1,720,978 research outputs found
What is the role of social media in several overtones of CSR communication? The case of the wine industry in the Southern Italian regions
Full text linkThe purpose of this paper is to understand whether the companies most involved in communicating their responsible behaviour externally are those most active on the social media (SM) platform, with a philanthropic purpose rather than strictly aimed at economic aspects. Design/methodology/approach: The authors, first, assess firms’ efforts on the SM platform using the model proposed by Chung et al. (2014), and, second, the authors analyze the content of messages in order to verify what dimensions of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) they contain. A multivariate modelling has been performed in order to verify whether the wineries that take most care to communicate their responsible behaviour are those that are more involved in the management of Social Network. The wineries’ effort in SM platform was analyzed using the model proposed by Chung et al. (2014), which consider three dimensions named intensity, richness and responsiveness. In order to verify the relationship between the SM effort and their engagement in CSR initiatives, the Probit model has been utilized taking into consideration four CSR dimension (Green CSR, Ethical CSR, Community CSR and Cultural CSR). Findings: The findings show that wineries most involved in corporate social responsibility initiatives and in the active communication of these initiatives on SM platforms are those that are most active on SM and in particular those that interact most with their web users, triggering in them some reactions that lead to the sharing of content and, therefore, having a significant impact on the dissemination of information through SM. Research limitations/implications: The main limitations of this study are related to the limited sample size, the time period considered. Practical implications: This study provides insight and hints into wine entrepreneurs interested in improving the effectiveness of their CSR communication via SM showing the importance of the interactive dimension of SM, in order to reduce scepticism and gain greater credibility on the market. Originality/value: This study uses four dimensions of the companies’ SM efforts’ built on the basis of a number of variables that are more explicative of the SM engagemen
Land Grabbing Models in the International Scenario: the Case Study of the European Union
No full textThe worldwide increase in population and consumption has produced a growing demand for food and energy in the rich and developing Countries and has intensiied the search for land on which to carry investments without transparency rules and without creating real conditions of development of local populations. The aim of this paper is to identify, through a cluster analysis, homogeneous group of investor countries and to verify if exist Land grabbing model for the EU Member States. The results show that the strategies adopted by the investors are driven by the need to achieve energy security and reduce CO2 emissions and to cope with the problems of
food security in view of the exponential growth of the population. In particular, the acquisitions of EU Member States are driven by the need to reduce the energy deicit in view of the achievement of the objectives set out in the “Europe 2020.
What are the effects of sea warming on the fishing industry?
No full textThe paper analyses the impact of Mediterranean Sea warming on some species of small pelagic fish (pesce azzurro) in the Italian fishing industry. In particular, through a time series regression model, the research examines the productivity trend in physical terms of target species of small pelagic fish from 1950 to 2016, considering the Mediterranean Sea Surface Temperatures Anomalies as an indicator of sea warming, and the Western Mediterranean Oscillation index and the North Atlantic Oscillation index as proxies of climatic variability. The research results show an evident link between the reduction of fish availability and sea warming, with potential repercussions on the incomes of the employees in thefishing industry. Our findings provide interesting suggestions and implications on the theoretical, managerial, and political level, providing insights for new researches
Are coastal communities able to pay for the protection of fish resources impacted by climate change?
No full textThe purpose of this study is to examine inhabitants’ motivation and their willingness to pay to mitigate the impact of climate change on fish resources. Willingness to pay was tested empirically using survey data from 333 inhabitants of Sciacca, a fishing community in Sicily, Italy, which has the island's second largest fishing fleet. People's attitudes towards climate change, their degree of involvement in the issue, and their concerns about this phenomenon's potential impact on the marine environment are the key factors affecting their willingness to pay. It was further found that respondents are willing to pay an average of €6.81 per month to support mitigation policies in the fishing industry. The originality of this study is related to its contribution in expanding the body of knowledge on citizens’ willingness to pay for the protection of fish resources, using a conceptual framework based on the Construal Level Theory and the Theory of Reasoned Action to explain inhabitants’ behaviour. The latter is one of the implications of this study on the theoretical point of view. In addition, this study provides insights and hints to policy makers to define tools, shared by the community, that contribute to the mitigation of climate change
Consumer interest in information regarding novel food technologies in Italy: The case of irradiated foods
No full textRecent food crises and uncertainty regarding food quality have pushed consumers towards a growing need to know more about the foods they purchase, including information related to both food quality and production. This paper identifies the main factors affecting consumer interest in receiving information on food irradiation technology. An online survey was used for research purposes and a total of 392 people, living in Italy, were questioned. Findings revealed that 89.2% of Italian consumers are interested in receiving information on the treatment of foods with ionizing radiation aimed at raising product safety. In particular, this interest was greater for respondents who reported a high sensitivity to food safety issues, who had already or who have unwittingly purchased irradiated foods, and those with a higher level of education. The results also underlined that a problem of misinformation exists among Italian consumers regarding irradiation technology, and that specific food education programs in the schools promoted by the ministry of education and promotional campaigns supported by public and private institutions, aimed at creating greater awareness and attitude among consumers about irradiated products, are necessary
