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Article
Publication date: 25 November 2014

Davide Menozzi

Sustainability of the origin-based production and promotion system of a geographical indication (GI) depends on the remuneration from the market and the local resources…

Abstract

Purpose

Sustainability of the origin-based production and promotion system of a geographical indication (GI) depends on the remuneration from the market and the local resources reproduction. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the sustainability and the development of olive growing and extra-virgin olive oil production in the Emilia Provinces (northern Italy) using the origin-based quality virtuous circle as a conceptual framework.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 11 personal interviews and one focus group with six olive producers were conducted to assess the product potential and the willingness to set up rules for value creation and preservation of local resources. A survey of 100 extra-virgin olive oil consumers was performed to examine the product perception and consumers’ willingness to pay.

Findings

The origin-based quality virtuous circle was used as a conceptual framework to deal with the different aspects involved in the development and sustainability of the GI system. The results show that the value creation and preservation process of extra-virgin olive oil production in the Emilia Provinces has good potential, although many problems still exist, such as a lack of technical and agronomic expertise, and the lack of organisation among the producers. These weaknesses should be addressed to enhance the potential for sustainable development of the GI system.

Practical implications

The creation of a GI organisation, such as a Consortium, may play a central role in coordinating collective action, such as providing technical assistance, managing the internal rules and controls system along the supply chain, and the marketing and communication strategies.

Social implications

The future development of olive production, by reducing the risk of land abandonment, would contribute to landscape protection and improvement of the geological structure of the Emilia hilly areas, which are under serious threat of soil erosion and landslide events.

Originality/value

This study represents the first attempt to evaluate the economic and development potential of olive growing and extra-virgin olive oil production in non-specialised areas, using the origin-based quality virtuous circle as a conceptual framework.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 116 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 10 December 2021

Roberta Troisi and Gaetano Alfano

This paper analyses emergency management in two regions of Italy – Emilia-Romagna and Veneto – in order (1) to understand whether they impact on the spread of local coronavirus…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper analyses emergency management in two regions of Italy – Emilia-Romagna and Veneto – in order (1) to understand whether they impact on the spread of local coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) contagion and (2) evaluate which strategy works best.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-step method was developed consisting of (1) a regional incidence curve analysis; (2) a descriptive statistical analysis of the respective operational measures related to the COVID-19 curve stages; and (3) a dynamic Structural Equation Model.

Findings

The results show the effects of the models during the various stages of the local contagion, focussing both on the two individual regions and a comparison of the way they responded.

Practical implications

Three theoretical implications are highlighted: (1) Better results are not necessarily the outcome of increased expenditure; (2) The overall rigidity they both show does not work; (3) The decision to centralize was, to some extent, effective for both regions.

Originality/value

The article empirically tests the effectiveness of emergency management in tackling a single event. Instead of the widely-used normative approach, the authors adopted a descriptive one, which is not frequently discussed in the emergency management literature.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 35 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 September 2013

James Ogunleye

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which workplace learning forms a building block in national lifelong learning policies by obtaining evidence, first-hand…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which workplace learning forms a building block in national lifelong learning policies by obtaining evidence, first-hand, from mental health practitioners about their perceptions of their individual country's national lifelong learning policy and, in particular, its application to adults with long-term mental illness.

Design/methodology/approach

Text analysis: review of relevant literature and European Union policy documents and survey questionnaire.

Findings

It is evident that the use of workplace learning as a linchpin in national strategies for lifelong learning in Denmark and France is clear and empirically supported.

Research limitations/implications

Comparative evidence of evaluations of impact and effectiveness of workplace lifelong learning provision in the two countries examined is patchy at best raising further questions about the “value” of investments in both workplace learning and lifelong learning in these countries.

Practical implications

There is a risk that by focusing on jobs and workplace learning, the specific needs and desires of people with mental illness who, in the main, might want to engage in lifelong learning for reasons other than jobs and workplace learning, may end up being disadvantaged as their (non-economic) needs go unmet.

Originality/value

Until now there has been little or no attempt to examine Europe's conception of lifelong learning policy and its application to a multiple disadvantaged group such as mental health service users. This is a major attempt to remedy current dearth of research in the area.

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2006

Lois McFadyen Christensen

Early childhood social studies students deserve to learn in a powerful, in-depth fashion about their interests with teachers who facilitate cognitive and affective growth…

Abstract

Early childhood social studies students deserve to learn in a powerful, in-depth fashion about their interests with teachers who facilitate cognitive and affective growth. Humanistic teachers offer democratic learning experiences characterized by exploration and inquiry within a challenging and caring environment. Growth toward acceptance of all types of diversity and every classmate is featured. Through discussion about social studies topics, learners proceed to graphically represent what they learn. This powerful social studies learning is found in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The tenets, strategies, and approaches are easily transferable and modified to create powerful and exemplar early childhood social studies learning for social rights and social justice. Early childhood is the perfect place to set social justice learning in motion.

