1,721,025 research outputs found
Ethical judgment and radical business changes: the role of entrepreneurial perspicacity
No full textThis study examines the implications of practical reason for entrepreneurial activities. Our study is based on Thomas Aquinas’ interpretation of such virtue, with a particular focus on the partition of practical reason in potential parts such as synesis, or common sense, and gnome, or perspicacity. Since entrepreneurial acts and actions deal with extremely uncertain situations, we argue that only this perspicacity, as the ability of correctly judging in exceptional cases, has the power to find wisdom under such blurred conditions. Perspicacity frees entrepreneurs from their cognitive schemata rendering them able to be truly entrepreneurial. Based on this vision and thanks to a semantic analysis of the meaning of the Greek word gnome, we construct an interpretative model for entrepreneurial judgment composed of three dimensions, specifically, knowledge-cognitive, external-affective and personal-reflective. The model highlights how a ‘successful’ entrepreneurial judgment is also such from a holistic point of view
Entrepreneurial Cognition: The State Of The Art Using a Bibliometric Approach
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to offer a comprehensive overview about entrepreneurial cognition field of research from its born to the more recent contributions. Based on a dataset which covers eighteen years of research in this field, from 1998 to 2016, the present study analyzes all the 144 papers available in Web of Science Core Collection directly referring to entrepreneurial cognition. In particular, this study shows the evolution of the EC field using both systematic literature review and bibliometric approach. The analysis highlights several areas of interests which evolve during the years and passing through two evolutionary stages namely, the “youth” and the “growth” period
Philosophy theory into Entrepreneurial education Practice: A holistic model
No full textIn the entrepreneurial education field, the “perfect” program of teaching entrepreneurship has
been largely debated. In this paper, provocatively, we used only different philosophical thoughts
in order to reconstruct a holistic pedagogical model suitable for entrepreneurial education. The
model is based on two famous philosophical dichotomies, respectively the Kantian opposition of
freedom versus determinism and the Aristotelian division into praxis and poiesis. These
elements, specifically adapted to an entrepreneurial context, may lead educators and curricula
developers in the “tangle forest” of contents and skills that should be transferred to students. In
particular the model offers an easy tool that clearly defines areas of intervention to teach
entrepreneurship. The final scope is to offer simultaneously appealing to students concerning
entrepreneurial activities, as desirability, and tools for such activities as feasibility, articulated in
two degrees of outcomes: one internal, as conduct and experience, and one pragmatic, as
technical skills
Communicational topics in governance processes of Family Business Succession
Full text linkPurpose of the paper: The work aims to discover most recalled meta-topics that are considered crucial in a successful family trans-generational passage. In particular, we have stressed the perspective of young generations during the transition.
Methodology: We did a content analysis on qualitative data gathered through interviews. We have studied the succession histories of four family firms, which were reconstructed thanks to a multi-angle comparison which couples the younger and older generation’s comments.
Results: The common patterns that emerged suggest four main components on which heirs focus their attention during a succession, namely: interest in the business, governing the consensus, management of family identity, and personal power. Each topic is a milestone on a young leader’s path to head of the family firm and a focal point on which focus the attention.
Limits: Our sample is limited and contains only male-to-male successions. Hence, our results should be careful handled in making generalizations.
Practical implications: Keeping in mind which should be areas of interest to gain legitimacy and reassure family members and business stakeholders, offers a solid base to consciously plan a succession process, for young leaders and consultant of family firms.
Originality of the study: In relevant literature the communication perspective is underdeveloped although it is mostly importance in the succession process. We have contributed to this branch of studies by offering a set of communication meta-topics that are important to gain legitimacy inside the family business
How Non-profit Organization Boards Can Manage Volunteers as a Strategic Organizational Resource? Empirical Evidences from the Emergency Sector in Italy
No full textWhile strategy and strategic management represent traditional ‘classic’ streams of
research for commercial and for-profit business scholars, scarce attention has been dedicated
to delineating strategic implications for charity, voluntary, and non-profit organizations. Few
studies have investigated the antecedents characterizing volunteers’ behavioural attitudes that
allow managers to effectively understand, incentive, and respond to such individuals, as they
represent a crucial strategic resource for non-profit organizations. Specifically, we adopt an
approach drawn from the gift giving theory that perfectly interprets such tendency in
volunteers. This research adopts a quantitative protocol for deepening these important
strategic issues for the non-profit context. Specifically, a survey was sent to volunteers of 20
non-profit organizations in the region of Tuscany (Italy) for a total number of 379 usable
questionnaires. Then, a bivariate correlation between volunteers’ psychological attitudes and
behavioural intent analysed through a path analysis has been performed. The model clearly
shows that volunteers’ motivation and their behavioural intention to donate is mediated by a
reciprocity element. In a strategic sense, volunteers may enhance their organizational
contribution in an environment where they perceive a strong relational clearly signalised by
the managerial body. Thus, a continuous effort should be profuse to highlight such relational
aspect within the non-profit organization and to promote events and procedures that may
enhance it
Entrepreneurship & Genius loci: living with the same pre-conditions but evolving differently. The case of Florence-Prato district
No full textIn our study we aim at analysing entrepreneurship in its relational dimension by targeting an
industrial district context. Such environment shapes entrepreneurial resources as pre-conditions,
the so-called genius loci. We undertook qualitative longitudinal case studies on eight firms
operating in the textile district of Florence-Prato. Their paths of innovation along a period of five
years have been followed. A strong tie and weak tie approach is adopted to interpret the findings
of a field research. Importance of strong ties which are strictly connect with the territory. Weak
ties or serendipity events are mostly recalled in the discovering phase of a radical innovation.
