1,721,013 research outputs found
Sustainable Relations in International Development Cooperation Projects: The Role of Human Resource Management and Organizational Climate
No full textThe importance of organizational issues to assess the success of international development project has not been fully considered yet. An analysis of the literature on the project success definition, focused on the success criteria and success factors, was carried out by surveying the contribution of different authors and approaches. Traditionally projects were perceived as successful when they met time, budget and performance goals, assuming a basic similarity among projects (universalistic approach). However, starting from a non‐universalistic approach, the importance of organization’s effectiveness, in terms of relations sustainability, emerged as a dimension able to define and assess a project success (Belassi W., Tukel O.I., 1996). Based on previous research contributions on the factors influencing the relations between organizations (Zanasi C., Rota C., 2009), the paper expands the analysis of the influence of human resource management on organizational climate that, in turn, influences the relation sustainability between project manager and project team involved in international cooperation for development. A detailed analysis of these relations is provided and a research hypothesis are built. A questionnaire on previous contributions was adapted to collect data for a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis. Five dimensions of organizational climate (Zeitz G. et al., 1997) (trust, communication, innovation, job challenge, social cohesion), four dimensions of human resource management (Snell S.A., Dean J.W, 1992) (staff recruitment, training, performance appraisal, reward system) and two dimension for sustainable relations (Fisher C., Reynolds N., 2008) (relations quality and strength) are reported and measured by using a 5 point Likert scale. The sample size is still in progress. The first results on internal consistency reliability coefficients (Cronbach’s alpha) are satisfactory
Contribution to an Integrated Analytical Framework for the Study of the Relations between and within Agro-food Firms
No full textThe differences in size, culture and technology that characterise the agro-food firms contribute to make collaborative horizontal and vertical relationships difficult. This negatively influences the supply chains performances. The goal of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the inter- and intra-firms relationships dynamics, in particular the definition of the main variables influencing successful collaborative relationships. A survey on the literature related to Supply Chain Management, local businesses systems (firms cluster, districts), Knowledge Networks, Organisation theory (Human Resource Management, Resource Based View, Culture Organization, Psychological contract) was performed. The main factors influencing the relationship among members and business areas, within the firm, those influencing the inter-firms relationship, and the firm relationship with the economic, social and institutional environment, have been identified. Starting from a classification of these factors, according to their different analytical contexts and theoretical approaches, a logical framework was created. Sustainability and relationships performance emerged as the main latent construct defined by a mix of the variables trust, commitment, satisfaction and collaboration; the nature and role of these variables were analysed, following recent research contributions (Fischer, C., Hartmann, M., Reynolds, N., Leat, P., Revoredo-Giha, C., Henchion, M., Gracia, A. (2008), (Fritz M., Martino G., Surci G,2008). A new hypothesis was formulated, including elements not considered by the previous research contributions, on the factors influencing the variables defining the main latent construct. Three variables were considered: • KSA (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities): latent construct observable through the measurement of five variables: conflict resolution, communication, collaborative problem solving, goal setting and performance management, planning and task coordination (Stevens M.J., Campion M.A., 1994); • Psychological contract: variable influencing the members’ relationship within the firm (Rousseau, 1990); • Human Resource Management: observed by analysing the technical and strategic effectiveness of the Human resource management policies and the human resources capabilities (Huselid M.A., Schuler R.S., 1997). The relationship sustainability will be analysed within different organisations cultures characterising the human resources, the business areas, and the whole of the firm. This will become the context within which our hypothesis on the role of the above mentioned variables will be tested. Future research development should broaden the literature survey on the theoretical framework adding other approaches related mostly to the field of sociology and psychology; from the methodological point of view, the structural equation model (SEM) seems to be the most appropriate analytical tool. The many qualitative variables implied in the theoretical model should be correctly measured in order to be used in a SEM; to this end the literature on measurement scales definition and their relevance for the different types of statistical analysis tool should be examined
