The purpose of the study is to analyze the credibility of non-financial reports of companies belonging to the fashion and luxury sector and to understand the role played by gender equity in the pursuit of sustainability goals. The pursuit of sustainability by nations and companies is an increasingly discussed topic in the literature and is closely related to the ways in which the activities put in place are not only implemented, but also reported and disclosed. In this context, sustainability issues are particularly relevant for companies operating in the fashion and luxury sector, where companies belonging to the “Made in Italy” can exploit a competitive advantage. In fact, a number of principles and regulations have emerged aimed at outlining proper reporting and disclosure of non-financial activities, among which those aimed at sustainability have assumed a prevalent role. Some companies, however, take a “check the box” approach with regard to sustainability-related reporting, and this has compromised their reputation, as positive results are extolled and negative ones omitted Therefore, to achieve this goal, a qualitative content analysis of reports prepared in 2021 by No. 23 companies within the top 100 global luxury brands was conducted. The qualitative analysis was carried out through a self-constructed credibility index based on Habermas’ idealism. Credibility was considered as a construct consisting of: truthfulness, sincerity, and adequacy and comprehensibility. The results show that non-financial reports of companies operating in the fashion and luxury industries tend to have low credibility. This result contributes to the expansion of empirical research directed at verifying the credibility of communications regarding the pursuit of sustainability goals carried out by companies. The study also contributes to providing a better understanding on sustainability reporting carried out by companies in the luxury fashion industry by highlighting best practices that other companies can also follow.

The topics of sustainability and digitalization are increasingly present in contemporary academic, economic and social debates. Both topics are drastically changing the behaviour of companies. This article aims to examine the disclosure of information on digitalization and sustainability in the context of the Integrated Report of European companies. It seeks to understand the extent to which these companies are moving towards a sustainable business model (SBM) that includes new digital technologies. In particular, the analysis started from the systematic literature review proposed by Broccardo et al. (2023) who, in order to investigate the contribution of new technologies to the transformation of companies’ SBM, provides a new table of categories started by the Business Model Canvas. Based on this framework, the authors constructed the useful items to develop and test the research objective. For this purpose, the qualitative research method was chosen. In detail, an automatic content analysis was conducted. This work analysed the Integrated Reports using a sample of 125 European companies in the period 2020-2021. The results showed that companies are increasingly including digitalization and sustainability issues in financial and non-financial reports. However, the financial sector seems to include digitization issues more closely, while the non-financial sector includes sustainability issues. Although studies in this field are increasing considerably, it seems that the academic debate is still in its infancy and that there are not enough empirical studies. To fill this gap, this article can contribute to the existing literature and provide an element of support for academics, companies and standard setters.

Defining the pillars of sustainable development, the 2030 Agenda recalls inequality and valuing diversity as an asset. Diversity management can be defined as a managerial approach pursuing an active and conscious development of a forward-looking, value-oriented strategic and communicative managerial process of accepting differences and using some differences and similarities as a potential of the organization, a process that creates added value to the enterprise. However, a lack of literature emerges regarding the studies on “behind the line” themes, which represent the key factors for the companies operating into the audiovisual industry. Especially, one of these regards soft power meaning the use and persuasion to change minds and influence behavior. In this stream fits in the present research aiming to analyse how women’s leadership can support audiovisual companies in reaching sustainable development. Qualitative face to face surveys methodology supports the paper, analysing 16 in-depth interviews. The interviews were conducted mainly with key figures of several audiovisual companies such as TV producers, production managers, directors of public and private TV networks, and heads of audiovisive archives. The positive role of female leadership in the audiovisual industry is confirmed. From executive appointments to new recognition paradigms, inclusion is on the 2022 agenda of the audiovisual world. A growing presence of roles and productions of female filmmakers is confirmed, although the gap between men and women is still very wide. Several insights emerge from the study of soft power topics, linking them directly to themes like training, innovation, responsibility, and change that emerge from the interviews. The present study has several theoretical and practical implications. From theoretical perspective, it enriches the literature on gender study fields. Also, several aspects of the company’s sustainable development and diversity management have been treated. From practical perspective, the present research points out the main features in terms of soft skills that female leadership must fulfil in order to achieve sustainable development for the company. The main limitation of the research could be recognised to the number of interviews conducted. The future lines of research aim to expand the survey, also considering international entities. This perspective will help the authors in identifying the main characteristics of women managers that could allow the audiovisual companies in reaching the best outcome format for the market. Moreover, extending the analysis could promote the generalisation of the main findings of the research.

