767 research outputs found
Building Sustainable Intellectual Capital: Insight from a Company Included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index
No full textInformation and communication technologies e capitale intellettuale nelle piccole e medie imprese
No full textL’adozione delle nuove tecnologie della comunicazione e dell’informazione (note come ICT ) nelle grandi imprese è oramai da alcuni anni un fenomeno diffuso e, nonostante le difficoltà e le resistenze organizzative che il fenomeno ha generato inizialmente, oggi è opinione condivisa dagli studiosi e dagli operatori economici che tali tecnologie consentano di aumentare la produttività aziendale ed accrescere il valore aggiunto della gestione grazie ad un miglior sfruttamento della risorsa “informazione”. Per contro, nelle imprese di minore dimensione, oltre a registrarsi un divario nel grado di diffusione delle tecnologie più complesse, paradossalmente, alcuni ricercatori hanno dimostrato che PMI con sistemi informativi più sofisticati e complessi hanno avuto performance meno soddisfacenti rispetto a PMI dotati di sistemi informativi più elementari. Partendo dalle considerazioni innanzi dette, è sorto nello scrivente la curiosità intellettuale di valutare a quali condizioni l’introduzione delle nuove tecnologie può accrescere il capitale intellettuale (umano, organizzativo e relazionale) delle piccole e medie imprese. In sintesi, dalla ricerca condotta su un campione ragionato di PMI, emerge la consapevolezza da parte degli imprenditori della potenzialità delle ICT di accrescere il bagaglio di informazioni dei singoli lavoratori, mentre ancora non è maturata la consapevolezza che il patrimonio conoscitivo aziendale ha una dimensione fortemente sociale e collettiva e si fonda sulla capacità di modificare il sapere esplicito e codificato in sapere tacito, in parte implicito nelle procedure aziendali e in parte insito nei valori e nella cultura condivisi dai lavoratori che formano l’organismo aziendale. ese.Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in large firms provide major opportunities for obtaining added value by exploiting information as a business resource. Otherwise, there would be less evidence of the process by which small firms (SMEs) invest in, and gain benefit from, information and communication technologies.
In order to reap the real benefits of investing in ICT, SMEs should be able to enhance their performance and competitive advantage by taking a more conscious and systematic approach to knowledge management (KM). In fact, KM-activities certainly take place in small companies, but few SME entrepreneur-managers call them “knowledge management” per se. Utilizing the definition of Knowledge Management, or KM, as “the art of creating value by leveraging intangible assets” (Sveiby 1997), which consist of three groups: human capital (employees’ competencies and commitment), external capital (image and external relationships) and organisational capital (internal processes and management of the company), this article explores two main questions:
- Does the adoption of ICTs in small firms improve both human and organisational capital?
- Does the adoption of ICTs improve SME firms’ image and other external relationships?
Empirical evidence concerning use of ICT by a selected sample of Italian SMEs are presented here, and compared with those of other academic studies. The authors’ survey reveals the following:
- the main strategic purposes of ICT adoption by SMEs;
- the use of ICT in order to develop human capital (entrepreneurs’ and employees’ competencies and commitment);
- the use of ICT in order to develop external capital (image, stakeholders relations and partners network).
The results from this study suggest that even SMEs who have invested extensively in ICT tools do not adopt a comprehensive approach in their use of these new technologies
Participatory governance for sustainable regional development: How much does the ‘genius loci’ matter?
No full textThere is a global urgency for territorial governance approaches based on
multi-actor and multilevel policy coherence for sustainable development
goals achievement (UN, 2015). The development of forms of participatory
governance has been highly recommended stressing the importance of
strengthening the cooperation and collaboration at regional, sub regional
and local level between the different actors involved (UNGC, 2007).
Sustainability effectiveness in society and economy requires institutional
contexts that favour public and private actors to enact socially
responsible principles as values in policy making, education, taxing,
pricing, consumption and use of environmental assets, business, finance,
investment and trade (Ashley, 2012a: 182; Ashley, 2012b,c; Wilson &
Boyle, 2004; Winter, 2006; Romeiro & Costa, 2010; Bramwell, 2005).
Inter-firm relationships and collaborations between private and
public entities represent the basis for the creation of clusters and microclusters
of firms which are both socially and economically relevant (Hall,
1999 and 2005). Relationships of firms within regions has been explained
through concepts such as industrial districts (Becattini, 1990) and clusters (Porter, 2003) positing social relations with a community and the
actors of the territory as a fundamental element of the birth and success
of enterprises and a key driver for triggering entrepreneurship.
Recently, the entrepreneurial ecosystem has emerged as a popular
concept to explain the birth of high-growth entrepreneurship within
regions (Stoker 1988 and 2006; Spigel, 2017). In this regard, one aspect
that needs particular attention is the link between ecosystems and the
endowments distinguishing a territory, the so-called genius loci
(Pellegrini et al., 2015; Del Baldo, 2010 and 2017; Demartini & Del
Baldo, 2015; Del Baldo & Demartini, 2012, 2014 and 2016) which is tied
to the concept of social capital (the set of personal relationships, trust
and cultural, social, institutional and economic bonds) that allow
entrepreneurs to benefit from positive externalities (Putnam et al., 1994;
Helliwell & Putnam, 1995; Sobel, 2002).
