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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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Entrepreneurship involves the skills and competencies needed to identify, develop, and exploit opportunities in new or existing ventures. Studies have demonstrated that entrepreneurship can be learned and taught; for this reason, universities and educational institutions have increased the number of courses, concentrations, master programs, majors, and PhD programs, seeking a better impact on their students, graduates, and communities. As the knowledge of entrepreneurship has increased, one of the emerging areas of study is the analysis of the methodologies to accomplish better teaching and learning of entrepreneurship.

This chapter introduces entrepreneurship as a discipline and presents its theoretical evolution and impact on education through different educational approaches: the first approach is related to the entrepreneur; the second to the process; the third focuses on cognition; and the fourth approach, determines the education of entrepreneurship as a method, involving new educational techniques for developing skills through practice, action, and reflection. Then, there is an analysis of how three universities in Mexico, Chile, and Colombia use these teaching approaches in their entrepreneurship programs. Finally, there is a reflection on the new perspectives of entrepreneurship education, the stakeholders involved, and the role that universities, educational institutions, and government play in the transformation of entrepreneurship education.

In this chapter, I will first describe the field of comparative education in Italy, especially in terms of teaching. I will then describe the topics of interest for comparative education research in 2015. In Italy, not all comparative education studies are singled out as such (Palomba, 2011): some of them formally belong to other areas of educational research. Because of this, it is difficult to draw a topography of what is being done in comparative education. I will rather point at transversal and relevant topics concerning education and Italian society and policy, which are potential subjects for comparative research, today and in the near future. I will close the chapter by describing the activities of the Italian Comparative Education Society (SICESE) and the initiatives they have undertaken to gather in a more cohesive, homogeneous academic space, the researchers who, under heterogeneous labels, de facto, are doing comparative education research in Italy.

The aims of the present paper is electronic publishing has transformed the business model of publishing houses in Spain in such a way that two models currently coexist. The specificities of each of these models were studied and the consequences of each model for the future of electronic publishing in Spain were analysed.

The first stage of this study consisted in locating studies that would allow the authors to obtain useful indicators and statistic data regarding publication in Spain. The second stage of this study consisted of extracting from the sources cited above all data relevant to the study. To wit, these were the number of electronic books published, the major publishing houses offering electronic publications, the major platforms currently selling electronic books, presently available electronic reading devices, the rates of reading on all devices, reading rates itemized by age and educational background and general tendencies in digital publishing and e-reading.

There are traditional publishers of mostly paper-based volumes, whose business models are based on having large catalogues of titles and large print-runs, though print-runs are increasingly smaller and bookseller returns increasingly larger. Intermediary agents operating under this model, for instance booksellers, are subject to ever-greater economic pressures, especially in the current crisis

In the study that follows, the authors attempt to analyse the characteristics behind these changes and learn to what extent these changes will affect the future models of publication and reading in Spain.

The concept of productive/unproductive work is relevant for better understanding the current capitalist economy. As the contradiction between production and the appropriation of surplus value by financial capital becomes more pronounced as it expands, it exerts intense pressure on the appropriation and redistribution of the surplus value. It puts different factions of capital into growing conflict with each other and defines the boundaries of the current geopolitical map of power. The maximization of profits in the productive sector carries on until the possibilities of greater profits are exhausted and the rationale of the capitalist system of exploitation becomes virtually meaningless. The current level of technology with Artificial Intelligence eliminates at the same time any technical impediment to planning an economy. It also has the potential to create the objective conditions for making the move to the most democratic forms of participation in planning.

Literature on cultural districts has repeatedly pointed out the role of place branding as a tool to upgrade the image of urban environment as an indicator of meaning and significance. Throughout the case of UNESCO’s mining heritage district in Sardinia (Italy), the purpose of this paper is to investigate on the role that Place Branding Organizations (PBOs) has and/or may have in the construction of coherent images for landscape and cultural heritage in the design of “sustainable” cultural districts in connection with local authorities’ agenda. At this purpose, the authors propose an operative definition of “partnership building strategy” and a new analytic framework to evaluate PBO’s activity within place branding theory.

Considering what recently expressed by UNESCO about the integration between spatial and cultural planning, the authors focus the research on cultural heritage districts protected by this organization. Starting from the definition of strategy proposed by Anholt (2011) and the participation-based approach outlined by Hankinson (2010), the authors propose a new analytic framework to evaluate PBO’s activity and the authors try to apply it to the experience of mining heritage in Sardinia (Italy), comparing the activity of local PBOs (the Consortium for the UNESCO’s Sardinian Geo-mining Park and the Local Tourism System) with the Development Plan of the Carbonia-Iglesias Province. In the final part of the work, the authors discuss the outcomes of the comparative analysis in terms of partnership building strategy and its influence on cultural heritage district design.