Social and regulatory pressures and competitiveness are increasingly encouraging companies to invest in diversity to manage differences in the workplace. In service industries such as hospitality, tourism, and transport, the relationships and interface between customer and service are critical (Singal, 2014). According to this approach in aviation companies, the subject of this is study, diversity management takes on even greater importance than in other industries (Steven et al., 2004). The commercial aviation industry is a high-tech service industry, extremely competitive and sensitive to the customer-employee relationship, since it is obviously a service that is consumed at the same time it is delivered (Appelbaum, Fewster, 2004). It appears known from the literature that diversity management plays a significant role in the organization’s outcomes (Lorbiecki, Jack, 2000). This study seeks, in fact, to provide a brief review of the history of diversity management in organizations, aiming to identify how, from the business side, diversity management is perceived and considered and which strategies have been implemented, or are in the planning stages, that may prove useful. In order to analyze the intangible aspects of airline and how attention to diversity can become an element of competitive advantage, a qualitative research methodology using a multiple case study was chosen in the paper, through an unstructured questionnaire interview. Specifically, direct interviews with three management figures in the aviation industry were chosen as the source of information collection. This first explanatory research confirms that the best combination of differences and, thus, the management of human resources enable the enhancement of diversity in organizations, with performance level benefits. Therefore, through the interview some strategies in aviation industry in order to sustain diversity management are highlighted. The limitation concerns the number of pilot cases observed (three) Future lines of research will be focused on the study of other company to acquire more data on the topic.

Sustainable rural development helps to improve the quality of rural environment communities, and relies on promoting multifunctional agriculture and driving rural business and entrepreneurship, structuring hybrid organisations that combine and reconcile market and social aspects as sources and visions leading to creating economic, social and public value within rural areas and communities. The aim of this study is to elucidate that driving sustainable rural development supports hybrid organisations that are driving value creation processes within rural areas and communities. Rural resources are emerging as a social and economic asset and value to be preserved for future generations. Rural resources shape the strategy and organisation of rural enterprises and communities. Rural development and multi-functionality in agriculture contribute to reconciling and combining business orientation, territorial identity, social value creation and benefits for communities, addressing strategic and organisational choices of rural entrepreneurs. Rural development policies contribute to driving and shaping the sustainability of European farm sector and rural areas, by retaining long-term strategic objectives with regards to the competitiveness of agriculture, ensuring sustainable management of natural resources and climate action and the balanced territorial development of rural areas. European institutions promote rural development in order to benefit rural enterprises and communities, exerting influence on the organisational and strategic choices of enterprises towards sustainability by following a hybrid pathway to value creation and organisation.

Blockchain is recognised as a useful key digital technology in Industrial Internet of Things environments. It provides a means for the protection, traceability and security of industrial data. Blockchain is defined as an immutable digital ledger technology, based on a distributed and decentralized infrastructure that facilitates the management of data and transactions by leveraging on encrypted and trusted mechanisms. Despite it was introduced in 2009, it seems to be still immature. Indeed, some few applications have been experimented since 2019. Therefore, it is interesting to explore the knowledge boundaries of such technology for a secure data management and for ensuring the sustainability of industrial business models. Based on a systematic literature review and a bibliometric analysis, this study aims to identify the most important implications of the blockchain adoption with regard the protection and traceability of data in industry. The results of the analysis show the identification of seven clusters, as potential future research directions. The study provides both theoretical and practical implications. It extends the body of the literature by suggesting potential opportunities in industry and within an emerging technological field. Also, it supports managers to identify and plan accurate strategies for strengthening the sustainability of their business, by leveraging on the development of novel knowledge for a secure management of their assets.

