Strategy, structure and market liberalization: evidence from ENI (2000-2006)

The paper explores the relationship between firm’s strategy and its structure through the case study of the Italian public utility ENI. Within the liberalization process nowadays occurring in the Italian gas market, the paper analyzes ENI’s performance in the period 2000-06 and focuses on the most relevant strategic and organizational changes of the firm and their relationship with the energy industry evolution. The analysis is based both on public sources – such as official reports by international authorities – and on private nformation, such as in-depth field interviews with managers of the ENI’s G&P Division, ENI’s management surveys, historical archives and corporate governance reports.