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Course

The following course is offered through the Canadian Business History Program.

The following course is offered through the Canadian Business History Program.

RSM2030 Understanding the Now: 

Context, Capitalism and Canada in a Globalized Business World

Instructor: Professor Dimitry Anastakis

RSM 2030 examines the evolution of modern Canadian business, capitalism and globalization from its beginnings up to today.  The course will look at these concepts from a historical perspective and draw lessons from the past to understand these issues today.  Themes include the development of entrepreneurship and firms from family firms to modern corporations, the impact of technology, industrialization, trade and globalization, Keynesianism, and protectionism and free trade.  We will also explore more recent business and economic developments, such as digitization and financialization of the economy, automation, deindustrialization, and the emergence of neoliberalism.

 

Target Audience and Course Mission

This course is aimed at students who may be relatively new to Canada, with little or no background in Canadian history and, also, for students who may have had some prior interest in business and Canadian history.  The best business leaders know that only by understanding the past can they shape the present and the future.  Thus, the course mission is to sharpen Rotman students’ abilities to utilize the lessons of the past to be more adept at making decisions that are applicable to contemporary Canada, Canadian business, and global capitalism.  

 

Course Scope and Key Issues

Utilizing a “glocal” approach that combines Canadian, US and global cases, this course explores the evolution of modern Canadian business, capitalism and globalization form the late 19th Century to the early 21stKey issues include entrepreneurship and firms, family firms, industrialization, globalization, Keynesianism, protectionism/free trade, digitization, financialization, automation, deindustrialization, failure, and the emergence of neoliberalism.  

 

Assignment Options

As an elective course, RSM2030 is designed to give students the widest range possible of assignment options, including Case Studies, Corporate Report Analyses, Firm Studies, Book Reviews, Podcasts, Digital/Walking Tours, Business Biographies, and traditional Essays.  Students are encouraged to propose their own assignment topics and options in any areas that may particularly interest them, which often connect Canadian issues to international cases, events and stories. There are no exams in the course.

 

Guest Speakers:

Depending upon availability, visitors to RSM2030 will include leading practitioners and senior business leaders as guest speakers.