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Case Study

Prudence and audacity: The house of Beretta

By John L. Ward and Colleen Lief

12 pages

March 2005

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Reference: IMD-3-1495

After over four centuries in business, the Beretta family’s gun making enterprise stands at an important threshold. The family and its hometown have provided the cultural and philosophical underpinnings that have seen the company through good times and bad. Now, the firm must address a more insidious challenge. How to continue to grow and adapt to new market and competitive situations while retaining the core that brought the company to where it is today. The role of corporate culture is juxtaposed with stability in the face of change, dedication to craftsmanship and the latest technology, close-knit family bonds and an ardor for individualism. The exercise of seemingly contradictory business concepts and approaches is examined.

Keywords

Corporate Culture, Adaptation

Settings

Italy
2004

Type

Field Research

Available Languages

English

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