This job has the finality to study the existing relationship between the cultural dimension of the board of directors, like sex and age, and its impact on firm value. It is important to stop and focus on the reason why these two parameters are so important to creation of value inside companies. The board of directors is the centre where major business decisions are made. The future success or failure of the company depends on the decisions that are made today by directors. The idea of the future companies comes from the board of directors. From here we understand the importance of a deep reading of the mechanisms that govern this organization. If we analyse the etymological sense of the term “value”, we consider everything that is worthy of being taken into account: economic benefits but not only them. In recent years corporate culture has shown to be a discriminating factor when the economic crisis led companies to exercise resilience actions. The covid-19 first and the international unrest then questioned the way of doing business. The market scenarios, in which companies operate, have changed. One element that made the difference was the mental flexibility of administrators. During these years the company culture has made a difference. The present work aims to analyse how much the cultural dimension of the boards of directors affects the creation of business value. Particular attention will be paid to Italian companies. In this article we provide to a review of the most significant papers and texts of the academic research dedicated to the study of human capital-intensive firms. In the field of human capital, the analysis is limited to the culture of women’s enterprise. The database that was used for the search is Scopus. A particular aspect of the cultural dimension that is being studies is the percentage of women sitting on company boards. Specifically, we want to study the correlation, if any, between the value of the company and the percentage of women present in its boards of directors. We will examine what are the distinguishing characteristics of female management too. Deepening the scientific literature on the subject of corporate culture and value creation, we want to quantify the value created by the companies under consideration. The goal is to understand if there is a correlation between the percentage of women on the boards and business success, Primary sources and secondary ones will be used in the study. The analysis was conducted in order to offer a new key to reading these phenomena.

This academic article discusses the potential of smart working as a social sustainability tool for achieving gender equality in organisations. With the rise of telecommuting and remote work due to technological advancements, companies must adopt a dynamic, innovative mindset open to sudden changes and challenges. Sustainable open innovation is a crucial aspect of fostering sustainability in business operations. Smart working is a recent phenomenon that has gained significant momentum during the Covid-19 pandemic, attributed to its decisive contribution to environmental sustainability. The article explores how smart working can contribute to social sustainability, particularly in the context of gender equality. The research question is whether smart working can become a social sustainability tool for companies to achieve gender equality. The paper aims to explore this issue using resource dependency theory as a key to interpretation. The article employs the case study methodology, which is most suitable for exploring the impacts of gender equity on corporate sustainability. The research highlights the need for more cohesive and consistent literature on the advantages and disadvantages of smart working from an employee perspective. The study indicates that smart working is associated with higher employee participation in company life, higher performance, and greater organisational effectiveness. The paper concludes that trends in remote working will continue after the pandemic and that smart working could be an opportunity for lasting behavioural change to strengthen the positive impact on the environment while achieving gender equality.

The 2022 Global gender gap report reveals an impressive figure: total gender equality will be achieved in 132 years (WEF). The discouraging figure reveals not only how far the goal is still, but also how the efforts made aren’t enough. The Italian situation doesn’t seem particularly comforting, the Gender Index estimates place Italy well below the European average. The gender mainstreaming approach, spread by the European Union and applied in every gender equality strategy, has taught us the problem is not only to “increase” the number of women in a series of processes, but to modify them to give space to the involvement of both women and men. Initiatives specifically aimed at women aren’t enough to bring about major changes, as they, often, restrict to the developing female adaptive strategy within structures sized for man. The world of work and organizational structures offer an interesting window from which to observe the systematic nature of the phenomenon. Talking about an «institutionalized prejudice, doesn’t seem wrong, because it is clear that jobs are not always gender-neutral spaces. However, Italian public and corporate policies seem, fortunately, to move in the opposite direction. The Gender Equality Certification for companies, introduced by the PNRR, seems to reveal the intention to make structural changes to the organizational world. This national certification system is designed to accompanies and encourages companies to adopt appropriate policies to reduce the gender gap in all the most “critical” area (UNI/PRR, 2022).

