In the last thirty years the notion of heritage has deeply changed, and the attention has shifted from the materiality of monuments, as bearers of intrinsic values, to a wider recognition of cultural heritage as a process that increasingly involves the territorial context and its dynamics. UNESCO official preservation tools include the definition of a buffer area surrounding an enlisted property as a non-compulsory added layer of protection to the heritage core, but, without further specific criteria and purpose, this remains as a mere generic “defensive shield” instead of becoming a contact point between heritage and territory. The contribution critically investigates how the implementation of UNESCO buffer zones is conflictual with the more recent compulsory management plans, theoretically fostering the inclusion of local dynamics in valorisation policies. Design and spatial transformations, that are fundamental components of a living cultural environment, are mostly excluded from the development of strategic interconnections between heritage sites and their surroundings, and they are mainly seen as threats to the heritage integrity and authenticity. In this framework, the analysis of case studies highlights the potential of design actions in the heritage-context reconnection. The selected examples – both in and out of the UNESCO system –, are projects able to conjugate the territorial transformation processes with the heritage preservation priorities in a tentative to encompass the idea of architecture as a practice of care of heritage-related territorial fragility. Starting from these examples, the study of how design actions can be integrated both in the process of definition of buffer areas (cognitive framework) and in the drafting of the management plans (interpretation framework), defines a methodology that could activate new forms of preservation policies, that take into account the need for a renewed and shared knowledge of local traditions and for a valorisation that goes beyond the heritage site boundaries. The narrative and activating potential of architectural transformation cannot be excluded from the valorisation policies, and rethinking the role of UNESCO buffer zones can be crucial in a new balancing between preservation instances and territorial development.

Sustainability has been extensively studied in different disciplines especially since the publication of the Brundtland commission’s report in 1987. However, in public management as well is knowledge management literature sustainability has gained limited scholarly attention. Especially, there is a lack of understanding of sustainability as an issue that needs managing. Therefore, article approaches sustainability in organizational context and is interested in how sustainability is managed in local government and what knowledge is used to support management. While sustainability can be regarded as a pressing societal challenge, relatively little is known on how sustainability policies and strategies are implemented and managed in public organizations. In order to understand how public managers perceive sustainability as a management issue and define sustainability information, an interview study was carried out. The article analyses the data of 25 semi-structured interviews from branch and financial directors in Finnish municipalities to provide an in-depth knowledge-based view to the practice of managing sustainability in local government. The article contributes by developing new understanding about the different roles knowledge management can have in supporting public organizations and public officials to grasp the complex phenomenon of sustainability.

This paper analyses the tension field between digitalisation, sustainability and knowledge management in the water sector, particularly, in the context of climate change and water stress. The importance of sustainable hybrid drinking water supply and simultaneous flood protection is outlined by a practical case study within a German water association with a total volume of around 100 Mio. EUR. An ongoing evolutionary digitalisation project is presented and research propositions are stated, which are centred on the questions of deployment of sustainable critical success factors (CSFs) based AI-solutions paired with knowledge management systems (KMS) in the context of climate change and water stress. The application of CSFs and the creation of digital and rational decision-making models based on KMS are elaborated on. Additionally, it is elucidated, whether digitalisation, knowledge and sustainability are to be seen as CSFs in themselves, which thereinafter is confirmed. Finally, the possibility of integrating Kingdon’s multiple stream model into an AI-based KMS to provide management decision support is explained. In conclusion, knowledge is seen as a binding key for achieving a sustainable digitalisation strategy within a critical infrastructure organisation.

Sustainability-oriented open innovation (SOI) has gained significant attention in recent years. However, there is a lack of evidence on the actual outcomes of this paradigm across enterprises. Thus, this study aims to investigate the implementation of SOI in the energy sector. A thematic analysis (TA) approach was adopted to analyse 64 sustainability reports from energy sector enterprises worldwide. The findings of this study identified five key themes, with three related to the sustainability outcomes of SOI, including “Empowering Business and Increasing Economic Prosperity”, “Environmental Stewardship and Conservation”, and “Building Sustainable Communities.” The remaining two themes focused on how these outcomes were achieved, including “SOI Advancing Measures” and “SOI Facilitating Measures”. By providing practical insights, this study aims to bridge the gap in the current body of knowledge on SOI.

