1,721,158 research outputs found
The Speed of the Internationalisation Process and the Institutional Networks of Family SMEs in the DOC Rioja Wine Industry
Full text linkAbstract
Institutional networking is a key element in businesses’ internationalisation processes and is an important strategy for promoting the long-term growth and surviv-ability of family SMEs in the DOC Rioja wine industry. We hold that the proportion of family members in the TMT plays an important role in strategic decision-making and helps to explain the speed of their internationalisation process. Tis paper contributes to the scant research on the influence of family involvement in the TMT by analysing the moderating effects of two diversities on the relationship between institutional networking and the speed of internationalisation: the family TMT ratio and generational involvement. Using a broad sample of 77 family wineries in DOC Rioja, the results obtained indicate that institutional networking plays a significant role in explaining the speed of internationalisation in family firms and that this relationship is weaker when a larger proportion of family members serve as top managers. Te empirical results also have interesting implications for the managers of family firms as it may help them to identify the effective composition of TMTs to be considered when deciding on the process of internationalisation. © 2020 M.F. Olmos, G. Malorgio. This is an open access, peer-reviewed article published by Firenze University Press (http://www.fupress.com/wep) and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Multifunctionality in fisheries and the provision of public goods
No full textMultifunctionality is characterized by two key elements: the existence of jointly produced multiple commodity and non-commodity outputs (NCOs), and that NCOs exhibit the characteristics of public goods externalities. The term “multifunctionality” is almost not used outside agriculture. However, several issues discussed in fishery literature and in international contexts clearly refer to public goods provision and joint production. The key point is to recognize if fisheries, similar to agriculture, provide other (public) benefits beyond their primary food supply function. The paper establishes a theoretical framework for the classification and valuation of multifunctionality in fisheries, and outlines policy options to increase (through multifunctionality) social welfare. NCOs include: ecosystem- and biodiversity-related NCOs, other environmental public goods/bads, cultural heritage and coastal viability, coastal employment externalities, food security, and strategic benefits. The main NCO characteristics to be analysed are the degree of jointness between commodity outputs and NCOs, and the distribution of property rights over fish stocks and NCOs. Policy options to increase social welfare include, among others, command and control schemes, market based instruments (e.g., payment for ecosystem services), and marine protected areas. Customary marine tenure institutions, or other modern fishery organizations, may represent a framework for the communitarian provision of NCOs. Fishery subsidies, which can because of overfishing, are justified if they allow increasing social benefits, given by the sum of catch and NCOs value. Particularly, incentives may be necessary to support small-scale fisheries or other less efficient technologies
Blue growth and ecosystem services
No full textThe recent years have witnessed a rise in interest in the ocean economy. To cover a more sustainable dimension, terms such as 'blue economy' and 'blue growth' have been coined, and are increasingly used in international contexts and academic literature. However, there are no generally accepted definitions of these 'blue' concepts. In particular, it is not clear what connotation of sustainability and what role of natural environment is linked to these terms. The objective of this study is to retrace the meaning of the concepts of blue economy and blue growth and include them in a coherent environmental accounting framework. Starting from the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting of the United Nations, a set of assumptions is proposed to link blue economy/growth and ecosystem services, including the creation of an adjusted measure of value added, while considering the depletion and degradation of the environment and the value of non-market benefits provided by the ecosystem. Finally, an example of this approach in the case of the Mediterranean Sea is presented
Strategic behaviour of Italian fruit and vegetables importers from South Mediterranean Countries faced with food safety standards
Full text linkThe aim of this study was to analyse the heterogeneity of Italian specialized importers in Southern Mediterranean Countries. We analysed a national representative sample and defined a profile of companies according to the safety of fruit and vegetable im- ports, organization of chain by suppliers and clients and efforts in safety controls. We showed that the type of supply chain affects the importers’ strategies encouraging them to implement stricter standards, such as private standards, with respect to pub- lic law in order to meet customer needs and provide a sufficient degree of differentia- tion. These strategies, however, are not always aimed at obtaining a price premium, but are taken above all to ensure the maintenance of the reputation of the companies towards the most demanding customers and stabilize its market share