This paper aims to investigate which are the relationships between Italian agri-food companies, governed by women, sustainability and social media. The aim of this paper is to analyse how agri-food companies are sustainable and if disclose their way of being sustainable through social media. In addition, this paper aims to investigate what economic benefits Italian agri-food companies that convey sustainability through social media receive. This work is supported by a qualitative methodology based on a case study. The results of any studies have begun to show that there is a close connection between agribusinesses and sustainability. Furthermore, SMEs are not only tied to tradition, but also to innovation; it was also found that the positive effects, produced by the diffusion of new information technologies, produced improvements in efficiency, product quality, environmental sustainability and new communication channels; all of these are important factors that can influence business relationships. It was also possible to see that through the use of social media, agri-food companies were able to communicate their commitment to sustainability to a large audience. Communicating a company’s level of sustainability, also in the agri-food sector, through social media can bring economic benefits. This paper aims to expand the literature on the topic of sustainable agri-food companies in Italy, with a special focus on the use of social media in women’s businesses.

In view of a necessary sustainable organizational turnaround, this research aims to reflect on the aspect of social sustainability, which is often given little weight in corporate sustainability programs. The research focuses on one of the most crucial nodes in social sustainability, the gender gap. Through the Gender equality global report & ranking 2023, were highlighted the progress made and the critical issues still to be resolved in terms of corporate gender equality policies The future developments of the research include interviews aimed at all the HR of companies according to the Mosaic Business Model.

The proposal discusses methods and techniques that reduce the environmental impact of buildings over the lifecycle with the objectives of adaptive reuse of cultural heritage buildings. To achieve this goal, an integrated approach to design is used, which involves the analysis of questions, strategies, and actions in a complex system applied to a case study located in Sardinia, Italy. This place is the military battery of Capo d’Orso, once the avant-garde of military technology, today abandoned fossil trapped in millenary granites. Awakening these places, no longer as spaces dedicated to war, but as places full of history and open to new futures is essential. The new function, resulting from careful analysis of the heritage and the surrounding context, required the integration of new additional volumes. Three founding actions guided the project: Integrate, Optimize, and Build. The restoration project presented in the paper was shaped by crucial matters that cannot be overlooked, including energy and water saving, seamless integration between new and existing structures, the economic feasibility of construction, and efficient utilization of resources. These were the fundamental aspects that formed the backbone of the project. This paper describes in particular the process of integration and optimization of the structure of an added volume necessary for the re-functionalization of the area. The addition is located on top of the underlying historical vaults of pre-existence. Given the great testimonial value of the historic vaults, the design intention was to preserve and protect them. The work describes a multi-objective optimization approach which had evaluated different design alternatives according to constraints given by the context and the pre-established objectives, in order to optimize the structural element as much as possible meeting all the requirements: structural efficiency, visual permeability, lightness, low environmental impact, the possibility of assembly on a particular site hard to access. The study also shows methods to compare different technologies, configurations, and materials, starting from a structural scheme allowing the significant span and developing a finite element model for each configuration to evaluate structural performances. Moreover, the design process made use of prefabricated technologies, dry solutions, and modularity to allow easier construction on a site hostile to traditional mechanisms. Eventually, the solution to the initial problem it’s been able to achieve sustainability, comfort, and respect for the pre-existence without compromising on performance.

Digital transformation changed the way of doing business. In recent years, the fashion industry has undergone a profound change. The climate of uncertainty, the challenges related to the VUCA context, and ethical and environmental issues necessitated implementing digital strategies and increasing sustainability and social responsibility oriented. Creating new and solid links with online Millennials communities sensitive to sustainability is also essential. The priorities are less advertising bombardment to induce purchase and more conversations to build trust, setting up environments of interactions (Noci, 2011). The year 2022 has been marked by the profound participation of many fashion houses, luxury but also fast fashion, in Metaverse, that have not only made agreements to be present within it but have also contributed to its development. They have implemented a presence in the Metaverse as part of their marketing strategies not to lose a competitive advantage. At the same time, new and exciting start-ups have sprung up to a new and flourishing area of business. This paper aims to understand whether the Metaverse in the fashion industry can be regarded as a new and additional e-commerce platform or if it can be considered a new sustainable business model based on innovative interactions between its stakeholders.

