179,355 research outputs found
In search of a possible evolutionary principle of management theory and practice
No full textStarting from the view of economy as the field in which the sustainable dynamics of a society are expressed (Barile S., et al. 2013, 2014; Espejo, R., 2014), the aim of this work is to investigate the hidden and sensitive relation which links together the evolution of the managerial theories and that of production systems, integrating an empirical and a theoretical approach.
The main question of research is summarized as follows:
Is there (and if there is, is it possible to discover and isolate) a general low through which explain the conjunct evolution of the managerial theories and the production systems?
The work applies the conceptual framework of the Viable Systems Approach (VSA) (Barile S., 2000, 2009, 2013; Golinelli, 2000, 2010; Barile et al., 2012; Basile and Caputo, 2017; Calabrese et al., 2017; Tronvoll et al., 2017) merging a theoretical and a practical perspective. In particular, two studies are mentioned in order to create the conceptual context from which to start the analysis: Simone et al. (2014) focus on the “epistemological element” which relies under and connotes the birth and the development of an economic theory (from mercatura and industrial and commercial technique to management); Massaroni et al. (2014) give to their analysis an empirical connotation, focusing on the evolution of the industrial models of production with reference to some key sectors of the economy, underlining the passage from craft production and mass production to modular production. The work aims to make interpretative hypothesis of the evolutionary dynamics theorized and observed by discussing them conceptually and highlighting theoretical and practical implications: from these studies, it seems to emerge a cause-effect relation, chained to the firm-environment dynamic, which connotes the development of productive models and the evolution of managerial theories
In search of a possible evolutionary principle of management theory and practice
No full textStarting from the view of economy as the field in which the sustainable dynamics of a society are expressed (Barile S., et al. 2013, 2014; Espejo, R., 2014), the aim of this work is to investigate the hidden and sensitive relation which links together the evolution of the managerial theories and that of production systems, integrating an empirical and a theoretical approach.
The main question of research is summarized as follows: is there (and if there is, is it possible to discover and isolate) a general low through which explain the conjunct evolution of the managerial theories and the production systems
Is a smarter planet also more sustainable? Co-creating knowledge for sustainability
No full textSustainability and Sustainable Development are becoming increasingly relevant in the global agenda of governments as well as businesses and civil society. They should be among the top priorities of what we would consider a really smarter planet.
The concept of smartness is widely used essentially to refer to digitalized processes and telematic interactions in several fields of social, environmental, and economic human activities. The concept of sustainability is used to define successful human activities, processes and interactions from an integrated social-environmental-economic viewpoint. Although both the concepts imply multi- and inter-disciplinary views that involve economic, social and environmental sciences, the ‘smartness’ and ‘sustainability’ perspectives have different focus: the former is more focused on socio-technical systems (Trist, 1981), hence on human-technology interactions; the latter is more focused on social-ecological systems (Berkes et al., 2003; Ostrom, 2009), hence on human-nature interactions.
By reflecting upon human-nature and human-technology interactions i.e. relationships between socio-technical and social-ecological systems, in terms of contribution to sustainability, we wonder:
What is the relationship between smartness and sustainability?
Is a smarter planet also more sustainable?
With the aim of addressing these questions, by adopting a systems-thinking view and co-creation logic, our essay outlines a possible boundary-crossing co-creation framework for Sustainable Development. Our interpretative methodology is built upon the roots of systems thinking (Barnard, 1938; Buckley, 1968; von Bertalanffy 1968; Emery, 1969; Espejo, 1994; Jackson, 2000; Basile and Caputo, 2017; Calabrese et al., 2017; Tronvoll et al., 2017). Systems thinking and, specifically, the Viable Systems Approach (vSa) (Golinelli, 2010; Barile, 2013; Barile et al., 2012) can be adopted as meta-level frameworks that provide general interpretation schemes to support understanding of complex phenomena like sustainability. Accordingly, our aim is to identify research domains that are engaged in knowledge co-creation efforts whose integration could accelerate progress toward sustainability (Di Nauta et al., 2015; Formisano et al., 2015; Caputo, 2017)
On simplicial toric varieties which are set-theoretic complete intersections
No full textIn this paper we prove:
1) In characteristic p > 0 every simplicial toric affine or projective variety with full parametrization is a set-theoretic complete intersection. This extends previous results by R. Hartshorne (1979) and T. T. Moh (1985).
