficient to solve the ecological crisis? The limits of "green innovation". Geels' multi-level perspective (MLP). How do socio-technical transitions occur? Change Management: how organisations respond to sustainability pressures. Guiding question: Is green innovation sufficient for the ecological transition? Heterodox perspectives: the myth of the "technological solution". Exercise: analysis of an energy transition case.
Week 6: Beyond growth: post-growth, degrowth and doughnut economics. Jackson, Hickel, Raworth. Innovation and degrowth. Change Management: transition as systemic change – the role of managers in the transition towards a sustainable economy. Guiding question: Can we have innovation without growth? Heterodox perspectives: degrowth as a challenge to the innovation paradigm. Exercise: debate on "Are innovation and degrowth compatible?".

Part V: Applications and Synthesis
Week 7: Case 1 – Automotive in transition: The automotive industry between electrification, automation and sustainability. Integrated application of the course perspectives. Change Management: how automotive companies manage the transition. Exercise: analysis of a real case (e.g., Tesla, Volkswagen, Toyota).
Week 8: Case 2 – AI and the future of work: The impact of AI on sectors and professions. Who benefits? Who is replaced? Change Management: how organisations manage AI adoption. Exercise: structured debate on "Is AI progress for society?".
Week 9: Case 3 – Platform Economy: The rise of digital platforms. Labour, data and power. Change Management: how organisations transform into platforms. Exercise: analysis of a real case (e.g., Uber, Amazon, Airbnb).
Week 10: Case 4 – Innovation and sustainability: The energy transition. The circular economy. Social innovation. Change Management: how organisations respond to sustainability pressures. Exercise: analysis of a real case (e.g., Patagonia, Interface, Enel).
Week 11: Synthesis lab: Connecting the four perspectives. Innovation as a multidimensional phenomenon. Final question: What is the role of the manager in the age of innovation? Change Management: how managers can navigate the complexity of innovation. Exercise: preparation of the project work.
Week 12: Project work presentations and final discussion. Course summary. Evaluation and feedback.
Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
The course contributes to the achievement of the following Agenda 2030 Goals:

Goal 4 (Quality Education): by providing critical and interdisciplinary skills to understand the dynamics of technological innovation.

Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): by analysing the implications of automation and AI on labour and inequalities.

Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): by discussing the role of technological innovation in sustainability and industrial transition.

Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): by applying sustainability and degrowth perspectives to innovation models.