Sustainable Relations in International Development Cooperation Projects: The role of Organizaitonal Climate
Full text linkThe importance of the human side of project management to assess the success of international development project has not been fully considered yet. An analysis of the literature on the project success definition, focused on the success criteria and success factors, was carried out. The organization’s effectiveness, in terms of Relations Sustainability, emerged as a criteria integrating the" time, cost, performance" approach to define a project success. Based on previous research contributions on the factors influencing the organization’s effectiveness, the paper expands the analysis of the influence of Organizational Climate on the Relation Sustainability between project manager and project team involved in international cooperation for development. The statistical methods used include confirmatory factors analysis and structural equation modeling. The results carry implications for project management identifying five dimensions of Organizational Climate (trust, innovation, social cohesion, communication and job challenge) influencing Relations Sustainability. This finding suggests that Organizational Climate contributes to project success by creating trust, stimulating commitment and generating satisfaction to overcome conflicts between project manager and project team
Relazioni entro e tra imprese: un approccio teorico unificato
No full textScopo del presente lavoro è contribuire alla costruzione di un approccio teorico che delinei le dinamiche ed i meccanismi di relazione intra e tra imprese, in particolare del settore agroindustriale. Attraverso una rassegna della letteratura in materia di Supply Chain Management (SCM), sistemi locali di impresa, (cluster, distretti), reti di conoscenza e teoria delle organizzazioni, sono stati identificati i fattori che influenzano le relazioni tra i membri e le funzioni interne all'impresa e le relazioni che essa intrattiene con l'ambiente economico, sociale ed istituzionale in cui opera. Tali fattori sono stati riorganizzati in uno schema teorico che collega organicamente le dinamiche relazionali interne ed esterne all'impresa. Futuri sviluppi di ricerca dovranno definire gli indicatori delle variabili quali-quantitative che influenzano le relazioni individuate ed il metodo analitico idoneo a rappresentare la struttura dell'assunto teorico proposto e valutarlo empiricamente
Prospettive allarmanti per la tabacchicoltura Italiana
No full textINTRODUZIONE Con la riforma dell’organizzazione comune di mercato (OCM), attuata con il Regolamento (CE) n. 864 del 29 aprile 2004, la politica Comunitaria del settore Tabacco è stata profondamente modificata suscitando forti preoccupazioni tra gli operatori in ragione del programmato ridimensionamento dell’aiuto alla produzione. A partire dal 2006 i regimi di aiuto hanno mutato la loro funzione di sostegno alla produzione a favore di un pagamento unico disaccoppiato per azienda. Sono state adottate linee di ricerca per indagare possibili strategie di adattamento produttivo, in particolare usi alternativi del tabacco, per quegli agricoltori che non avranno più convenienza ad operare nel settore tabacchicolo. Il presente lavoro nasce nell’ambito del progetto di ricerca: “Uso alternativo e studio della mutagenicità del tabacco”, settore “Analisi economica degli usi alternativi del tabacco”, finanziato dal Mipaf e coordinato dall’Istituto Sperimentale per il Tabacco (IST)
Il tabacco fonte di proteine per l'industria farmaceutica
No full textCon la riforma dell’organizzazione comune di mercato (OCM), attuata con il Regolamento (CE) n. 864 del 29 aprile 2004, la politica Comunitaria del settore Tabacco è stata profondamente modificata suscitando forti preoccupazioni tra gli operatori in ragione del programmato ridimensionamento dell’aiuto alla produzione. A partire dal 2006 i regimi di aiuto hanno mutato la loro funzione di sostegno alla produzione a favore di un pagamento unico disaccoppiato per azienda
Analisi economica degli usi alternativi del tabacco
No full textCon la riforma dell'organizzazione comune di mercato (OCM), attuata con il Regolamento (CE) n. 864 del 29 aprile 2004, la politica Comunitaria del settore Tabacco è stata profondamente modificata suscitando forti preoccupazioni tra gli operatori in ragione del programmato ridimensionamento dell'aiuto alla produzione. A partire dal 2006 i regimi di aiuto hanno mutato la loro funzione di sostegno alla produzione a favore di un pagamento unico disaccoppiato per azienda. Per agevolare l'adeguamento alle nuove politiche di settore sono state adottate linee di ricerca per indagare possibili strategie di adattamento produttivo, in particolare usi alternativi del tabacco, per quegli agricoltori che non avranno più convenienza ad operare nel settore tabacchi colo . Per raggiungere questi obiettivi si è proceduto attraverso due stadi successivi di analisi. Nella prima parte sono stati calcolati i costi di produzione ed i redditi aziendali delle diverse tipologie di aziende tabacchi cole e valutate, in termini di redditività economica, le conseguenze dell'entrata in vigore, a pieno regime, della riforma PAC nell'anno 2010, quando cesseranno gli aiuti al tabacco. Nella seconda parte si è valutato come le aziende agricole potranno integrarsi nel nuovo assetto di filiera determinato dai suoi usi alternativi sia in termini economici che tecnico - organizzativi, considerando la inclusione delle aziende agricole in filiere agro-industriali diverse da quelle attuali, sia rispetto ai prodotti finali che ai processi produttivi ed alle relazioni contrattuali. I risultati evidenziano che i margini aziendali, in funzione dei cambiamenti legati all'introduzione a pieno regime, nel 2010, del meccanismo di pagamento unico per azienda subiranno un crollo in tutte le tipologie esaminate, anche nelle realtà più "efficienti"