2) In any characteristic, every simplicial toric affine or projective variety with full parametrization is an almost set-theoretic complete intersection. This extends previous known results by M. Barile and M. Morales (1998) and A. Thoma (to appear).
3) In any characteristic, every simplicial toric affine or projective variety of codimension two is an almost set-theoretic complete intersection.
Moreover the proofs are constructive and the equations we find are binomial ones
Is a smarter planet also more sustainable? Co-creating knowledge for sustainability
No full textSustainability and Sustainable Development are becoming increasingly relevant in the global agenda of governments as well as businesses and civil society. They should be among the top priorities of what we would consider a really smarter planet.
The concept of smartness is widely used essentially to refer to digitalized processes and telematic interactions in several fields of social, environmental, and economic human activities. The concept of sustainability is used to define successful human activities, processes and interactions from an integrated social-environmental-economic viewpoint. Although both the concepts imply multi- and inter-disciplinary views that involve economic, social and environmental sciences, the ‘smartness’ and ‘sustainability’ perspectives have different focus: the former is more focused on socio-technical systems (Trist, 1981), hence on human-technology interactions; the latter is more focused on social-ecological systems (Berkes et al., 2003; Ostrom, 2009), hence on human-nature interactions.
By reflecting upon human-nature and human-technology interactions i.e. relationships between socio-technical and social-ecological systems, in terms of contribution to sustainability, we wonder:
What is the relationship between smartness and sustainability?
Is a smarter planet also more sustainable?
With the aim of addressing these questions, by adopting a systems-thinking view and co-creation logic, our essay outlines a possible boundary-crossing co-creation framework for Sustainable Development. Our interpretative methodology is built upon the roots of systems thinking (Barnard, 1938; Buckley, 1968; von Bertalanffy 1968; Emery, 1969; Espejo, 1994; Jackson, 2000; Basile and Caputo, 2017; Calabrese et al., 2017; Tronvoll et al., 2017). Systems thinking and, specifically, the Viable Systems Approach (vSa) (Golinelli, 2010; Barile, 2013; Barile et al., 2012) can be adopted as meta-level frameworks that provide general interpretation schemes to support understanding of complex phenomena like sustainability. Accordingly, our aim is to identify research domains that are engaged in knowledge co-creation efforts whose integration could accelerate progress toward sustainability (Di Nauta et al., 2015; Formisano et al., 2015; Caputo, 2017)
An integrated model of governance for sustainability
No full textThe term “Anthropocene” qualifies a human epoch characterized by the apparent influence of humans on the Earth dynamics dramatically changing the conditions of equilibrium at biophysical and social level. Current governance systems do not seem to fit the needs of the new epoch. Scientists and professionals from all over the world are debating about the appropriate governance in the Anthropocene, adopting different disciplinary perspectives. With the purpose of highlighting the contribution of a systems perspective, this essay aims to promote discussion about the need of integrating the multiple dimensions that should be considered in the framework of governance for sustainability. We embrace a systems view of sustainability and sustainable development (Pearce, Atkinson and Dubourg, 1994; Clayton and Radcliff, 1996; Barile et al., 2014), also contributing to highlight cybersistemic possibilities (Espejo, 2014, 2015; Espinosa, 2015; Schwaninger, 2001, 2015; Ison and Schlindwein, 2015).
Among the various models that interpret socio-economic phenomena by integrating multiple dimensions, the Triple-helix model seems to offer an important contribution (Etzkowitz, 1998; Etzkowitz and Leyesdorff, 2000). Although developed to sustain the thesis of the so-called “third mission” of Universities in the governance of socio-economic innovation, the model has been used in several disciplinary domains to different aims. In the field of sustainability, it has been elaborated in several domains (Leydesdorff and Etzkowitz, 2003; Lombardi, 2012) also including further elements in a fashion of quadruple and even quintuple helix models (Carayannis, Barth and Campbell, 2012).