Details

Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 1 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1933-5415

Article
Publication date: 5 June 2017

Annachiara Scapolan, Fabrizio Montanari, Sara Bonesso, Fabrizio Gerli and Lorenzo Mizzau

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the behavioural competencies of directors and managers working for cultural organizations and their relationship with organizational…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the behavioural competencies of directors and managers working for cultural organizations and their relationship with organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts an ESC competency modelling process and the technique of the Behavioural Event Interview as the primary source of data collection. In particular, the authors interviewed 14 directors and managers of six performing arts organizations operating in Emilia-Romagna, a region located in Northern Italy.

Findings

Findings show that directors and managers of cultural organizations are characterized by a specific set of social and emotional (e.g. persuasion and empathy), whereas cognitive competencies, such as quantitative analysis, are less frequent. Findings highlight also that a balanced portfolio of behavioural competencies emerges as importantly correlated with high organizational performance.

Practical implications

Findings offer relevant managerial implications for the design and implementation of a coherent set of human resource management practices, which allow cultural organizations to reach above-average performance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between managerial competencies and the performance of cultural organizations, taking into account specific kinds of competencies – namely, behavioural competencies – which have been neglected by the previous literature.

Objectivo

Este estudio pretende investigar las competencias comportamentales de los directores y managers que trabajan en las organizaciones culturales, y la relación entre estas competencias y la el desempeño organizacional.

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Este estudio usa el proceso ESC competency modelling y la técnica de la Behavioral Event Interview. Sobre todo, entrevistamos 14 directores y managers de seis organizaciones de espectáculos en vivo que operan en Emilia-Romagna, una región del Norte de Italia.

Hallazgos

Encontramos que los directores y managers de las organizaciones culturales muestran un conjunto especifico de competencias sociales y emocionales (persuasión, empatía, etc.), mientras que las competencias cognitivas son menos frecuentes. Hallazgos muestran también que un portfolio balanceado de competencias comportamentales está correlacionado con alto desempeño organizacional.

Implicaciones prácticas

Los Hallazgos ofrecen relevantes implicaciones administrativas por el diseño y la implementación de un sistema coherente de prácticas de recursos humanos, que permite a las organizaciones culturales conseguir un alto rendimiento organizacional.

Originalidad y valor

Este articulo contribuye a una mejor comprensión de la relación entre las competencias de los managers y el desempeño de las organizaciones culturales, sobre todo considerando competencias específicas (las competencias comportamentales) que los estudios pasados han descuidado.

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2016

Francesco Lolli, Rita Gamberini, Bianca Rimini and Francesco Pulga

The purpose of this paper is to present a modified failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) in order to make the assignment of the scores for the occurrence factor more robust…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a modified failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) in order to make the assignment of the scores for the occurrence factor more robust, and to link the FMEA chart directly to the maintenance activities.

Design/methodology/approach

A well-known clustering algorithm (i.e. K-means), along with a normalisation approach, are applied and compared for the assignment of the occurrence scores. Subsequently, the relationship between failures and maintenance operations is made explicit by a correlation matrix. Finally, the K-means algorithm is applied to the maintenance operations again in order to sort them into priority classes.

Findings

It is found that this revised FMEA approach improves the standard one due to its more rigorous mathematical formulation and lean applicability in real operating environments.

Research limitations/implications

The novel approach may be improved by a deeper statistical analysis and/or applying the fuzzy theory.

Practical implications

A real case study is introduced in order to show the applicability of this approach to the quality control of a blow moulding process. It is found that this approach reveals a high potentiality for dealing with real issues.

Originality/value

The paper provides a further step towards bridging the gap between theory and practical application of the FMEA approach.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 33 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2010

Alberto Rosi, Alessandro Codeluppi and Franco Zambonelli

Starting from the premise that digital screens are pervading our everyday urban and social environments to serve a variety of purposes, the purpose of this paper is to show how…

1694

Abstract

Purpose

Starting from the premise that digital screens are pervading our everyday urban and social environments to serve a variety of purposes, the purpose of this paper is to show how screens can be made aware of what is happening around them and – based on specific strategies – adapt accordingly the advertisement flow to supply to users more engaging contents.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents an overview of future pervasive advertisement scenarios, and sketches the architecture and implementation of a system for adaptive context‐aware pervasive advertisement. Subsequently, with the help of a simulation environment, the paper evaluates the performances of several adaptive context‐aware advertisement strategies, and compares them against non‐adaptive ones.

Findings

The paper demonstrates that, in a wide range of conditions, an advertisement system based on adaptive context‐aware strategies leads to a gain in terms of commercial value with respect to traditional non‐adaptive strategies for advertisement broadcasting.

Practical implications

A system for pervasive advertisement could be easily brought to life, leading advertisement companies to a much more targeted exploitation of the screen resource and, eventually, to higher revenues.