Global warming, pollution and the rapid absorption of natural resources require swift and immediate action to limit and reverse their impact on the environment. Circular economy offers a clear solution to addressing these global challenges. Therefore, measuring the circularity of one’s organization should be the fundamental objective of all companies intending to apply circular economy. Otherwise, the effort made cannot be evaluated and the results achieved cannot be quantified. The agri-food sector is considered one of the main challenges related to the achievement and application of Circular Economy (CE) strategies, therefore this study is aimed at developing a multilevel framework for assessing circularity in agri-food industries, by providing the user with a step-by-step approach. The framework is composed of four stages. In the first stage, a circular economy theoretical model, based on four criteria, was implemented and adapted to agri-food sector. In the second stage, a set of indicators capable of measuring each criterion was collected. In the third stage, a weight is assigned to each indicator using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Lastly, an Axial Distance-based Aggregated Measurement (ADAM) model is used to normalize, assess, and aggregate the results and produce final circularity scores. The model can be a useful tool to support corporate decisions concerning the circular economy, making entrepreneurs aware of their starting level. It indicates the extent to which companies are implementing circular business models across different dimensions, and thus where they are still lacking.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in e-commerce and digital adoption in Europe, with online consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplaces for second-hand goods experiencing newfold popularity. This trend is primarily driven by Gen-Zers, who are leading the way in buying and selling second-hand goods online, motivated by saving/making money, finding unique items and adopting a more sustainable lifestyle. This research aims to investigate Gen-Zers’ attitudes towards online C2C platforms and their motivations for selling second-hand clothes. In order to investigate this phoenomenon, a qualitative research method has been preferred. The study consists of two parts: the first involves a systematic collection and analysis of users’ reviews of the Apps on Trustpilot and App stores in order to identify the most relevant drivers in determining the Circular Customer Experience (CCE) from the sellers’ point of view, while the second part involves two focus groups to discuss the evidences emerged from the first study. The research perimeter includes the main Italian online C2C platforms for the clothing category (Vinted and Depop). The reviews were collected using web scraping software and a manual content analysis were conducted to identify topics that emerged from the qualitative data. The focus groups were organized in light of the predominant role of the participants (sellers). The results show that among Gen Z, the main motivation to sell is to “empty the closet” but the satisfaction of completing a transaction successfully is also important. Although sustainability is not the primary driving force behind the selling choice, some participants are concerned about sustainability and suggest that C2C platforms increase user awareness and provide solutions to be more responsible. The research highlights personal satisfaction and accomplishment as the key reason for sellers to stand out. Our findings suggest that C2C platforms can retain and attract sellers by improving the mobile experience, developing incentive systems to increase the propensity to leave reviews and equipping sellers with signalling systems to protect against buyers’ opportunistic behaviours. In conclusion, to create a positive perception of second-hand goods, marketers should emphasize their environmental and psychological benefits. If C2C platforms make it easy, rewarding and eco-friendly to sell second-hand goods, they can change people’s attitudes toward used items, so they will no longer be seen as inferior. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to adopt the sellers’ point of view, specifically focusing on the motivations of Gen-Z, as the main users of these platforms.

