The exploitation Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in knowledge transfer from and to external partners is a nontrivial management issue (Awazu et al., 2009; Cui et al., 2015). How ICT platforms could enable connectivity and collaboration is a compelling scientific topic in the next OI research agenda (Bogers et al., 2017). Accordingly, this manuscript aims to explore the role and the potential of ICT in backing the outbound OI process up. From a managerial standpoint, this paper could provide guidance to the design of an ICT-based integrated platform for outbound OI, with a focus on the preliminary and conceptual phase. Through a literature review approach on OI, we defined and critically discussed the three main activities of the outbound OI process: Exploration of Markets and Technologies, Assessment of Technological Portfolio, Technology Transfer. We structured an outbound OI framework by means of two activities. First, we leveraged the knowledge-intensive nature of such process, and the similarities between it and Knowledge Management process. Second, we analysed ICT platforms for OI for merging evidences from the scientific literature with empirical insight. This framework paves the way for a contextualized borrowing of the ICT tools from KM stream to the OI one. The literature on OI is far from being conclusive in understanding both the structure of the outbound OI process and the relationship between OI and the digital transformation. Specifically, the role of digital technologies and platforms in enabling the connectivity and collaboration between actors is neglected when dealing with the outbound OI process, and felt in the scientific community as breeding ground for further research on OI (Bogers et al., 2017). The conceptual design is essential to allow the development of the ICT platform for outbound OI. The preliminary findings it could be useful for setting direction to approaching the outbound OI process, as well as for software developers: both can be inspired and build on the advanced propositions. The current digital transformation trend could frame the knowledge-intensive processes, i.e. the outbound OI, as a source of collaborative solutions within the Supply Chain Management scope (cf. Cerchione and Esposito, 2016). This could efficiently support the collaborative decision-making (Liu et al., 2013), leading to an enhanced, knowledge-based firm performance (Wong and Wong, 2011).

The purpose of this paper is to provide multidimensional understaning of the management of feedback from customer product returns (warranty claism and complaints specifically) as well as of the management practices that enable the emergence of product returns in the context of knowledge management. Characteristics of product returns and their management indicate that to manage product returns requires specific knowledge management as the nature of their management is rather complex. Customer product returns are bearers of potentially rich feedback about some gaps, mistakes or problems in performance of forward value creating and delivering processes in forward supply chains. Jayraman and Luo (2007) label this potential hidden in product returns as a wealth of information that can be returned into the wealth of knowledge if knowledge management is applied. Understanding of feedback concept for the purpose of product returns avoidance management and its linkages with knowledge management through the theoretical review was performed in the first stage of research. Second, Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to analyse the very complex situation, as the product returns do present, provided the conceptual framework for empirical research (McKay and Marshall, 2011). Research itself was realized in the small printing company where product returns do not lead to any extremely serious problems in the financial performance but – according to the words of CEO – managers would like to find the way how to reduce them. One of the reason is that there are several secondary effects these returns have and the environmental urge is perceived to be still stronger. Principles and best practices of SSM were followed and the analysis of documents (related to product returns, product design, quality, production, supplier and customer relationship management and financial situation) together with the theoretical knowledge of feedback, customer product returns and knowledge management served as the basis for the action research with managers, employees, customers, one supplier and local community actors. The paper is the first attempt to apply current knowledge of feedback construct into the knowledge and product returns management. It is also the first attempt to apply SSM to product returns management. SSM is the systemic approach that helps to uncover multidimensional character of any problematic situation in any social system through the involvement of different actors and their different views and to bring some solutions. Paper presents how this methodology can be used when dealing with the origin and disposal of customer product returns to utilize feedback from product returns and to turn tacit knowledge into the explicit one to minimise or reduce these returns within and across the boundaries of a company.

The aim of this paper is to determine the influence of IT-based and personal interaction-based knowledge management (KM) practices on organizational learning (OL) and on relative customer value performance (i.e. performance against competitors), and to analyse the moderating role of technology level in these relationships. To test the above, we have used survey data from 180 Spanish companies and we have verified research hypotheses by means of structural equation modelling (SEM) based on partial least squares (PLS) using SmartPLS 3.2.7 software. The results demonstrate that technology level moderates the relationship between KM approaches, OL and relative customer value performance. Spanish low-tech firms base all their OL and customer value generation on personal interaction-based KM approaches, while high-tech firms show a more balanced combination of KM practices. To the best of our knowledge, there are not previous studies that compare the relevance of IT-based and personal interaction-based KM practices when it comes to enhancing OL and customer value, and neither those that consider technology intensity as a key contingent variable that could affect the effectiveness of different types of KM practices. The results obtained show managers how to shape their KM practices to promote OL and subsequent customer value depending on the technological context in which they operate.