The healthcare industry faces various challenges, and Lean management and Six Sigma initiatives are gaining attention for their ability to improve performance by reducing defects, waiting time, and costs while increasing patient satisfaction. Strategic Knowledge Management (SKM) is essential for the success of Lean and Six Sigma initiatives in healthcare organizations. SKM focuses on arranging knowledge resources and competencies to bridge the knowledge gap between required and existing know-how in the organization, enhancing people’s skills and assets. This study aims to explore the relationship between Lean management and SKM approach to knowledge management in healthcare organizations. The study uses regression analysis to investigate the role of SKM in achieving Organizational Performance Improvement. The findings enrich the debate in the literature on the use of a strategic knowledge-based approach to continuous improvement and provide a comprehensive framework for healthcare facility managers to promote knowledge sharing as a core asset within organizations.

This paper is an initial study concerning the role of women in firms in supporting circular bioeconomy practices. Moreover, circular bioeconomy could generate economic opportunities for women, boosting female and green entrepreneurship. The objective of the research is twofold. On the one hand the study investigates whether women-led firms adopt more circular economy practices than men-led businesses. On the other hand, the research investigates whether the circular bioeconomy could generate economic opportunities for women by encouraging female entrepreneurship. To achieve the proposed objectives, a bibliometric analysis and a systematic literature review have been conducted. The results are overall consistent with the research questions. Female entrepreneurs as well as female directors or female employees plays a critical role in achieving sustainable economy and sustainable development, also in social and environmental dimensions. At the same time, the growth of the service sector, stimulated by the transition to a circular economy and bioeconomy, could provide more opportunities for female employment.

The Global Wealth Report of 2022 reveals that we are wealthier, healthier, and living longer than ever before. However, this doesn’t necessarily seem to equate to success as a society. The prevailing view in the western business world is that companies must generate high returns and great profits, which requires precise management and planning based on rational, explicit information and ‘profound’ knowledge. This view is being increasingly questioned by researchers and practitioners who argue that more is not always better. Instead, an ‘aesthetic of the right measure’ is needed to achieve long-term sustainability. This position paper explores the idea of the right measure that may also include a shift of what we consider desirable in an organizational context. In the light of current movements towards ‘Spiritual Knowledge Management’ and ‘Responsible Knowledge Management’, the field of Knowledge Management may need to shift more towards knowledge creation for the greater good. This requires developing a tacit understanding of the meaning of sustainability and a shift in what is considered to be ‘working beautifully’ from something technically rational to something sustainable and organic. Presumably, the only way for a company to achieve sustainability in the long run is to change the premises by which it operates away from the culture of ‘more is better’ towards what I coin as an ‘aesthetic of the right measure’. Ultimately, being a sustainable company needs to become as aspirational as being a financially successful company is today. This involves a shift of the aesthetic image that we have of success as being mainly drawn to financial wealth. Instead, the aesthetics of restraint involve finding pleasure in needing less. The paper suggests that this shift towards sustainability and organic growth is based on a positive aesthetic image of sustainability and requires a change in decision-making methodology and a strong sense of the organization’s true purpose.

Immersive multimedia exhibitions – which are based on digital images, light effects, and soundtracks – are developing in most of museums worldwide to enhance the customer experience. However, not all visitors such as disabled people can enjoy them. Previous studies that have so far examined the accessibility and inclusion of disabled people in museums are very few. This research aims to investigate how I4.0 can guarantee inclusiveness and accessibility of disabled people in immersive multimedia exhibitions. In this purpose, a single case study engaged in good practice was performed by examining an immersive multimedia exhibition in Italy. This study provides specific aspects and solutions devoted to more inclusiveness and accessibility that could serve as a starting point for designing future immersive multimedia exhibitions. The results of this research have theoretical and practical implications.