Agricultural business economics: the challenge of sustainability
Full text linkThe agri-food sector is facing new and important challenges. These challenges are the consequence of the profound changes that have recently affected the national and international economic scenario
Quality differentiation in the Italian wine industry: Terroir-based vs. brand-based strategies
No full textThis study assesses the reasons that induce wine firms to choose their differentiation strategy, namely a terroir-based or a brand-based approach, considering both endogenous factors (e.g., firm size, nature of upstream- downstream relations) and exogenous conditions (market size/opportunities, collective brand reputation). First, we provide an empirical characterisation of the Italian denomination of origin wine processing and bottling industry as well as of firms' quality differentiation strategies, by means of a cluster analysis (CLA). Based on these results, we developed an industrial organisation model explaining the incentives for firms to adopt each strategy in a competitive context, focusing on the trade-off between terroir-based strategies and brandbased strategies. We conclude that brand-based strategies are motivated mostly by scale economies, short-run market opportunities and synergies between brand and designations of origin, while the main reasons prompting firms to choose terroir-based strategies relate to supply chain control, low demand uncertainty and competition intensity
A structural equation modeling analysis of relational governance and economic performance in agri-food supply chains: evidence from the dairy sheep industry in Sardinia (Italy)
Full text linkThis study investigates the factors affecting the inter-organizational relationships and governance of firms in agri-food supply chains and assesses the influence that the current conditions of vertical coordination have on the economic performance of these firms. Research hypotheses describing the causal effects between the environment, product characteristics, inter-organizational relationships, relational governance, and firm economic performance are formulated and tested using a structural equation modeling approach. Data were gathered from a questionnaire administered via a direct survey to both farmers and processors in a traditional high-quality dairy sheep supply chain in the Italian region of Sardinia: the Pecorino Romano Protected Designation of Origin. Results point out the role of informal contractual arrangements in this local production system characterized by social cohesion, entailing higher product quality and better economic performance. Further, the study highlights the role of trust as a key variable for attaining collaborative paths along the agri-food supply chain, particularly between farmers and processors
Costs and benefits of sustainability-oriented innovation in the agri-food industry: A review
Full text linkIn light of the increasing demand for sustainable development, the agri-food industry is under pressure to make the transition towards sustainability. Innovation has been identified as a key driver for this transformation. However, the agri-food industry, which in many countries is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, is highly sensitive to the benefits, costs and potential risks of sustainability-oriented innovation. At the same time, because of the low propensity of countries in the Mediterranean region to innovate, an in-depth exploration of innovation is necessary. This paper presents a review of the costs and benefits of specific sustainability-oriented innovations, not only economic but also social and environmental, to provide a guide for researchers and adopters of sustainability-oriented innovations in the Mediterranean region. To achieve this goal, this paper classifies the elements being reviewed according to the nature of the innovation and stages of the product life cycle it covers. This paper has implications for farmers, business managers, regulators and policy makers in the Mediterranean region
Blue Growth and the relationship between ecosystem services and human activities: The Salento artisanal fisheries case study
No full textThis paper proposes a tool for the management of marine and coastal areas based on the ecosystem
service framework and the Bayesian network approach. The participative methodology used makes this
tool very suitable for addressing issues related to community-led coastal development and Blue Growth.
The Salento (Italy) artisanal fisheries case study is used to test the usefulness of our approach. Salento is
characterized by declining fisheries and increasing tourism development. Causeeeffect relationships
between human activities and ecosystem services are modeled to show the differences in stakeholder
behavior under different scenarios. Results indicate that increasing tourist flow and related infrastructure
are not perceived as threats to the local ecosystem equilibrium, but the problem of water quality should
be carefully considered to prevent future negative feedback. The model can be used as a methodological
guide by local public authorities as well as economic and civil society groups. It may be particularly
useful for the Fisheries Local Action Groups, which have been explicitly created to design and implement
bottom-up strategies that fit their regions’ needs to increase economic, social, and environmental
welfare
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