Drawing from these perspectives, which have been nurtured by
prior literature, the aim of our study is to investigate the pre-conditions
that favour the development of local governance systems aimed at
enhancing the regional/local development by leveraging on social capital.
The subject of our analysis – which is empirically based – are the
experimental projects promoted by selected Italian Regions, where
“hybrid” forms of governance nurtured by alliance among local public
institutions, for profit and not-for profit organisations and civil society,
are committed to voluntary partnerships which are reciprocally
advantageous, and which pursue a common social objective.
The qualitative methodology adopted is the case study (Yin, 2013;
Eisenhardt, 1989; Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007; Flick, 2009), which is a
research strategy whose goal is to understand the dynamics
characterising a specific phenomenon (multi-actor governance) and which
uses the research findings both for knowledge and regulatory purposes
Financial and societal value creation in cultural startups: the role of Entrepreneurial Univerties
No full textLa comunicazione economico-finanziaria delle piccole imprese che operano sui mercati internazionali. Profili generali (cap. 3); La comunicazione economico-finanziaria delle piccole imprese che operano sui mercati internazionali. L'influenza dei soci esteri (cap. 4)
No full textIl principale obiettivo della ricerca consiste nell’esaminare la strategia di comunicazione economico-finanziaria delle PI sui mercati esteri, al fine di verificare se il processo di internazionalizzazione si configura come fattore determinante nell’indurre l’impresa ad arricchire, in senso sia qualitativo che quantitativo, il flusso informativo destinato ai propri stakeholder.
Dai risultati dell’ indagine svolta emerge che nonostante sia possibile rilevare una correlazione positiva tra il grado di internazionalizzazione e la produzione di flussi informativi a sostegno dell’attività di export, il processo di internazionalizzazione produce ancora effetti limitati sullo scambio di informazioni di natura economico-finanziaria tra le imprese.Internationalisation, both as an answer to environmental changes and as a strength of competitive positioning, is a fundamental aim for the developing of the Italian system, independently from firms dimensions. In fact, it is confirmed by empirical evidences that small businesses are increasingly concerned with international competition.
Undoubtedly this process requires small firms and small entrepreneurs to own new attitudes, new relationship competencies and professional know-how in order to manage their growth in a international context .
Accounting is the language of business. As a consequence we think that Small Business aiming to grow in foreigner markets, should learn technical skills for drawing up financial statements in a effective way. This in order to improve their communication process with foreign stakeholders (as client and suppliers, value chain partners, investors and others).
Since, our research attempts to:
- evaluate which information is currently offered by these small firms that operate in international markets (both information compulsory and voluntarily given to users);
- suggest some improvements, according to a normative view, in order to increase the usefulness of small businesses financial statements.
The survey covers 135 small firms.
Our main findings suggest that:
- the way of internationalisation followed by small business of our sample is conforming with models suggested by literature;
- many small entrepreneurs do not use their company financial accounts and annual reports as support tools to communicate with their stakeholders, both national and foreign ones. This is consistent with our previous researches and with literature. As a consequence of this, we suggest that the financial statements of small business have to increase their usefulness both for stakeholders and for the management of these firms
La qualità delle relazioni e della comunicazione economico-finanziaria delle PMI italiane
No full text
Knowledge Ecosystems and Growth Proceedings 14th International Forum on Knowledge Asset Dynamics, 5-7 June 2019 Matera
No full textGenius loci and Social Capital as the glue for the success of Entrepreneurial ecosystems.
No full textThe role of social capital in entrepreneurship has become an increasingly prominent topic in business literature, and the debate about pros and cons has become increasingly complex. This study aims to shed light on the pre-conditions (the so called ‘genius loci’) that, by leveraging social capital, favour forms of participatory territorial governance aimed at enhancing regional development and wellbeing, also through the spur of high-tech startups.
We focused on a paradigmatic case study: the Marche Region, (Italy). Indeed, in the age of the so-called “Italian economy miracle”, the Marche region was an example of flexible specialisation and the development of industrial clusters and districts, investigated by renowned researchers.
The case we have explored focuses on innovative Marche startups and aims to understand if and how the sharing of shared values linked to the history of the territory can still be the source of social capital that allows new businesses to benefit from positive externalities.
From our analysis, focused on the behaviour of three key players of the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Marche region (the PA, the new crowdfunding platforms and universities), evidence would appear to confirm what has already emerged from other research..
Indeed, social capital is the glue that decrees, at a meso-level, the success of local development thanks to the form of governance and territorial social responsibility promoted by networks of local actors, public and private, who are oriented to sustainable development
Why and How Women in Business Can Make Innovations in Light of the Sustainable Development Goals
No full textIn 1999, Amartya Sen wrote, “…women are increasingly seen, by men as well as women, as active agents of change: the dynamic promoters of social transformations that can alter the lives of both women and men” [...
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