This research work is part of the emerging paradigm outlined using phygital approaches for the experimentation of innovative forms of use of the Cultural Heritage. The conceptual framework outlined is the field of investigation in which the cultural-based experiences that combine the proposition of physical and digital value in a national and international area are explored from a managerial point of view. The research objective is pursued through a qualitative approach that aims to provide a theoretical understanding and explanation of the phygital phenomenon in the cultural sector. The innovativeness of the proposal is expressed in the comparative analysis of the selected cases, with the purpose of identifying best in class and prospects for improvement. The research’s findings highlight that the phygital formula can take on different characteristics depending on the technologies used and the purpose to be achieved and can be a useful tool for the co-creation of cultural value.

In this study, we employ topic modeling to systematically explore the platform ecosystem literature and identify emerging trends and potential avenues for future research. By leveraging computational techniques, we uncover hidden thematic structures and patterns in text data, providing valuable insights into the current state of research and pointing towards promising directions for future investigation. Our analysis draws from a comprehensive dataset of academic articles and conference proceedings revealing key themes and trends in the platform ecosystem discourse. We examine the evolving research landscape and synthesize the key findings into coherent topic clusters, illustrating the breadth and depth of the platform ecosystem literature. Our analysis highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the field, encompassing various research domains such as business models, governance, value co-creation, entrepreneurship, among others. Additionally, we identify significant research gaps and unexplored areas that warrant further attention from scholars and practitioners alike. Our study provides a robust framework for categorizing and organizing the platform ecosystem literature, enabling researchers to better understand the underlying connections and relationships between different research streams. This facilitates more efficient knowledge accumulation and dissemination, contributing to the ongoing development and maturation of the field.

Saudi Arabia opened its doors to tourists in September 2019 and unveiled ambitious tourism plans during its G20 presidency in April 2020. The cultural heritage is remarkable, given the rich history of Saudi Arabia. With the Saudi Vision 2030 built around three themes “a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation,” tourism figures prominently as one of the primary sources of diversification of the Kingdom. This strategic framework aims to enrich the journeys of Makkah-bound pilgrims while in the Kingdom and establish tourist and historical sites and cultural venues to enhance the pilgrimage experience. The paper concerns one of the five pillars of Islam: the annual Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj) to the Holy City of Makkah, considered one of the most important and ancient in the world. The pilgrimage routes were religious and commercial axes that crossed the Arabian desert, favouring movement throughout the ancient world and creating a “heritage route.” The research study focuses on Darb Zubaydah, the main historic Hajj pilgrimage route connecting Kufa in Iraq to Makkah in Saudi Arabia. This 1,300 km route has 13 heritage sites, four in Iraq and nine in Saudi Arabia. The Dar Zubaydah is a historical, cultural route of exceptional universal value, and since 2 January 2022, it has been included in the Saudi Heritage Tentative List of UNESCO. The research aims to promote and bring to light the cultural heritage along Darb Zubaydah by developing sustainable cultural tourism. The paper defines guidelines enhancing services near the historical sites and between one pilgrim station and another to reduce distances. Fayd Oasis, one of the most important and strategically located stations in Darb Zubaydah, has been selected as a case study for a sustainable development scenario to revitalize today’s archaeological site and implement its services. The goal is to strengthen the pilgrimage route’s cultural identity and historical heritage through services for tourists and pilgrims that promote Saudi cultural heritage while preserving the environment and natural resources. Defining a strategic plan to enhance this tourist axis of pilgrims is essential to promote the cultural landscape and heritage by strengthening the sense of identity towards a sustainable approach. The result of this study wants to contribute to Vision 2030 to enhance the development of tourism through the revitalization of the Islamic, Arab, and national cultural heritage of the Kingdom. It can be applied in other Hajj pilgrimage routes and on a global scale.