Measuring Intellectual Capital (IC) is essential for contemporary firms. To succeed in a radically changed economic environment, organizations must develop reliable measures of IC. Yet existing studies focused on this topic missed evaluating the uncertainty sources. To our knowledge, we performed the first systematic literature review with thematic analysis to understand which IC measurement model works better in the following uncertainty areas: digital transformation, environmental impact, financial crisis, social impact and turbulent environments. We searched three databases and included quantitative peer-reviewed articles relevant to IC measurement methods in business uncertainty. This yielded 2,709 studies, of which 27 were eligible and included in the final sample. Our study found no agreement on the best IC measurement tool for uncertain times due to varying firm characteristics, including location, industry, size, and performance dimensions. Additionally, included studies emphasized the importance of human capital in enhancing company competitiveness and profitability. However, investing in IC alone cannot ensure agility and resilience in the digital era. Firms must effectively manage intangible assets like innovation, R&D, and employee knowledge and skills to drive growth. For future research, we recommend focusing IC measurement research on under-investigated industries, such as automotive, transportation, and hospitality, which require tailored IC measurement solutions. Furthermore, to highlight the broader societal benefits of effective IC management, research should also focus on measuring IC’s impact on social development goals, such as ecological sustainability, fair employment and gender parity.

Visual frameworks can be essential tools for service process management and innovation as long as they succeed in representing certain key features. Firstly, they should make it possible to visualize all the steps that make up the processes. Second, they should enable representing customer interaction (i.e., the interaction between customers and service providers) and customer participation (i.e., customer contribution to service production and delivery). Third, they should help identify interacting stakeholders and assess their role in the value (co)creation process. Fourth, they should allow identifying non-value-added steps. Finally, they should provide information about the duration of process steps and the channels through which the service is delivered (e.g., face-to-face or telephone). Several visual frameworks have been developed (Business Process Modeling Notation, Service Blueprinting, etc.), but Process Chain Network (PCN) Diagrams are the most comprehensive. Unfortunately, those diagrams have some limitations. First, PCN diagrams assume that a process begins when the customer expresses a need and ends when the need is satisfied. However, this choice may be inconvenient or impossible. In addition, they usually group stakeholders. This grouping is generally functional, but sometimes more detail is needed. In addition, the description of non-value-added steps could be refined. Finally, they do not provide an understanding of the duration of process steps or the channel through which the service is delivered. These limitations are significant in complex and lengthy processes such as health services. Taking PCN diagrams as a reference, this paper proposes PCN 2.0 diagrams to overcome these limitations. We first conceptualized the elements a visual framework should include reviewing widely used ones. Then we refined our framework by representing actual service processes. Finally, we demonstrated the power of our framework through its application to the televisit service offered by one of the leading children’s hospitals in Europe. This study contributes to the existing literature by presenting an improved version of PCN diagrams. Our framework could support researchers and practitioners in service management and innovation for its completeness and clarity. Although we show an example drawn from the health sector, the framework is assumed to be generalizable.

Following recent research calls that highlight the need for a more contextual approach to the study of intellectual capital (IC) that could provide managers with more fine-grained and actionable insights and recommendations, and considering recent concerns regarding the contribution of the marketing function to firm performance in the age of data, this paper aims at analysing how investments in marketing-specific structural capital and relational capital contribute to enhance marketers’ knowledge (i.e., marketing-specific human capital) and lead to superior organizational marketing capabilities (i.e., product, price, place, and promotion) that translate into superior market performance and, ultimately, competitive advantage (i.e., superior financial performance). Based on survey data from 346 Spanish firms over 100 employees and using structural equation modelling (SEM) based on partial least squares (PLS), we find that both marketing-specific structural and relational capital are positively and strongly related to marketers’ knowledge and that all marketing-specific IC categories (human, structural, and relational) are positively and significantly associated to marketing capabilities. At the same time, capabilities are strongly and positively related to market and financial performance. While marketing-specific structural capital is related to financial performance only indirectly (i.e., via human capital, marketing capabilities, and market performance), human and relational capital are both directly and indirectly related to financial performance. Our findings also reveal what specific knowledge resources within each IC component are the most relevant, thus offering specific guidelines to improve marketing-related resource allocation decisions.