The role of internal resources in the competitive positioning of Sicilian wine cooperatives
Full text linkThe paper is an original article that uses accounting frameworks to determine what creates a competitive advantage in a cooperative business model. In particular, it investigates the influence of tangible, intangible and financial resources on the business performance of cooperatives operating in the Sicilian wine industry, with the RBV of the firms as a theoretical background. Using a linear regression model, our results show that tangible and financial resources are a source of a sustained competitive advantage. This study fills the gap existing in the strategic management literature related to the role of resources, tangible and intangible, in the cooperative system, providing both theoretical and practical implications
Drivers affecting the adoption and effectiveness of social media investments: The Italian wine industry case
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to identify distinct organisational models in a sample of firms operating in the wine industry; and second, to identify the main internal resources that characterise those firms most motivated towards the adoption of social media (SM) tools and those that perceive SM investment as more effective. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical investigation was carried out by administering an online questionnaire to a sample of 82 Sicilian wineries. The principal component analysis was used to identify latent factors that drive managers to invest in SM technologies and to measure the impact perceived by managers. Subsequently, a cluster analysis was performed to identify similar organisational models. Findings: The findings show that large wineries with a high number of employees possessing knowledge and skills in regard to SM tools and social network (SN) management are highly motivated towards the adoption of SM and perceive their SM investment as more effective. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of the paper lies in the limited sample size, which does not allow the results to be generalised. Practical implications: The findings provide support for managers, who could use these results to better focus their investment on infrastructure that facilitates the development of specific skills needed to manage SM tools and SNs, as well as customer relations. Originality/value: To date, very few empirical studies have focussed on providing evidence on the role and impact of SM integration into the marketing communication plan of a strategic industry, such as the wine industry
SOCIAL MEDIA TECHNOLOGY USE AND MANAGERS PERCEPTION. A PRELIMINARY STUDY IN THE ITALIAN WINE INDUSTRY
No full textThis preliminary study contributes to enrich the empirical eviendences on the role and impact of SM technology adoption in the Italian wine sector. In particular, the aims are to (i) understand the reasons that guide entrepreneurs to adopt SMs, (ii) identify the usefulness of SMs in the various business activities and (iii) examine the perception that the implementation of these tools has on the company's economic and organizational performance. In order to collect these ifnromation an electronic survey has been conducted among Sicilian wineries. Our findings show that the main raisons driving entrepreneurs to adopt SMs technology are the need to promote corporate image and to exploit a new communication channel. These tools are used to monitoring comments in order to understand both the attitudes towards purchasing and buying preferences and how messages are perceived by customers. Results confirm a positive effect of SM adoption in terms of corporate image and customer relationship management. This research has some theretical and practical implications. If appropriately used our results can support the entrepreneurial choices taking into consideration that these tools allow to improve the customer relationship management and in particular the corporate image of the firm into the market
Intention of coastal communities to support climate change mitigation policies for fish and marine ecosystem preservation
No full textPurpose: This paper aims to assess the willingness of individuals living in coastal communities affected by climate change to financially support mitigation policies towards the preservation of marine ecosystems and fish resources and to identify the key drivers of their behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was carried out involving 994 people living in three main Italian coastal communities. To investigate the main factors affecting Italian coastal communities’ willingness to pay (WTP) to support climate change mitigation measures to protect the marine ecosystem and fishery resources, a Tobit regression model was implemented. Findings: The results show that these communities are likely to pay to safeguard fish resources and the marine ecosystem, owing to their social and economic importance for these communities. In particular, this study’s findings highlight that the individuals’ attitudes towards climate change, social pressures and their perception of the phenomenon play a significant role on their intention to support mitigation policies. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that the communities most threatened by the negative effects of climate change are more willing to contribute financially to protect fish resources and the marine ecosystem. Research limitations/implications: A limitation is related to the adopted methodology. In particular individuals’ intention to adopt pro-environmental behaviours does not always translate into real WTP through additional taxes. Originality/value: The value of the research stems from its unique collective cross-communal comparison of attitudes and intentions, its parallel identification of behavioural drivers at the individual level and its prescriptive conclusions of both scholarly and practical worth
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