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From the buying club’s perspective, the transfer of a player can be interpreted as an investment from which the club expects uncertain future benefits. This paper aims to develop a decision-oriented approach for the valuation of football players that could theoretically help clubs determine the subjective value of investing in a player to assess its potential economic advantage.

We build on a semi-investment-theoretical risk-value model and elaborate an approach that can be applied in imperfect markets under uncertainty. Furthermore, we illustrate the valuation process with a numerical example based on fictitious data. Due to this explicitly intended decision support, our approach differs fundamentally from a large part of the literature, which is empirically based and attempts to explain observable figures through various influencing factors.

We propose a semi-investment-theoretical valuation approach that is based on a two-step model, namely, a first valuation at the club level and a final calculation to determine the decision value for an individual player. In contrast to the previous literature, we do not rely on an econometric framework that attempts to explain observable past variables but rather present a general, forward-looking decision model that can support managers in their investment decisions.

This approach is the first to show managers how to make an economically rational investment decision by determining the maximum payable price. Nevertheless, there is no normative requirement for the decision-maker. The club will obviously have to supplement the calculus with nonfinancial objectives. Overall, our paper can constitute a first step toward decision-oriented player valuation and for theoretical comparison with practical investment decisions in football clubs, which obviously take into account other specific sports team decisions.

The performance of large-scale projects is often challenged due to major environmental changes that occur during their life. However, literature has paid little attention to the governance adaptations required to respond effectively to these changes. This paper aims to study changes in the project environment over time, the corresponding governance adaptations and their impact on project performance.

To ensure triangulation between two sources of evidence, we used both primary and secondary data sources and examined 14 projects through 2 studies, the first focused on seven documented, illustrative case projects and the second on interviews with senior and project managers involved in seven additional projects.

We found the key environmental changes that should trigger appropriate governance adaptations to be market evolutions, technological advancements and sociopolitical events. However, we also found that these necessary governance adaptations are not commonly implemented timely, sufficiently or effectively.

The paper distills the dynamics of large-scale projects in achieving project effectiveness and raises theoretical propositions on the combination of environmental changes and deficient governance adaptations that, over time, turns efficient projects into ineffective projects and discusses implications for theory and practice.

Despite being conjointly stronger in their synergies in the past, there is still a significant gap between management and organization studies and sociology. The temporal lag is also, on occasion, a substantive lag. The emergent sociological concept of emotional reflexivity has recently been used in organizational studies. The question that animates this contribution concerns the nature of this translation, reception, and extension; thus, we ask how organization studies have been using the sociological concept of emotional reflexivity? We will examine recent seminal sociological studies on emotional reflexivity to answer this inquiry and consider some organizational studies citing these. We describe the reception of sociological ideas of emotional reflexivity in management and organization studies literature. By analyzing the differences and disconnections produced within this discourse, it will be possible to understand that emotional reflexivity is rarely addressed in emotional encounters between people and other modes of being in modern organizations. We introduce narrative fiction as a method; the narrative focuses on the relationships between humans and other beings in the workplace dynamics of a vocational school. The story tells how Charlie, a deaf student, changed his life after entering the vocational school and becoming involved with different pedagogical teaching-learning strategies. Adopting two deaf dogs, which had both suffered from past unsuccessful adoption experiences, produced life-enhancing emotional reflexivity. We conclude with a research agenda scoping further directions.

This paper aims to examine the impact of traditional banks’ financial technology (FinTech) adoption on corporate loan spreads and lending practices.

This study examines the impact of FinTech adoption by banks on corporate loan spreads and lending practices. By analyzing data from bank 10-K filings, we develop a novel metric to assess FinTech adoption at the individual bank level. Our analysis reveals a significant positive correlation between increased FinTech adoption and higher corporate loan spreads, particularly for loans that are relatively informationally opaque. This causality is further validated through a quasi-natural experiment. Additionally, we identify trends toward loans with smaller sizes and longer maturities in banks with advanced FinTech integration.

Using a sample of corporate loans issued from 1993 to 2020, this paper documents a significant positive relationship between a bank’s increased FinTech adoption and higher loan spreads. This correlation is especially noticeable for loans that are informationally opaque. Moreover, the paper reveals trends toward smaller loan sizes and longer maturities with advanced FinTech integration in banks. Overall, these findings indicate FinTech enhances efficiency in processing hard information and holds the potential to enhance financial inclusion.