Heritage-specific intervention projects, through the use of the Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodology, are being continuously implemented at the level of data computerisation and process automation, across all BIM dimensions and project stages. In particular, through the 4D HeritageBIM (HBIM) phase, it is necessary to take into account specific classes of intervention of the asset and, specifically, to consider its phases of evolution through the different historical epochs. This is of considerable interest because it allows the reconstruction of the constructive evolution of historical assets. The geometric-informative model can be simulated and computerised to identify situations of degradation and weaknesses, caused by anthropic and non-anthropic factors. In this regard, the present study proposes a Knowledge Management (KM) framework for the 4D HBIM domain, with focus on a bi-directional interoperability component and the “time” variable, which can be implemented through BuildingSMART’s open-source IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) format and standard and, moreover, the tasks scheduling in an upstream structured Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), also considering the Critical Path Method for process optimisation. IFC format files were applied for 4D, through the Heritage-specific tasks and their timescales, in order to describe the HBIM entities and relations. Through the implementation of 4D HBIM, it is allowed to share the same model with AEC stakeholders, exporting prepared charts and technical diagrams, obtained in the open-source exchange format to allow interoperability of related data and metadata, between different information and technology systems. The combination of KM techniques and BIM methodology is growing and has enormous potential. Many authors have focused their research on the specific topics of knowledge organisation and structuring, using ontologies, semantic networks and various types of data mining and machine learning algorithms. The work presented, and the related KM framework, is intended to provide new research insights specifically for 4D HBIM.

Firms use business analytics to improve their decision making. Analytics applications are increasingly used for decision automation regarding routine processes, and business analytics models and tools have been created for supporting firms in future planning and prediction. While benefits of using analytics to monitor, develop and improve daily operations have been reported by many scholars, the role of business analytics in improving non-routine decisions has remained somewhat uncharted. Top manager role often requires making non-routine decisions. Using thematic analysis of 12 interviews conducted in large Finnish firms, this paper outlines the perceptions of top managers on using business analytics when making decisions. It contributes to the currently ongoing academic discourse on information technology business value and business analytics business value by demonstrating how firms apply business analytics in top management decision-making activities.

Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) companies have long been recognised as key players in the modern economy since they positively affect the innovativeness of businesses and societies. Their business activities are mainly based on knowledge, which is both the input and the output of their production processes. Despite their small average size, the vast majority of KIBS companies are aware that knowledge is their most crucial competitive resource. However, they often manage their cognitive assets in a substantially informal and undeliberate way. Indeed, such companies face difficulties and obstacles typically associated with a limited size, such as, e.g., scarcity of human and financial resources, lack of time, and short-term orientation. Furthermore, KIBS SMEs face specific challenges, mainly caused by the intangible and knowledge-intensive nature of their business processes. A key issue concerns knowledge documentation and storage, which is essential to make the retrieval and reuse of possessed knowledge easier for existing and newly hired employees. In spite of the above, research about how small and medium sized KIBS companies manage knowledge documentation and storage processes is still limited. To help fill this gap, this paper examines the main difficulties that KIBS SMEs face when documenting and storing their knowledge and how they try to face and overcome these difficulties. In particular, the paper illustrates and discusses the findings of an empirical investigation that involved 13 Italian KIBS SMEs belonging to different sectors. The decision to adopt a multiple case study approach was induced by the exploratory nature of the research. The study revealed that knowledge documentation and storage is a widespread activity among the investigated companies, which confirms the relevance of these processes. The investigated companies are aware that poor documentation generates several problems that result in late responding to client requests. Furthermore, the study allowed identifying some shared challenges that concern the entire document and storage process, as well as collecting useful indications about how companies deal with them. The study has the usual limitations of a case study methodology, and especially the difficult generalisation of the results. This paves the way for future research devoted to confirm what emerged from the present analysis, for example, by means of surveys.

