2,159 research outputs found
Beyond the Nutritional Quality of Made in Italy Space Food: Motivational and Performance Implications on Astronautic Teams
No full textThis study explores the influence of Italian-made space food on the well-being, motivation and performance of astronauts during some recent missions. The objective is to examine the relationship between the consumption of high-quality Italian-made food and the organisational behaviour of space teams. While previous organisational literature has established connections between perceived well-being, motivation and high performance in various work contexts, there is a paucity of research specifically addressing these factors in the context of space missions and the peculiar impact of Italian cuisine. This research aims to expand the theoretical understanding of the organisational dynamics of space teams and to test, on an empirical level, the hypothesis that consuming high-quality Italian food alleviates perceived sensory hunger in space, thereby improving the psychological well-being, motivation and high work performance of astronauts. A combination of questionnaires and in-depth interviews was conducted with the astronauts, as well as with innovation managers from a number of Italian Space Food companies. The results were then analysed using a set of selected theoretical organisational and qualitative constructs. Given the distinctive nature of the research, the findings, both theoretical and empirical, offer potential for intriguing generalisations and comparisons, thereby stimulating both scientific discourse and the work of experts from the various domains involved, including aerospace, food, organisational studies, and quality managemen
Innovare nella crisi. Il ruolo della relazione vertice strategico-staff
No full textSecondo vecchie prassi consolidate in azienda, le fasi di crescita del mercato vedono il fiorire di nuove idee e scelte innovative, mentre le fasi recessive sono quelle in cui ci si concentra sull’ottimizzazione della gestione corrente. Ma è un errore: le ricerche dimostrano che i risultati migliori sono ottenuti dalle imprese che innovano in periodi di recessione. Guidare l’azienda anche in momenti turbolenti è appannaggio del vertice aziendale, che deve prendere posizione di fronte a cambiamenti e scenari futuri il cui corso può seguire strade impreviste. L’Amministratore Delegato non è solo nell’affrontare questo compito: ha bisogno del proprio staff, di collaboratori da guidare e motivare nei tempi difficili. Fornire sostegno continuo è però una sfida sia per il vertice aziendale sia per il Top management e la qualità dell’innovazione dipende, in ultima analisi, dalla qualità della leadershipAccording to conventional business practices, market growth phases are characterized by the emergence of new ideas and innovative choices, while recessionary phases are focused on optimizing current operations. However, research shows that the best results are achieved by companies that innovate during recessionary periods. In turbulent times, it is the responsibility of top management to lead the company and take a stand in the face of changes and unforeseen scenarios. The CEO cannot do this alone and requires the support of their staff and associates to guide and motivate them. However, providing continuous support is a challenge for both top and senior management, and the quality of innovation ultimately depends on the quality of leadershi
Epistemology of complexity in a state of crisis. Leadership and coordination as catalysts of neghentropy
No full textThis contribution is intended as a reflection on the soul of the corporate system and its ability to respond dynamically to maintain conditions of vitality and prosperity in the face of ever new and sometimes unforeseen events. As in any living, dynamic and complex system, the harmonious functioning of the various parts of the system is underpinned by mechanisms of regulation, self-regulation and autopoiesis; the company is therefore considered to be a dissipative system. The regulatory and autopoietic mechanisms are activated by a constant two-way internal-external exchange of energy and matter, capable of stimulating a negentropic evolutionary dimension, even in situations of instability.
The company that achieves its goals is said to be “effective”; the company that does so at the lowest cost is said to be “efficient”; the company that does both is said to be “economically managed”. Underlying this discourse is the often taken-for-granted fact that firms must operate under equilibrium conditions or else exit the market (in the absence of subsidies from external agents). But companies are not biological systems that are inherently capable of reaching homeostatic states. Too often we forget that it is mainly the 'visible hand' of top managers that influences the state in which a firm finds itself.
The search for equilibrium and its maintenance are hardly self-generating.
The fathers of our disciplines already claimed that “economy expresses the ability of management to maintain economic equilibrium” and “profitability expresses the ability of management to generate positive income”.
It is the economic actors - the owner-entrepreneurs, in the case of small companies - and the top managers - in the case of large companies - or, more generally, the leaders who make the difference, who lead a business system to operate in conditions of equilibrium (economic, financial and organizational), and who have to restore these conditions when they change in response to events, internal or external to the organization’s boundaries, whether foreseeable or not.
Immersed as they are in VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) environments, today's companies and the leaders who run them are called upon to rebalance their organization, for example to enable it to respond appropriately to a shock by ensuring business continuity. Thus, each entropic trend tends to be matched by a syntropic (or neg-entropic) one in order to achieve states of ‘dynamic equilibrium’. This involves the coordination of the business system and the need to reach situations of interdependence; to find or rediscover the harmony of interpersonal integration relationships, to ensure a compatible relationship between the interests of the various stakeholders and to guarantee operational and managerial policies in line with the company's objectives and mission.