Originality/value

Adaptive advertisement systems can offer notable commercial advantages over traditional advertisement systems even when visitors demonstrate poor collaboration towards the system.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 6 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 March 2018

Elisa Martinelli, Giulia Tagliazucchi and Gianluca Marchi

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the formative dimensions of organizational resilience – namely dynamic capabilities (DCs) and social capital – displayed by retail…

2706

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the formative dimensions of organizational resilience – namely dynamic capabilities (DCs) and social capital – displayed by retail entrepreneurs in the face of natural disasters (i.e. the 2012 Emilia earthquake). The paper evaluates social capital and the various types of DCs that support small entrepreneurs’ resilience during three temporal units of analysis: before the earthquake, during the emergency period, and during the recovery process.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was performed by applying a qualitative approach based on two focus groups and a double set of semi-structured interviews administered to a sample of eight small retail entrepreneurs hit by the 2012 Emilia earthquake. Content analysis was then applied.

Findings

The findings show that DCs and social capital are instrumental to enhancing organizational resilience; moreover the contribution of each category of DCs (reconfiguration, leveraging, sensing and interpreting, learning and knowledge integration) and social capital to entrepreneurs’ resilience changes according to the temporal phase of the natural disaster under analysis.

Research limitations/implications

This study will provide small retailer entrepreneurs and public authorities with useful insights on how DCs and social capital can practically support recovery paths at different times in the occurrence of a natural disaster.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the scientific debate on organizational resilience in disaster management, studying it through the lens of DCs and social capital, and analyzing the role of different types of DCs in developing entrepreneurs’ resilience during the various periods of a natural disaster. Moreover, it contributes by applying the concepts of resilience and DCs to a poorly investigated entrepreneurial context such as the retail one.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 24 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2020

Fernando G. Alberti and Federica Belfanti

This paper aims to contribute to the debate about creating shared value (CSV) and clusters, by shedding light on how clusters might generate shared value, i.e. cause social and…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to contribute to the debate about creating shared value (CSV) and clusters, by shedding light on how clusters might generate shared value, i.e. cause social and business benefits, hence focusing on the following research question “do clusters create shared value?”

Design/methodology/approach

The study relied on social network analysis methods and techniques. Data have been collected from both primary and secondary sources, in the empirical context of the Motor Valley cluster in Emilia-Romagna. The authors computed three independent and four dependent variables to operationalize the concept of cluster development and shared value creation. A multiple regression quadratic assignment procedure and, more specifically, the most accurate model of that procedure, that is the double semi-partialling method, has been carried out to answer the research question. Finally, empirical evidence has been complemented with other cluster-level data recently collected by the Italian Cluster Mapping project.

Findings

The findings confirm how the development of the Motor Valley cluster in Emilia-Romagna contributed to the creation of economic and social growth opportunities for all the actors. The study shows that clusters do create shared value and the chosen cluster development variables do explain much of the business and social impact variables at a very high statistical significance level.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the under-explored research on clusters and CSV with a very first attempt in providing quantitative evidence of the phenomenon.

Details

Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal , vol. 31 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1059-5422

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2010

Ciro Gardi, Claudio Bosco, Ezio Rusco and Luca Montanerella

The aim of this paper is to propose a methodology based on the use of a simple and accessible database, such as Corine Land Cover (CLC), for providing an in depth evaluation of…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to propose a methodology based on the use of a simple and accessible database, such as Corine Land Cover (CLC), for providing an in depth evaluation of environmental sustainability. This evaluation has been carried out through the analysis of factors such as landscape and habitat composition, the level of biodiversity, the degree of anthropisation and soil sealing and the arable land availability.

Design/methodology/approach

Starting from the analysis of some of the existing approaches for the evaluation of environmental sustainability, this paper presents a GIS approach, based on the use of the Corine Land Cover (CLC), and other sources of geographical data, aimed at producing several thematic Environmental Sustainability Indicators, and one synthetic index.

Findings

The proposed methodology was found to enable a satisfactory assessment of the environmental state, at territorial scale, starting from an easy accessible land use data set. The adopted approach is tailored by the CLC, but can easily be adapted to other land cover/land use classification systems. The applications presented in this paper have been applied to a relatively small area, and other tests should be performed across Europe for a better evaluation of the methodology. However, the results obtained from the Emilia‐Romagna case study, showed a realistic and coherent picture of the environmental status in the area. Similarly to other successful sustainability indexes and/or indicators, the main advantage of the LUSI is the possibility of synthesizing, as a single value, the environmental sustainability of a given territory.

Originality/value

The application of the proposed methodology relies essentially on land use data and can be easily executed in batch mode, using simple models or script in a GIS environment. Contrary to other environmental sustainability indicators, where the land use data are only a sub‐set of the data required, LUSI core data set is represented by the Corine Land Cover, or other equivalent geographical database.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 21 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

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