Maffeo Pantaleoni’s ‘totalizzatore’ and corporate performance measurement systems

The scientific production of Maffeo Pantaleoni testifies to the variety of topics explored and the interdisciplinary nature of this Italian economist. Some of the topics discussed are also of interest from a business economics perspective, as highlighted in the literature by several contributions concerning the principles of assets and liabilities valuation (D’Amico and Palumbo, 2017; Gonella, 2012; Sargiacomo et al., 2012), business equilibrium and economic dynamics (Biondi, 2004a and Biondi, 2004b), and the nature and role of the entrepreneur (Paolini, 2021). The study covered in this chapter belongs to such research avenue, analysing a specific tool developed by Pantaleoni with an economic-business interpretive key. In particular, the aim is to delve into the Pantaleoni’s ‘totalizzatore’ (totalizer) as described in his work “Observations sur la semiologie économique” (“Osservazioni sulla semiologia economica”; Pantaleoni, 1892), highlighting how this can be considered a forerunner of modern scoring systems. This offer the possibility of discussing some of the advantages and limitations that characterize current corporate performance measurement systems.