So, it is not enough to design and implement orderly structures, it is necessary to keep them in harmony and ensure their vitality.
Our contribution aims to answer the following research question: “If today's companies operate in extremely dynamic, ambiguous and, to some extent, unpredictable contexts, what characteristics should top management possess and what levers should it use to manage such hyper complexity, to balance entropic and neg-entropic forces and to achieve states of 'dynamic equilibrium' that allow the company to survive and develop?”.
This question is particularly relevant when it comes to managing serious crises (wars, pandemics, international economic and financial crises, etc.), which require a radical adaptation of corporate governance to environmental dynamics.
The research methodology is qualitative, based on the identification and analysis of a selected bibliography. The approach is interdisciplinary and covers various fields of study: economics, management, philosophy, business organization.
Inspired by general systems theory, we have endeavored to integrate the various specialist contributions in order to develop a framework on the basis of which the business system can be interpreted as a unitary, integrated reality in continuous evolution. A socio-economic system that is open, complex, probabilistic, ductile, evolving according to the principle of equifinality and endowed with regulatory processes that make it possible to achieve homeostatic situations at increasingly complex levels
Recovering the dormant values of accounting to navigate the challenges of the 2030 agenda and beyond
No full textPurpose
This paper presents a critical examination of the contemporary state of the accounting discipline and poses the question of its future trajectory. The aim of the study is to show that the path to be followed is the one traced by the masters of the discipline, which lies in the wake of the rediscovery of social and moral values and shared value.
Design/methodology/approach
Study of the conceptual nature of research topic, that is, the discipline of accounting, in an intertemporal exploration through some selected theoretical constructs.
Findings
There is no need for a new accounting science with new paradigms, but only for a recovery of the social and moral values of accounting that have lain dormant during the dusty centuries of human history.
Research limitations/implications
The study does not provide an extensive analysis of the evolution of accounting history.
Practical implications
The recovery of the social and ethical dimension will not only make accounting more attractive to young students but will also have a medium-term impact on the profession, freeing it from the stereotypes of an unexciting and aseptic discipline. This broadening of scope and momentum inspires the engagement of academics, practitioners, experts and policymakers in confronting and proactively addressing the complex challenges that the world faces today, toward the United Nations 2030 Agenda and beyond.
Originality/value
This historical paper’s originality lies in its intertemporal perspectiv
Algorithmic Management in Data-driven Organizations: Ethics and Responsibility for Effective Change Management
No full textData is crucial to the economies of the most advanced countries and their innovation processes. The incorporation of Big Data and Predictive Analytics technologies has often been associated with successful decision-making in organizational management, underscoring the significance of a data-driven approach. Data-driven organizations base their decision-making processes on robust data processing, which becomes a strategic asset for improving performance and gaining a competitive advantage.
Although algorithmic management offers undeniable advantages in terms of efficient decision-making, its employment requires careful change management within the organization. Its implementation must cover personnel training, compliance with regulations and laws, data privacy, decision transparency and accountability, security and cybersecurity, ethical considerations and potential social, economic, and environmental impacts. This includes, inter alia, minimizing resource usage and the carbon footprint associated with digital system
A mild, efficient synthesis of gem-difluorodihydrouracils
No full textAn efficient multicomponent sequential process, which occurs in mild condition has been exploited for the synthesis of systematically modified amphiphilic molecules where the cationic head is tethered to a lipophilic tail through a dihydroorotic acid linker. The process is operatively simple, high yielding, and flexible. Such a strategy could impact combinatorial synthesis of wide libraries of amphiphilic molecules to be tested as transfection agents and/or as antimicrobials
Sustainability of debt in the football industry. One, nobody and one hundred thousand owners
No full textToday, football is widely regarded as one of the most significant leisure activities in people’s lives, given its considerable impact in terms of fostering social cohesion, promoting physical and mental health, generating economic and financial benefits, as well as attracting millions of viewers globally. The football industry is a major industry with a plethora of stakeholders that support a complex and dynamic multi-billion-euro industry. However, the unique and unpredictable nature of the football industry presents ongoing challenges to debt management and financing strategies. Debt in the football industry, especially at the club level, is a matter of concern and discussion among academics, as well as politicians, financial investors, and organiza-tions. This study aims to analyse the financial and economic performance of Italian football clubs, their trends, and perspectives in comparison to their European counter-parts. The results show clear economic and financial difficulties facing the professional Italian football industry. Our findings and our reflections on the opera-tional strategic consequences may be useful for both practitioners, who might know the impact of their sports-related choices in their clubs’ debts, and policymaker
"The love that made hell, paradise." Ouida re-writing the Paolo and Francesca theme in Held in Bondage
No full textThe bestselling Victorian author Ouida reveals in her novels, and, in particular, Held in Bondage, an extraordinary knowledge od Dante, by using characters and themes from the Commedia. The Paolo and Francesca theme actually constitutes part of the plot of the novel and is to be found in many of her other works, short stories and non-fiction writing
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