This study aims to reveal the expression and specificity of customer knowledge integration in the open innovation process in the health-tech sector. The collection method of data for this research is hermeneutic interview with top management or employees, which are directly responsible for innovation development in the organization. Only innovative organizations, which act in the health-tech sector and have high level of knowledge intensity, were selected. Interviews with 10 organizations had reached saturation of data. Data coding and analysis was facilitated by using MAXQDA 18. Open innovation development is intensive knowledge activity, which requires continuous knowledge updating. Open innovation activities include various collaborations of different kinds of knowledge sources, but the main value still has a customer. Therefore, for the success of open innovation with customers, there is needed effective utilization and adaptation of customer knowledge which is the result of customer knowledge integration in the open innovation process. In scientific literature there are identified different mechanisms, which help to integrate knowledge successfully. But usually these mechanisms are common for all kinds of knowledge. Therefore, it is needed to look into the specificity of context of customer knowledge, because it is the most complicated kind of all knowledge. Consequently nevertheless that numerous scholars have explained how implement open innovation and how to involve customers in the innovation process (Füller and Matzler, 2007), but there is a lack of insights about specificity of mechanisms of customer knowledge integration, which reflects integration of customer knowledge in the open innovation process and helps to do it more effectively. Therefore, this study contributes to the existing literature expansion. Moreover, the research reveals the expression and specificity of customer knowledge integration in the open innovation process in the health-tech sector of Lithuania. This sector is one of the most knowledge intensive sectors in Lithuania, which is characterized as fastest growing throughout Europe and pays a lot of attention and funding for the research and development. The results of research increase understanding and ability to integrate customer knowledge more effectively in the open innovation process in the organizations. Following it organizations become more flexible and gain sustainable competitive advantage.

This paper aims to explain the application of micro cases research strategy to investigate service employees’ innovative conduct. Essentially, the paper opts to outline the theoretical and practical implications and advantages realised through the application of this unconventional research strategy in the context of personal-interactive services; where the role of employees in initiating innovation is under-explored. The methods devised to realise the aims of this paper comprises of two approaches: 1) the review of relevant literature to highlight the special requirements to investigate service employees’ innovative conduct that requires closer assessment and an unconventional research design. 2) A practical explanation of conducting in-depth micro cases research based on a qualitative research of three case studies of service delivery systems. The main contribution of this paper would be in underlining the applicability of micro cases as a novel research strategy to investigate service employees’ innovative conduct which remains under-explored. The proposed research method would be specifically useful in the research of personal-interactive services subsector where employees’ input is perceived to be more influential. This paper proves the applicability of the micro cases research strategy when investigating service employees’ innovative behaviour. In essence, the arrangement of a micro case as a unit of analysis may particularly help management practice in precisely tracking the implications of progress or termination of innovative ideas emerging at the service delivery environment. Micro cases can also form a practical basis of manipulating innovative ideas development in idea generation software where it would be perfectly applicable to the software functions.

The recent development of the more than two-decade-long research into reverse logistics has reflected the diverse economic, technological, environmental and societal concerns and challenges. The article presents an analysis between reverse logistics and process improvement and product design; more specifically it explores if and how the companies utilize reverse logistics and reverse flows (returned products and accompanied information flow) for improvement activities. To learn about customer expectation and experience with the product (i.e., to extend the customer knowledge) is an indirect benefit that reverse logistics can generate if managed properly. An exploratory (quantitative) analysis compares the companies that perceive themselves as successful and less successful in expanding customer knowledge by reverse logistics. Bivariate statistical methods were employed on ordinal (scale) data collected by interviews with the representatives of 148 companies in 2016 and 2017. The companies successful in gaining customer feedback as an indirect effect of revere logistics differ in their approach to innovations (the higher frequency of innovation, the strategic importance of reverse logistics, and in a higher formalization of management system). They also have the more developed knowledge management system at their disposal. Finally, the data show a positive relationship between reverse logistics- related feedback and general effectiveness. Several papers documented the link between knowledge management and effective reverse logistics; however, the empirical evidence about benefits of reverse logistics for (customer) knowledge management is scarce, and in this respect, the paper provides original insight. The results document that reverse flows and reverse logistics can generate more than just cost savings, which was perceived as its dominant function. More specifically, management of reverse flows can be a stable component of knowledge management system, the component that provides the companies with feedback about customer dissatisfaction (and other facts such as expectations, or user experience), which can be effectively employed in the innovation activities.

