Course in
Management and Innovation in Health and Social Services
Professors: Dr. Mark JG Govers & Dr. Francesco Schiavone
Objectives
The course in “Management and Innovation in Health and Social Services” (MIHSS) aims at illustrating
the main actors, dynamics, and processes of management and innovation in healthcare industries,
organisations and social services. Various perspectives (e.g., public policy-makers, hospitals,
pharmaceutical and medical technologies companies) will be considered, analysed and illustrated to
students. The course will cover and offers examples and cases from specific subsectors in life sciences
(such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and diagnostics) and in health services (e.g.,
healthcare technology). The learning objectives of the course are listed below:

Understand the dynamics and actors shaping the competitive environment of healthcare
organisations;

Become aware of the main theories and tools available to understand internal and external
environments;

Examine the design and realization of organisational strategies aimed at establishing and
maintaining competitive advantage;

Understand the main dynamics, trends and issues of innovation in the healthcare,
pharmaceutical and medical industries;

Understand the main technological domains of healthcare industries;

Become aware of the main processes and actors supporting disruptive medical innovation.
Program
The course is structured in two basic modules.
Module 1 focuses on strategic management in healthcare and social services. The module develops
along four main topics: basics of strategic management in healthcare services, competitive analysis of
internal and external environment, design of organisational strategies and strategy realisation.
Module 2 focuses on innovation in healthcare and social services. The module covers four “building
blocks”: basics of innovation and technological innovation in healthcare, the industries of health and
medical technologies, the development and diffusion of healthcare innovations, and the emerging
trends in medical innovation.
Bibliografia
Burns L, Bradley E, Weiner B. 2011. Shortell and Kaluzny's Healthcare Management: Organization Design and
Behavior. Cengage Learning.
Elton J, O’Riordan A. 2016. Healthcare Disrupted. Next Generation Business Models and Strategies. Wiley.
Additional readings will be assigned throughout the course.
Didattica del corso
Frontal lessons. Case studies. Project works
Metodo di valutazione
Project work at each module (50% of the final grade). Final written exam – based on required readings
– at the end of the course (50% of the final grade).
Note
The platform Blackboard will be used to distribute extra material and for all other communications.