General Information
Instructor Bio
Dimitry Anastakis is the L.R. Wilson/R.J. Currie Chair in Canadian Business History, cross-appointed between RSM and the Department of History. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Canadian business history, particularly the auto sector, and is a regular contributor in the media on issues stemming from Canadian business and history.
Target Audience
This course is intended for 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.
Format
12 weekly sessions. Depending upon availability, visitors to RSM2030 will include leading practitioners and senior business leaders as guest speakers.
Course Mission and Scope
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 21st. Key issues include entrepreneurship and firms, family firms, industrialization, globalization, Keynesianism, protectionism/free trade, digitization, financialization, automation, deindustrialization, failure, and the emergence of neoliberalism.
Evaluation and Grade Breakdown
| Component | Due Date | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Class Participation | Ongoing | 20% |
| Assignment 1 | Week 5 | 25% |
| Assignment 2 Plan | Week 9 | 10% |
| Assignment 2 | Week 12 | 45% |
Assignment 1 options include Case Studies, Corporate Report Analyses, Book Reviews, Business Biographies, and traditional Essays.
Assignment 2 includes the option of a Group Project to create a digital/online/downloadable Walking Tour or Podcast of some aspect of Toronto/Canadian business history, which will be made available to delegates and others attending the Third World Congress of Business History, in July 2026.
There are no exams in the course.
Notes
Course syllabi are available upon request: contact dimitry.anatakis@rotman.utoronto.ca