This paper contributes to two significant strands of finance literature. First, it highlights how banks with advanced FinTech integration gain advantages through enhanced processing of hard information. Furthermore, it underscores the role of FinTech in promoting financial inclusion, particularly for those borrowers facing informational opacity.

Although large-scale construction projects can stimulate economic development, they can also cause unanticipated environmental stress. In addition, there are indications that such projects can collide with local cultural structures and create negative social impacts. With a focus on Building with Nature – an initiative towards sustainable hydraulic engineering – this chapter illustrates how nature conservation can be integrated into the daily operation of large-scale construction projects. Also, some insights are presented on the effects of voluntary green behaviour, particularly about challenges and benefits associated with enforcing corporate responsibility. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the role of integrative systematic approaches in analysing the complexity related to multi-stakeholder involvement for the embodiment of SDG14 Life Below Water. Also, some arguments are provided on the value of intergenerational knowledge exchange – linking expertise and experience of industry representatives with innovative concepts from higher education actors – for realising goals linked to sustainable development embracing future generations.

The study explores the current research trends within the responsible leadership (RL) domain and proposes a future research agenda by conducting an extensive review of past research. The study aims to understand recent developments in theories, constructs and contexts in RL literature.

Scopus database is used for the data collection on RL and patterns from 1998–2022. In total, 138 articles were covered for a systematic literature review (SLR) of RL behaviors. Further, the search was extended, and 109 more articles were included for bibliometric analysis of RL using R software. In total, 247 papers were reviewed.

The results present the consequences and antecedents of RL behaviors with external and internal stakeholders. Literature also indicates that researchers are more attentive to empirical studies with internal stakeholders, such as responsible leaders' impact on employee outcomes. Among theories, stakeholder theory's normative integrative and instrumental perspectives are used with RL.

The first limitation of the study is that this study collected data only from the Scopus database and the choice of language was English. Future studies may use other databases, languages and keywords. Instrumental and integrative RL behavioral styles would help balance organizations' financial and social goals.

This research enhances the literature on RL by combining content and bibliometric analysis to develop a more systematic and comprehensive understanding of integrative and instrumental leadership behaviors.

Despite the growing interest in blockchain technology (BCT) applications in the agri-food industry, evidence of their economic and strategic implications remains scarce. This study aims to contribute to filling this gap by jointly investigating how BCT adoption affects transactional relationships, and how it contributes to the firm’s strategic resources.

An explanatory case study is conducted based on a theoretical framework grounded on transaction cost economics and the resource-based-dynamic capabilities view. Six BCT implementations by agri-food firms are studied. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings reveal that BCT benefits depend on how companies integrate technology across their supply chains. In fact, the results suggest that overall transaction efficiency within the supply chain is enhanced only for those firms prioritising stakeholder engagement during technology implementation and leveraging existing trust relationships with economic agents. Moreover, the results suggest that BCT is not yet perceived as a strategic resource, but rather that it has the potential to enhance firms’ operational-adaptive, absorptive and innovative capabilities. When all supply chain actors clearly understand blockchain’s functionality and value, the development of these capabilities becomes more pronounced.

The study identifies two BCT adoption configurations. One primarily focuses on enhancing supply chain efficiency and transparency (dynamic BCT), while the other uses BCT mainly for marketing purposes (static BCT). These configurations lead to varied possibilities for leveraging BCT’s potential advantages. Furthermore, they show how a mismatch between a strategic approach and its chosen configuration could work against any positive impact and lead to disillusionment with the BCT. Thus, managers should assess carefully the impact of such different configuration choices on performance.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to attempt to analyse the economic implications of adopting BCT in the food sector from both a firm and supply chain perspective. Additionally, it shows how interpreting these impacts is contingent on the diverse modalities for embedding BCT into existing supply chains.

The competition in the academe has always been tough, but today, the academe seems to be more like an industry than an academic community as academics are evaluated through quantified and economic means.

This article leans on Heidegger’s thoughts on the essence of technology and his ontological view on being to show the dangers that lie in this quantification of researchers and research.

Despite the benefits that information systems (ISs) offer to people and research, it seems that technology has made it possible to objectify researchers and research. This has a negative impact on the academe and should thus be looked into especially by the IS field, which should note the problems that exist in its core. This phenomenon of quantified academics is clearly visible at academic quantification sites, where academics are evaluated using metrics that count their output. It seems that the essence of technology has disturbed the way research is valued by emphasising its quantifiable aspects. The study claims that it is important to look for other ways to evaluate researchers rather than trying to maximise research production, which has led to the flooding of articles that few have the time or interest to read.