The experience of the Sardinia district proves that partnership building strategy has a relevant role both in place branding and cultural heritage district design but it is not sufficient to make this letter really functioning. It confirms also that a place brand can survive to political regime changes on a periodic basis only if the PBO establishes an appropriate institutional framework for the creation of a cooperative network that can take the branding process forward. The research finding about place branding of UNESCO’s mining heritage sites, outline the demand for a new and more integrated approach in the district design, inspired to the geographic studies on “cultural basin.”

The analytical framework which the authors provide on the basis of a new operative definition of partnership strategy building, has proved to be a useful tool to assess PBO’s activity but, despite this, it represents only a partial result because the theoretical model of the relationships between PBOs, local and supra-local actors requires further developments to describe the effective type and nature of this links.

The research finding about place branding of UNESCO’s mining heritage sites, outline the demand for a new and more integrated approach in the district design, inspired to the geographic studies on “cultural basin.” To achieve a real sustainable development and a shared enhancement of identity and landscape, the authors propose as a possible solution the abandonment of administrative boundaries in cultural planning through a correspondence between cultural district and historic region, this latter defined according to the methods and tools developed by the geographical sciences for the “cultural basin.” At this scope the authors propose a new methodological framework which takes the participation-based place branding into the “cultural heritage chain” for the district design, setting a future research agenda.

The authors propose an operative definition of “partnership building strategy” for the participation-based approach outlined by Hankinson (2010) and, on this base, the authors test a new analytic framework to evaluate PBOs’ activity which combines the traditional activities of promotion and marketing with PBOs’ partnership strategies. Finally, the authors propose a methodological frame which brings the participation-based place branding into the “cultural heritage chain” setting a future research agenda in cultural heritage district’s design.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a country’s mixed history of colonialism and cultural heritage as a background to the management of a mining company’s community engagement. Mining-related social conflicts have intensified in Peru as mining expansion challenges Andean people’s traditional livelihoods. It is generally thought that resolving such conflicts requires a set of long-term strategies and engagement.

The case study has been developed using an inductive methodology through content analysis of newspaper reports, official documents and the academic literature. It follows a complex and evolving situation, blending social and cultural theory and norms with actual events to provide insight into the conflicts’ historical, social and cultural forces.

Mining conflicts are complex business and strategic problems that call for a more thorough analysis of causal variables and a deeper understanding of the underlying cultural and historical forces. Transactional community engagement responses may not always be adequate to maintain a mining project’s social licence.

Based on the information presented, students can use the case as a means to examine and critique community engagement approaches to social conflict resolution through this summary of a real-life example of social conflict in Peru’s mining industry. The case may also be used as the basis for teaching forward planning and contingency management for long-term projects involving stakeholders and potential conflict. The case has been used as a resource for teaching communications, risk evaluation and community engagement strategies as part of a Master’s in the Energy Sector Management programme in Peru.

Este caso propone una introducción a la historia del colonialismo y multiculturalismo en el Perú relacionado con el manejo de las relaciones comunitarias por parte del sector minero. Los conflictos sociales provenientes de la actividad minera se han intensificado en el Perú debido a que esta industria insiste en desafiar el estilo de vida de los pueblos andinos. Se piensa que una solución de estos conflictos requiere un conjunto de estrategias y compromisos a largo plazo.

El estudio de caso se ha desarrollado utilizando una metodología inductiva a través del análisis de contenido de informes periodísticos, documentos oficiales y la literatura académica. Se analiza una situación compleja, mezclando la teoría y las normas sociales y culturales con los acontecimientos actuales para proporcionar una visión de las fuerzas históricas, sociales y culturales que sustentan los acontecimientos que ocurren.

Los conflictos mineros son problemas de negocios complejos y estratégicos que requieren un análisis más profundo de las variables causales y una comprensión más profunda de las fuerzas culturales e históricas subyacentes. Las respuestas transaccionales de participación de la comunidad no siempre son adecuadas para mantener la licencia social de un proyecto minero.

Basados en la información presentada, los estudiantes pueden usar el caso como un medio para examinar y criticar los enfoques de participación comunitaria en la resolución de conflictos sociales a través de un ejemplo real de conflicto social en la industria minera peruana. El caso también puede utilizarse como base para enseñar la planificación anticipada y la gestión de contingencias para proyectos a largo plazo que involucren a las partes interesadas. El caso se ha utilizado como recurso para la enseñanza de comunicaciones, estrategia, evaluación de riesgos y de participación comunitaria como parte de un programa de Maestría en Gestión del Sector Energético en Perú.