It is contested whether or not developing countries can achieve economic prosperity through shifting from agricultural to industrial societies. In the face of uncertainty surrounding economic and technological development, policy makers in many developing countries formulate ambitious goals for digitalization and its positive impacts on accelerating structural change [Matthess et al, 2020]. With regards to digitalization, a wealth of studies investigates the relationship between digital technologies and their economic impacts, e.g., on productivity [Qiang et al, 2009], employment [Ju, 2014], or manufacturing [Kohtamaki, 2020]. The article is focus on the analyses of the capacity of a developing country as Republic of Moldova is to adopt and implement digitalization policies. In this regards we highlight that in recent years, the governmental e-Development efforts of the Republic of Moldova were guided by the national strategies “Electronic Moldova” (2005), the e-Transformation program (2011), Strategy of development of the ecosystem of the IT industry and digital innovation 2018-2023 and “Digital Moldova 2020” Strategy (2013), which aims to increase the competitiveness of the ICT industry at the regional level and improve the climate for digital innovation. Why does the information technology sector represent an engine of social innovation and multilateral development of the country? How necessary are e-Government services for the citizens from the poorest country in Europe? In an attempt to answer these questions, the article will emphasize that in the Republic of Moldova, the ICT sector has become the main engine of digitization and innovation, and it is growing rapidly. In 2020, the IT industry reached a share of more than 3% in GDP, the share of the ICT sector in GDP being more than 7%, and the share of innovative enterprises represents 12.6% of the total number of enterprises. The share of ICT service exports reached 5% of total trade and surpassed traditional export fields (wines, textiles, etc.) in 2020, up 23% from 2019 and 184% from 2015; the sector employs approximately 1% of the total population of Moldova. It is little, but at the same time it is a very attractive sector for young people. (Strategy, 2022) With reference to the Electronic Government Agency, it is worth to mention that from 2011 until now, more than 100 e-Governance products have been successfully created within more than 20 e-Transformation and modernization initiatives of public administrative services, building a sustainable platform for the modernization public services and other innovations in governance.

Recently, the positive role of digitalization capabilities in supporting organizational resilience has been stated, but there is still little empirical research focusing on how this relationship happens in practice. This study aims to explore how digitalization capabilities can support organizational resilience through a qualitative approach. A single explanatory case study has been conducted two years after the COVID-19 pandemic in a big international company operating in the jewellery & fashion industry to identify the key practices adopted and the main digitalization capabilities developed during the emergency period. Interesting solutions, which helped the company in facing the emergency and seizing new opportunities through digitalization, emerged from the results and include, but are not limited to: the usage of AI and automation in operations management and the introduction of a Digital Innovation Department, which significantly redesigned the organizational structure and the strategic direction.

The study of a country’s environmental sustainability is an important topic because it allows an understanding of the causes and possible solutions for protecting the environment, human health, and natural resources. Among the drivers of sustainable development, there is also the national culture of the countries, which can play a significant role in the implementation of policies aimed at environmental sustainability and which has been the subject of several scientific studies. This paper is aimed at studying how national culture impacts a country’s sustainability performance, starting from Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, indulgence). Unlike previous scientific literature, this work considers religiosity as one of the cultural variables that can impact a country’s environmental performance. In particular, the two most widespread religions worldwide, Christianity and Islam, were taken into consideration. To evaluate the environmental performance of countries, we utilized the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), since it provides a data-based overview of the status of sustainability worldwide, using performance indicators related to climate change, environmental health, and ecosystem vitality. Additionally, our analysis incorporated socio-economic variables as normalizing factors, including gross domestic product per capita, employment rate, and educational level. Our research investigates 96 countries across the globe, with 1,056 country-year observations taken into consideration for the period between 2011 and 2021. The study employs a dynamic panel data model that involves a two-step system-GMM. Our results suggest a strong relationship between cultural dimension and EPI.