Assessing the Impact of Sustainability Improvement Options on the Agri-food Supply Chain Governance Structures: Development of an Evaluation Tool
Full text linkThe competitiveness of a supply chain is driven by the ability of supply chain governance structures to adapt to the chains’ continuously changing technical and organizational characteristics. The present study addresses the adoption of sustainability improvement options in the area of organization and management in the agri-food sector; within this framework the study proposes a tool for assessing the impact of sustainability oriented processes on the supply chain governance structures, in turn influencing the competitiveness of the supply chain. Two different approaches, proposed by (Gereffi et al., 2005) and (Hobbs and Young, 2000) have been linked to provide a theoretical framework for the tool development. The proposed new conceptual framework links the dimensions defining five different governance structures complexity of transaction, ability to codify and capabilities in the supply-base (Gereffi et al.,) to the product characteristics, regulatory and technology aspects defined by Hobbs and Young as drivers influencing the vertical coordination of supply chains. The method suggested for measuring the relations between improvement options and the chain governance structure is the adopt ion of experts’ evaluations. This method improves the tool capacity to provide a context-related supply chain governance structure assessment and management
The influence of organizational climate on sustainable relationships between organization and employees. The KION case study
No full textThis study considers factors influencing relationships on an employee and employer level (micro-level) as well as the effectiveness and performance of the organization as a whole (macro-level). The organizational climate plays hereby a central role as a determinant of the organizational behavior and success. However, few empirical studies consider the role of the organizational climate as a link between both the micro and macro levels and its influence on the creating sustainable business relationships leading to improved economic performance. To conduct the analysis, we derive a hypothesis building upon existing literature and test the hypothesis through survey of organizational members and by employing a structural equation model. The results show a very good relationship among all variables considered in the model, especially between innovation, trust, communication and sustainable relationships. The study provides also managers with a useful tool for evaluating the climate of the organization and the quality of relations with its members. Because only one organization was analyzed, the research results may lack generalizability. Future research would need to adopt the proposed model on other organizations and countries
Measuring Egyptian Farmers’ Attitude Towards Staying Organic
Full text linkOrganic agriculture (OA) in Egypt is well-developed and still fast growing. Improving the relation between organic farmers and the other agents in the chain can provide a positive contribution to the whole organic chain competitiveness. One possible approach to investigate the farmers’ perceived role and satisfaction within the organic system is to explore the factors influencing their decision to stay organic. In particular, the aim of the present study was to measure the farmers’ attitude towards staying organic. Organic agricultural experts and institutional stakeholders were interviewed to complete a literature review and to obtain information about the Egyptian context. The survey questionnaire was pre-tested (n = 13) and then administered to a different sample (n = 232). A split-half validation procedure was used to evaluate and then confirm the factor structure. Explorative and confirmatory factor analysis yielded a final 29-item measure consisting of 8 distinct factors showing how organic agriculture influences a broad range of farmers’ life dimensions (environmental, economic, social, psychological). The significant role played by psychological and social factors in defining the farmers’ decision to stay organic emerged as a relatively unexpected outcome. The study supports the sustainable development of small family farmers, providing a useful tool to support the growth of organic production and consumption, mostly in developing countries. By monitoring farmers’ attitudes and perception towards OA, the instrument proposed in the present study can support policy makers, farmers’ organizations, civil society organizations (NGOs) and organic chains focal companies when defining policies, advocating campaigns, and chain coordination strategies for farmers involved in the organic food system development
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