Prima di approfondire i problemi relativi alio sviluppo dell'uomo nell'attività turistico‐alberghiera nonchè i principi di applicazione dell'educazione generale nel medesimo settore, sarà opportuno determinare che cosa si debba intendere per educazione in un senso moderno e valido per tutti i settori.

This article explores how strategy formulation affects firm performance to determine whether rational/analytical strategy formulation is more effective than emergent/reflexive strategy formulation. Additionally, the article assesses if such superiority holds for different cultural contexts.

Meta-analysis was performed using the Raju, Burke, Norman, and Landis (RBNL) procedure applied to a dataset of 43 empirical studies reporting 54 effect sizes on strategy–performance relationships.

Implementing a formal strategy formulation process positively relates to firm performance. Rational/analytical formulation approaches are more effective than emergent/reflexive approaches in enhancing firm performance, especially for cultures with low future orientation, high uncertainty avoidance, and high power distance.

The reduced number of published empirical studies limited the scope and generalizability of the results across countries, industries, or firms. This limitation might be especially true for Latin American firms given the absence of relevant studies in this region. Another potential limitation is related to the distinction between strategy formulation and strategy implementation. Given the empirical nature of the studies meta-analyzed, strategic tools are used as a proxy to determine the formulation approach.

Firms that operate in short-term oriented, uncertainty-avoiding, and elitist cultures should favor implementing rational/analytical strategy formulation techniques rather than emergent/reflexive approaches. Although prescriptive recommendations are limited by the lack of studies in Latin America, firms in this region would seem to be better off using rational/analytical strategy formulation approaches.

These findings provide a partial explanation for the varying results yielded by strategy formulation and suggest cultural contexts in which rational/analytical strategy formulation should be more effective than emergent/reflexive approaches.

Este artículo explora cómo la formulación de la estrategia afecta el desempeño de la empresa y busca determinar si la formulación de la estrategia racional / analítica es más efectiva que la formulación de la estrategia emergente / reflexiva. Además, el artículo evalúa si dicha superioridad es válida para diferentes contextos culturales.

El metaanálisis se realizó aplicando el procedimiento de Raju, Burke, Norman y Landis (RBNL) a un conjunto de datos de 43 estudios empíricos que reportaron un total de 54 tamaños de efecto sobre las relaciones estrategia-rendimiento.

La implementación de un proceso formal de formulación de estrategias se relaciona positivamente con el desempeño de la empresa. Los enfoques de formulación racional / analítica son más efectivos que los enfoques emergentes / reflexivos para mejorar el rendimiento de la empresa, especialmente para culturas con baja orientación al largo plazo, alta evitación de incertidumbre y alta distancia al poder.

El reducido número de estudios empíricos publicados limitó el alcance y la generalización de los resultados entre países, industrias o empresas. Esta limitación podría afectar especialmente a las empresas latinoamericanas dada la ausencia de estudios relevantes en esta región. Otra limitación potencial está relacionada con la distinción entre la formulación y la implementación de la estrategia. Dada la naturaleza empírica de los estudios meta analizados, las herramientas estratégicas se utilizan como proxy para determinar el enfoque de formulación.

las empresas que operan en culturas orientadas al corto plazo, que evitan la incertidumbre y que muestran alta distancia al poder deberían favorecer la implementación de técnicas de formulación de estrategias racionales / analíticas en lugar de enfoques emergentes / reflexivos. Aunque las recomendaciones prescriptivas están limitadas por la falta de estudios en América Latina, las empresas en esta región parecen estar mejor utilizando enfoques de formulación de estrategias racionales / analíticas.

estos resultados proporcionan una explicación parcial de los resultados variados producidos por la formulación de la estrategia y sugieren contextos culturales en los que la formulación de la estrategia racional / analítica debería ser más efectiva que los enfoques emergentes / reflexivos.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the emergence and development of public relations in Italy between 1945 and 1960. Its aim is to examine the main actors (corporate and political) involved in the process, how they were influenced by the USA and the emergence of professional associations devoted to expanding the field

The paper is based on research conducted in US and Italian archives and libraries. It analyzes primary sources concerning corporations, government agencies and professional associations involved in promoting public relations in post‐war Italy, such as the United States Information Service, Standard Oil (NJ), Fiat, Piaggio, Olivetti, Pirelli, Intersind.

This paper argues that the introduction of public relations in postwar Italy was strongly influenced by US companies and government agencies, which had a considerable impact on the emergence of professional associations. It also looks at the specific Italian definitions of public relations and points out that in Italy the field of public relations emphasized the importance of “style” and culture over that of marketing, and was often carried out by an array of “humanists” (poets, graphic designers, and writers).

This paper is one of the first studies about the history of public relations in Italy. It points out the peculiarity of the Italian case, by showing the intersection between the terms “propaganda” and “public relations” in a country that had experienced 20 years of Fascist rule.