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Article
Publication date: 8 April 2020

Paola De Bernardi, Alberto Bertello, Francesco Venuti and Enrico Foscolo

Alternative food networks (AFNs) have recently emerged in the food landscape as new ways of food production, distribution and consumption which are alternatives to the traditional…

Abstract

Purpose

Alternative food networks (AFNs) have recently emerged in the food landscape as new ways of food production, distribution and consumption which are alternatives to the traditional food system. Drawing on the tragedy of the commons, this paper aims to test the role played by social capital and transparency in reducing customer's lethargy and thus enhancing AFN performance in terms of frequency and quantity of purchases made by customers.

Design/methodology/approach

An ordered probit model was used to analyse data from a strong database of 2,115 Italian AFN customers. Given the novelty of the topic, the quantitative survey was anticipated by a preliminary qualitative study based on in-depth interviews, focus groups and participant observation.

Findings

Customers play an active role in AFN communities, co-creating value together with the other actors of the network. The two independent variables tested in this model, social capital and transparency, positively and significantly affect customers' quantity and frequency of purchases within AFNs, reducing the occurrence of the tragedy of commons.

Originality/value

To the authors' knowledge, this study represents one of the first attempts to measure, through a quantitative method, the effect of performance drivers (i.e. social capital and transparency) on AFN performance. Theoretical, managerial and policy implications will be thoroughly presented and discussed along the paper.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 122 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2018

Paola De Bernardi and Lia Tirabeni

The purpose of this paper is to analyse a sustainable business model (SBM) implemented by an Alternative Food Network (AFN), namely the Italian Food Assembly, with the goal of…

1726

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse a sustainable business model (SBM) implemented by an Alternative Food Network (AFN), namely the Italian Food Assembly, with the goal of exploring its drivers of success and explaining how it can contribute to enhance sustainable and anti-consumption behaviours. This research aims at combining principles from both SBM innovation and user-driven anti-consumption and well-being habits, in order to develop more successful, comprehensive and community-centred sustainable value propositions.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the research goal, an exploratory case study was prepared where multiple sources of data were employed, namely in-depth interviews, participant observation, focus groups and document analysis.

Findings

In the light of the Bocken et al. (2014) framework, this paper provides evidence on the implementation of an AFN where it is possible to observe a strong sharing of knowledge regarding sustainable consumption behaviours and an effective dissemination of best practices between members. The authors developed four propositions that support the creation of a sustainable food supply chain, laying the foundation for spreading consumer behaviours and motivations so that they become more sustainable in their consumption habits.

Research limitations/implications

Even though the case study is very rich in the amount of data gathered, it cannot be generalised. Further research will overcome this limitation by adding more cases within a comparative approach and through a quantitative methodology.

Originality/value

It adds value to recent literature and practice by focussing on how networks of producers, consumers and other actors could act to improve food anti-consumption behaviours, by embodying alternatives to conventional food systems.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 120 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 August 2022

Paola De Bernardi, Alberto Bertello and Canio Forliano

The purpose of this paper is to appraise and evaluate empirical research on circular economy in food systems, consolidating the existing knowledge and identifying shortcomings in…

1375

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to appraise and evaluate empirical research on circular economy in food systems, consolidating the existing knowledge and identifying shortcomings in this emerging body of research.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a systematic literature review of 136 studies from the electronic databases Scopus and Web of Science. The authors also developed a thematic analysis and summarized the results in a framework.

Findings

The authors identified seven critical issues for the transition to circular food systems: consumer behavior, multistakeholder coordination, business models, digital technologies, barriers, transition processes and performance and measurement systems. Moreover, the authors provide an agenda for future research on these topics.