The use of the model in the field of enquiry of sustainability, however, does not seem to offer evidences or examples useful to understand its real contribution. Hence, our aim is to propose an elaborated version of the model providing an example that highlights its interpretative potential. More specifically, our purpose is to offer a possible evidence of the general reasoning related to the use of the model as a possible reference in the development of a governance model for sustainable development
Managing variety in healthcare through personalized medication: the contribution of 3D-printing technologies
No full textAmong the numerous humankind problems, healthcare represents a key issue to manage. Various managing systems are implemented reflecting different views, approaches and the socio-economic conditions of the country (Glouberman and Mintzberg, 1996; Plsek & Wilson, 2001; Wendt, 2009; Swayne et al., 2012). However, a fundamental problem affects almost every healthcare system: managing the trade-off between the need to deliver effective healthcare services and the need to control expenses and to ensure the overall sustainability of the system (France et al., 2005). This problem is an expression of the complexity of healthcare systems.
Healthcare systems, in fact, have been studied as complex adaptive systems whose management is required to adopt an adaptive approach based on incentives and inhibitions instead of command and control (Rouse, 2008). Despite the massive organizational efforts, healthcare processes are hard to be effectively designed, controlled and, most of all, optimized. Decision makers have to manage high levels of variety and variability (Espejo, 1994; 2015a, 2015b; Blecker and Abdelkafi, 2006; Gershenson, 2015), taking into account not only the irreducible information asymmetry in the relationship with patients/users (Bloom et al., 2008; Barile et al., 2014, 2015) but also the diverging interests and needs that characterize actors involved in the healthcare systems dynamics, starting from the private and public ones (Savas & Savas, 2000; Barlow et al., 2013; Saviano et al., 2014).
In the Italian healthcare system, like in many others, the need to control expenses and to ensure the sustainability of the system has lead to the introduction of the economic logic of management (France et al., 2005; Anessi‐Pessina and Cantù, 2006; Borgonovi et al., 2008). This logic, however, has been mainly interpreted in terms of cutting expenses instead of improving efficiency, reducing waste, etc., so ending up for reducing the level of service offered (e.g. number hospital beds, days of hospitalization for surgery, number of expensive new drugs provided by NHSs etc.). To improve efficiency, instead, the managerial logic has oriented towards the standardization of processes by introducing the use of protocols, standards, etc. in the service delivery. The definition of protocols and standards is expected to find the ‘best way’ to implement processes (Kongstvedt, 2001). Although conceived to widely ensure a standard level of quality of service, the standardization of healthcare does not imply improvements of the effectiveness of service
Governance for Sustainability in the ‘Anthropocene’: A Triple-Helix Model
No full textWith the term “Anthropocene”, scientists from various disciplinary domains qualify a human epoch characterized by the apparent influence of humans on the Earth dynamics “through a range of biophysical and social processes leading to complex global changes [...] with an increasing evidence that current “governance systems” too often are not fit for contemporary circumstances” (Schlindwein, Schwaninger and Ison, www.wosc2017rome.asvsa.org1). With the purpose of joining the debate arising from a critical reflection on the governance in the Anthropocene, this work aims to discuss the possible contribution of a Triple-helix based model of governance re-interpreted in the light of a systems view of sustainability and sustainable development (Pearce, Atkinson and Dubourg, 1994; Clayton and Radcliff, 1996; Barile et al., 2014), which also explores cybersistemic possibilities (Espejo, 2014, 2015; Espinosa, 2015; Schwaninger, 2001, 2015; Ison and Schlindwein, 2015)
Two very short proofs of a combinatorial identity
No full textWe give two quick elementary proofs of a well-known additive formula for the factorial
which arises from the calculus of finite differences. The first one is purely analytical, the
second one purely combinatorial
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