After an initial phase, strong ties come back into play in the implementation phase, to find
means of practical feasibility. This study offers to entrepreneurs insights about how to manage
their external network in relation to their innovation process
Organizational Resilience and Big Data Analytics: Could Analytical, Automatic, Adaptive and Agile Information Systems Open the Cage?
No full textIn current turbulent times, organization need to be resilient in order to adapt to changing environment. Yet, organizations, in order to be flexible and resilient, need to not focus on rigid architectures. However, at the same time, organizations need rigid infrastructure such as information systems capable to collect and analysed data from environment. In this sense, while literature has stressed out how information systems may represent a burden for organization pursuing resilience, this paper try to highlights how Big Data Analytics (BDA) capable information systems may foster resilience. In this perspective, this theoretical paper try to propose some implications on the topic to scholars and practitioners
What sparks ethical decision making? The interplay between moral intuition and moral reasoning: lessons from the scholastic doctrine
Full text linkRecent theories on cognitive science have stressed the significance of moral intuition as a counter to and complementary part of moral reasoning in decision making. Thus, the aim of this paper is to create an integrated framework that can account for both intuitive and reflective cognitive processes, in order to explore the antecedents of ethical decision making. To do that, we build on Scholasticism, an important medieval school of thought from which descends the main pillars of the modern Catholic social doctrine. Particularly, the focus will be on the scholastic concept of synderesis, which is an innate human faculty that constantly inclines decision makers toward universal moral principles. Managerial implications are discussed, stressing how a rediscovery of decision makers’ intuitive moral judgments could be relevant in the reflective thinking practice of managers’ ethical reasoning, thus saving them from rational insensitivity to ethical dilemmas
Gli effetti della Stampa 3D sulla competitività aziendale. Il caso delle imprese orafe del distretto di Arezzo
Full text linkObiettivi. Studiare il fenomeno della Stampa 3D come innovazione di processo nelle imprese manifatturiere al fine di comprenderne gli effetti sulla competitività e sulle performance. A partire dallo studio di alcune imprese orafe del distretto di Arezzo identificare gli effetti tipici dell’introduzione della Stampa 3D sulla competitività con l’obiettivo di individuare evidenze valide anche per altri contesti.
Metodologia. Analisi qualitativa attraverso la comparazione di case studies relativi a imprese appartenenti al distretto orafo aretino. Sono state condotte interviste semi-strutturate per implementare la coding analysis e studiare gli effetti della Stampa 3D sulla competitività aziendale.
Risultati. Dalla coding analysis delle interviste sono emerse le seguenti sei categorie concettuali - innovazione di processo, valore offerto al cliente, costi, ricavi, profitti, sostenibilità vantaggio competitivo - che costituiscono i principali aspetti che gli intervistati hanno utilizzato per spiegare l’impatto della Stampa 3D. I casi aziendali hanno evidenziato che la Stampa 3D ha permesso di realizzare nuovi prodotti, con qualità ed estetica migliori, nei confronti dei quali è aumentata sia la domanda che la disponibilità a pagare dei clienti, con evidenti vantaggi sulle performance. L’introduzione della Stampa 3D ha migliorato la competitività aziendale aumentando il valore offerto ai clienti e di conseguenza il flusso di ricavi.
Limiti della ricerca. Numero ristretto di casi aziendali e unico settore merceologico analizzato.
Implicazioni pratiche. Aumentare la consapevolezza dei decisori aziendali riguardo agli effetti dell’introduzione della Stampa 3D sulle performance.
Originalità del lavoro. Studio in ottica economico-aziendale e imprenditoriale degli effetti della Stampa 3D sulla competitività delle imprese manifatturiere
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