Originality/value

While reviews on the circular economy are spreading rapidly, no reviews have comprehensively addressed the critical issues for the transition to circular food systems in the business, management, and organization domains.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 125 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 May 2020

Canio Forliano, Paola De Bernardi, Alberto Bertello and Valerio Temperini

The purpose of this paper is to study the credit collection process in public administrations in order to develop a conceptual model which goes beyond the traditional logic of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the credit collection process in public administrations in order to develop a conceptual model which goes beyond the traditional logic of linearity, adopting system thinking approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyses the case of an Italian local government-owned enterprise. Data collection through semi-structured interviews and document analysis has enabled the development of propositions, the identification of systemic variables, and the development of an explanatory modeling process based on the system dynamics approach.

Findings

This paper shows that public administrations can effectively involve external actors, especially citizens, as knowledge and public value co-creators only when considering systemic, unintended, and delayed implications of decision-making activities related to the provision of sensitive public services such as credit collection.

Originality/value

Business process modelling should address some key fragilities of traditional modeling processes, especially in the public sector. This paper develops a novel systemic conceptual model which lays the groundwork for empirically testing business process innovation in public administrations.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 26 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 November 2024

Gabriella Esposito, Paola De Bernardi, Alberto Bertello and Demetris Vrontis

This research paper explores how grassroots innovation initiatives address and resolve the challenges of translating broad and inviting values such as sustainability…

Abstract

Purpose

This research paper explores how grassroots innovation initiatives address and resolve the challenges of translating broad and inviting values such as sustainability, inclusiveness and aesthetics into practical and actionable structures. This study examines the tensions and difficulties projects face in operationalizing these values, revealing the gap between idealistic goals and real-world implementation. Moreover, this paper analyzes how role expectations and the concept of invitation ambiguity affect top down and bottom up approaches, offering insights for improving mechanisms to support grassroots innovations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses an exploratory qualitative methodology with an embedded case study design, focusing on the New European Bauhaus (NEB) and its award-winning projects. Data were collected through online self-assessment surveys, secondary data analysis, and semi-structured interviews with project owners and NEB Unit representatives.

Findings

The findings reveal significant challenges in translating broad and inviting values (sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics) into actionable outcomes for grassroots projects. Key issues include the need for clearer role definitions, tailored support, and adaptability. Conflicts between those values and a mismatch between expectations about stakeholders’ contributions highlight the need for designing more flexible and robust frameworks and robust frameworks.

Originality/value

This research explores the effects of invitational ambiguity within grassroots innovation, revealing how broad values ‐ like sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics ‐ are operationalized in real-world settings. By applying collective action theoretical frameworks to the unique case study of NEB projects, this study provides fresh insights into the dynamics between top-down European policies and bottom-up grassroots practices.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 July 2020

Alberto Ferraris, Demetris Vrontis, Zhanna Belyaeva, Paola De Bernardi and Hande Ozek

This is one of the first empirical studies aimed at analyzing the interrelation between creative partnerships (CPs), absorptive (AC), knowledge application (KA) capacities and…

Abstract

Purpose

This is one of the first empirical studies aimed at analyzing the interrelation between creative partnerships (CPs), absorptive (AC), knowledge application (KA) capacities and innovation performance in food companies.

Design/methodology/approach

We tested this on a sample of 112 Italian medium-sized food firms that established CPs through a partial least square (PLS) structural equation model (SEM) approach.

Findings

Results are in favor of an important role of CPs in the innovation process of food firms analyzed only if combined with the development of the two internal capacities investigated (AC and KA).

Research limitations/implications

Implications are provided in order to stimulate new and more forms of collaboration between CIs and food firms as well as more empirical studies on this topic.

Originality/value

Few studies in food companies keep into account the role of internal capacities that firms have to build with the aim of acquiring external knowledge through partnerships, in particular in the specific context of CPs. These specific kinds of partnerships are becoming increasingly important because they provide key nonoverlapping knowledge and propose new creative methods, ways and answers that differentiate the innovation process of food firms.