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania and whether the government’s interventions and imposed policy measures helped to maintain economic equilibrium. The crisis generated by the coronavirus pandemic has compelled the authorities to take measures to aid first the health system and then the national economy. During the lockdown, production ceased and economic activities were suspended, resulting in a fall in the volume of trade. In this context, the paper’s goal is to determine whether the applied measures were beneficial for the economic system and whether Romania is on the path towards recovery, but it will also analyse if it is necessary to establish a policy framework to prevent potential future exogenous shocks and what regulations could be adopted for a sustainable recovery that would help the economy, providing support for the future complementary approaches to monetary and fiscal policies. The empirical analysis has been carried out for the period 2020:1 to 2022:9 on monthly frequency data for Romania. The model employed is a BVAR (Bayesian Vector Autoregression) that provides a simple yet effective way of modelling interactions between macroeconomic variables. In order to analyse the consequences of the mix of implemented policies, we examined and considered as exogenous shocks the NBR’s monetary policy rate, the evolution of energy product prices, and the number of new COVID-19 cases. The crisis caused by the COVID-19 is perceived as a health crisis that necessitates adjustments to public, fiscal, and monetary policies. Although the costs may be high at the moment, the changes will be effective in the future and may result in economic consolidation and a higher level of economic resilience for the Romanian market.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of digitalization (DG) and knowledge sharing (KS) on the financial performance (FP) of French companies, with a focus on the mediating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR). A survey was conducted among a sample of French companies, and the data was analyzed using structural equation modeling PLS. The results of the study indicate that DG and KS have not a positive impact on the FP of French companies. Furthermore, CSR completely mediates the relationship between DG and FP. These findings suggest that French companies should focus on improving their digital capabilities and promoting KS among employees, while also paying attention to their CSR activities, in order to enhance their FP.

COVID-19 pandemic significantly has changed the behaviour of customers and businesses, and influenced the development of technologies. Technologies that provide opportunities for remote interaction in various spheres of human activity have gained unprecedented scale, including FinTech technologies. COVID-19 has accelerated digital trends, as well as significantly changed the behaviour of customers who began to prefer digital payments, banking applications, etc.. Companies around the world have rethought the value of modern technology, with a huge potential to create a unique personalized offer in a time and place convenient for the client. Obviously, new opportunities have emerged for the FinTech industry. Current market conditions and social distancing practices have impacted each category of FinTech companies differently, with unique challenges that need to be addressed. The unique strengths, knowledge and skills of FinTech companies give them great advantage and flexibility to overcome challenges. The question is how FinTech companies can use their unique knowledge to take advantage of new opportunities in the future. It is interesting to analyze the most recent data available in order to understand in which direction FinTech technologies are moving. FinTech is constantly evolving, adding new technologies and opportunities. The purpose of the work is to identify the most promising technologies in the field of FinTech. To do this, it is important to analyze the views of the scientific community through an analysis of the latest research in this area. The business view of technology has been analyzed by studying the dynamics of patents in this area.

Under current conditions, the development of digital technologies is largely supported by modern universities (University 3.0), which are of particular importance in the formation of digital potential. Within the framework of the presented research, the role of modern universities in achieving the goals of digitalization is considered, taking into account the current knowledge dynamics. In the context of this work, universities 3.0 refers to universities that include educational, research and an entrepreneurial functions. The entrepreneurial function is the missing link in the innovation value chain. Thanks to it, modern universities are a source of digital transformation of the economy, which is reflected in the results of the study. The emphasis on the entrepreneurial component of the universities makes it possible to reveal their role in the process of digital transformation of the economy to a greater extent.

Local governments can have a prominent role in steering local level actions for sustainable development. To actively pursue sustainable development, local governments need to not only to generate sustainability performance information to target their actions and demonstrate their effects towards sustainability but integrate it as part of their managerial practices and consider sustainability performance information as part of their routine management and decision-making. Due to the complex and ambiguous nature of sustainability as well as institutional features of the local government organizations – and the contradictions and tensions between these two – the integration of sustainability performance information as part of managerial practices of local governments can be challenging. We interviewed 46 key individuals who had played active roles in the integration process of sustainability performance information into the management practices of 18 different local governments in Finland and used the interview records to explore why is it challenging to integrate sustainability performance information into managerial practices in local government. Through our data, we outline five common challenges in the integration of sustainability performance information as part of the managerial practice: (1) Ambiguity and multiplicity of sustainability performance, (2) Cultural barriers and politicization of performance, (3) Siloed organizational structure and practices, (4) Unclear role of sustainability performance information, and (5) Techical difficulties in performance measurement and management