This paper offers new insights into the current phenomenon of quantification of academics and underlines the need for critical changes if in order to achieve the academic culture that is desirable for future academics.

The aim of this research is to elucidate the correlation between open innovation, digital strategies and networking in enhancing agricultural enterprises within the new perspective of Agrifood 5.0. As such, it contributes to making businesses more competitive, especially in the Italian agricultural sector, where small and medium-sized enterprises are highly fragmented. Numerous studies have asserted that the competitiveness of actors operating within a specific territory is closely linked to local identity and image enhancement. Agricultural organizations are undergoing a profound transformation, with technological assets emerging as catalysts for new synergies. Advanced technologies such as robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and automation (AI) are emerging as differentiating elements capable of further advancing the agricultural sector, transitioning it from Agrifood 4.0 to Agrifood 5.0. The empirical analysis of the research shows a positive correlation between a collaborative attitude and a propensity for innovation. Indeed, the data demonstrated that digital strategies and open innovation positively influence competitiveness in agricultural SMEs.

The methodology employed in this study is mixed, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The quantitative aspect involves analysis of the dataset from the Italian Statistical Institute (ISTAT) through logistic regression, while the qualitative component entails analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with a sample of 174 agricultural cooperatives in southern Italian regions (Campania). This approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of the research topic, capturing both numerical trends and nuanced insights from interviews.

After analyzing the data from the 7th General Census of Agriculture conducted by ISTAT, a clear understanding of the sector has emerged, revealing several potential research avenues. It is evident that innovation in the agricultural sector is often driven by the largest and best-capitalized production entities, primarily located in Italy. Conversely, smaller agricultural entities can benefit from networking as new technological assets act as catalysts for new synergies, innovation and competitiveness.

Enhancing the relational contribution within the network and humanizing a fragmented sector are crucial elements for promoting open innovation. Network structuring facilitates the transmission of managerial knowledge, contributing to an overall increase in the intellectual and relational capital of the agricultural sector. These factors, combined with open innovation, enhance the competitiveness of individual firms and elevate the brand of the entire sector, creating a conducive environment for transitioning toward Agrifood 5.0. This transition is characterized by increased interconnection, continuous innovation and overall prosperity. Specific studies on this topic are lacking in Italy, particularly in the southern regions. Therefore, this contribution focuses on investigating the Campania region.

The novelty of this study lies in its investigation of the relationship between agricultural enterprises and innovation in the context of enterprises networking strategies (i.e. associationism and/or cooperation), promoting competitiveness. The limitations of this study are related to the dimension of the sample selected and its relationship with other productive sectors.

This study aims to find the key drivers of green innovation in family firms by examining firm characteristics and geographical factors. It seeks to develop a conceptual framework that explains how internal resources and external environments influence environmental innovation practices in these businesses.

Using machine learning (ML) methods, this study develops a predictive model for green innovation in family firms, drawing on data from 3,289 family businesses across 27 EU Member States and 12 additional countries. The study integrates the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Location Theory to analyze the impact of firm-level resources and geographical contexts on green innovation outcomes.

The results show that both firm-specific resources, such as size, digital capabilities, years of operation and geographical factors, like country location, significantly influence the likelihood of family firms engaging in environmental innovation. Larger, technologically advanced firms are more likely to adopt sustainable practices, and geographic location is crucial due to different regulatory environments and market conditions.

The findings reinforce the RBV by showing the importance of firm-specific resources in driving green innovation and extend Location Theory by emphasizing the role of geographic factors. The study enriches the theoretical understanding of family businesses by showing how noneconomic goals, such as socioemotional wealth and legacy preservation, influence environmental innovation strategies.

Family firms can leverage these findings to enhance their green innovation efforts by investing in technology, fostering sustainability and recognizing the impact of geographic factors. Aligning innovation strategies with both economic and noneconomic goals can help family businesses improve market positioning, comply with regulations and maintain a strong family legacy.

This research contributes a new perspective by integrating the RBV and Location Theory to explore green innovation in family firms, highlighting the interplay between internal resources and external environments. It also shows the effectiveness of machine learning methods in predicting environmental innovation, providing deeper insights than traditional statistical techniques.