Article
Publication date: 19 December 2022

Simona Grande, Alberto Bertello, Paola De Bernardi and Francesca Ricciardi

This study aims to investigate the intellectual capital (IC) dynamics in entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) by conceptualizing EEs as systems whose purposes include the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the intellectual capital (IC) dynamics in entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) by conceptualizing EEs as systems whose purposes include the (re)generation of the intangible resources needed for effective entrepreneurship. The study proposes a taxonomy of the key enablers of IC and develops a model that captures the unfolding interdependencies across the enablers of explorative and exploitative human, relational and organizational capital in EEs.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors purposefully selected a successful EE around an entrepreneurial university in Latin America as empirical case. Specifically, they investigated the IC dynamics of the EE in the context of a series of internationally awarded hackathons and related activities organized at the ecosystem level over three years (2019–2021). The research leveraged participant observations, in-depth interviews with multiple EE actors and archival documents. For the data analysis, this study combined the Gioia method with an abductive approach.

Findings

First, the study identified 27 operationalizable enablers of IC at the EE level clustered into human, relational and organizational capital and further differentiated these enablers considering the explorative and exploitative facets of IC. Second, it determined that the dynamic interplay across IC enablers is critical for an EE to flourish and evolve adaptively. This study concludes that assessing IC enablers and their dynamics can aid the understanding, evaluation and management of EEs.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to conceptualize EEs as systems whose purposes include creating the conditions for an effective interplay of explorative and exploitative IC at the system level. The resulting taxonomy of IC enablers provides formative constructs that will benefit both scholars and practitioners investigating the crucial role of intangible resources in EEs and guide managers, entrepreneurs and policymakers in their decision-making processes.

Details

Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 24 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1469-1930

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 May 2022

Mario Tani, Ciro Troise, Paola De Bernardi and Tian Han

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, also known as three-dimensional printing (3DP), is a technological breakthrough that have the potential to disrupt the traditional…

1253

Abstract

Purpose

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, also known as three-dimensional printing (3DP), is a technological breakthrough that have the potential to disrupt the traditional operations of supply chains. They open the way to a supply chains innovation that can significantly benefit hospitals and health-related organizations in dealing with crises or unexpected events in a faster and more flexible way. In this study the authors identify the boundary of this potential support.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopt a case study approach to understand the dynamics behind a well-known best practice to identify the main opportunities and the main pitfalls that AM may pose to health-related organizations wanting to leverage them.

Findings

The case highlights that it is possible to increase hospital flexibility using AM and that by leveraging the Internet it is possible to spread the benefits faster than what it would be normally possible using traditional supply chain processes. At the same time the case highlights that leveraging these technologies needs buy-in from all the relevant stakeholders.

Originality/value

The paper is one of the first, to the best of the authors' knowledge, to highlight the main opportunities and difficulties of implementing 3DP technologies in hospital supply chain management.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 25 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 August 2020

Fahimeh Khatami, Alberto Ferraris, Paola De Bernardi and Valter Cantino

This paper empirically tests the relationship between food heritage, familiness, and clan culture, thus, highlighting the pivotal role of familiness in building robustly…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper empirically tests the relationship between food heritage, familiness, and clan culture, thus, highlighting the pivotal role of familiness in building robustly competitive food firms based on clan culture and food heritage.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodological approach adopted is based on a quantitative analysis with data from one eco-tourist city in Iran (Torqabeh). In this regard, we developed a structured questionnaire surveying 98 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the food industry. We then used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to carry out the analysis.

Findings

The results indicate the significant positive relationship between food heritage and clan culture, and highlight the role of familiness as a strong mediator, which is also associated with a strong relationship between food heritage and clan culture.

Research limitations/implications

In the present study, the main limitation was linked to the small sample size and data collection, which took place in only a single city; however, further research could overcome this limitation by investigating SMEs from a heterogeneous geographical context.

Originality/value

The value of this research relates to studies that have examined food heritage as a possible antecedent of familiness. Moreover, the novelty of this research is to study the concept of familiness in improving resource-based views and organizational theories.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 123 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 May 2019

188

Abstract

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 121 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

1 – 10 of 32