Although the number of gathering methods and volume of data and information from customers grow, it seems that companies are mostly measuring customer satisfaction (e.g. Fernández-González and Prado Prado, 2007) or gathering customer complaints (e.g. Yilmaz et al., 2016). Companies can unlock the full value of information from customers by using Customer Knowledge Management (CKM) that can provide them with a competitive advantage through product innovation by applying knowledge from customers (Taherparvar et al., 2014). Not only customers can benefit from such innovations, but product returns could be reduced (Mourtzis et al., 2016) which brings value to companies (and the environment). Therefore, this study attempts to conceptualise the already existing knowledge that investigates how knowledge (information) from customers is used to innovate products (services). This study presents partial results from an extensive systematic literature review. For this study, the seven most suitable papers from the sample of 138 were chosen and thoroughly coded. The whole sample was identified according to a systematic search in WOS and Scopus index databases. The analysis was conducted in Atlas.ti. No comprehensive synthesis or empirical research that would specifically focus on the ways and reasons of using knowledge from customers to product and service innovations and to reducing reverse flows was found. Therefore, this study is the first step that will lead to better understanding why, how, when, what and who is gathering the knowledge from customers and why, how, when, and by whom is the knowledge used (if at all). This research is unique in the context of CKM for two reasons. Firstly, it focuses holistically on the studied phenomenon instead of using the only context of one discipline (e.g. Quality Management or Customer Relationship Management). Secondly, it uses the perspective of reverse flows. The proposed conceptual model can be beneficial both for academicians and practitioners. The model will help researchers with future research attempts in the studied context. The practitioners could use the model as a reference that could help them when starting to design how the information and knowledge from customers will be gathered and what should be gathered.

The adoption of lean product development (LPD) in knowledge intensive manufacturing contexts is bringing about profound consequences in terms of organizational forms and human resource management practices. Project-oriented units are increasingly overlapping with vertical arrangements and hierarchical distribution of work, which in the past rooted manufacturers in functionally oriented structures. In this paper we wish to address the issue of project manager competences in an LPD close-to-assembly line project, with the aim of understanding which competencies are considered as essential to get the job done, how they could be declined in a specific setting and what is the relationship between behavioural and technical competences. We locate our analysis in the automotive industry, since it represents one of the empirical settings where the discussion concerning the deployment of LPD and project competences occurs. We chose FCA, a multi-brand auto manufacturer whose product range covers different market segments, operating through companies located in 40 countries. Our research unfolds considering a single case study, as this approach was considered useful in gaining in-depth, holistic understanding of the phenomenon studied. Indeed, this method is more suitable for obtaining an in-depth understanding of complex phenomena, especially when the focus is on the social processes involved (Eisenhardt and Graebner, 2007), just as it is in our study. While in the traditional literature behavioural competences are essential and the technical ones are marginalised, this case shows how it is possible to look at the other way around. Behavioural competences are legitimized by and related to technical ones. Our results will show that while many organisations are stressing the behavioural dimension of competences, in certain contexts it is still fundamental to invest in terms of technical skills.

This paper aims to contribute to the research on dealing with unexpected events and crises by revealing and connecting organizational conditions and personal behavioral patterns and skills which help project managers cope with these types of events. This exploratory study uses an interpretative approach in a series of semi-structured interviews with the manager who helped bring a project that was interrupted for eight years to a successful conclusion. We reveal and connect organizational conditions and individual behavioral patterns that help managers cope with the unexpected. A unique way of interacting with stakeholders was found to be an important factor in the success of the project that is the object of this research. The study implies the importance of specific organizational conditions to exist in an organization in order to enable behavioral patterns that help coping with unexpected events.

Though there has been a vast amount of research on knowledge sharing, not many papers deal with intrinsic and extrinsic life goals in terms of knowledge sharing. The aim of the research was to examine the factors determining the knowledge sharing willingness of Generation Z. The research was conducted as a comparative analysis of two nations (Slovak and Hungarian). The following questions were also in the focus: How do young people perceive intrinsic and extrinsic goals? Do the goals preferred by students affect their knowledge sharing willingness, and whether age and gender influence the importance of different life goals? The questionnaire survey investigated the correlation between the knowledge sharing willingness of Generation Z and the intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting their goals. The survey was used to measure the knowledge-friendly nature of classroom culture, knowledge sharing willingness and intrinsic/extrinsic life goals. The responses were given on a five-point Likert scale. The Aspiration Index (AI) was used to assess internal and external life goals. The survey was conducted with the participation of primary- and secondary-school students in 2017. The data were processed in SPSS. Univariate (mean, standard deviation) and multivariate (ANOVA, two-sample t-test, factor analysis) analyses were used. The methodology puts in evidence that national culture has an influence on how much a school community is knowledge-friendly. Cultural characteristics do have an impact on confidence, learning and behavioural attitudes. According to the Aspiration Index, intrinsic life goals prevail over extrinsic ones. Intrinsic life goals gain more importance with growing age, and extrinsic ones lose it. A highly materialistic approach (extrinsic goals) reduces one’s ability to cooperate, increases competition and a self-centred approach and hinders knowledge sharing. In order to build a successful knowledge management system, there is a need for a healthy balance between individualistic and collectivist cultures. A classroom culture providing security, support, motivation and mutual help reinforces knowledge sharing. There is a need to foster school and organisational cultures, which include the above features. The question arises, how young people can be motivated to prefer intrinsic life goals to materialistic ones. The solution might be to create a supportive culture and launch initiatives encouraging cooperation. Focusing on the above mentioned areas positively influences people’s values, behaviour and organisational and individual success in their adulthood.

This paper aims to analyse which is the effective and potential role of big data in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM). This specific relationship is gathering a relevant interest among HR practitioners and professionals – as reports from some important consultancy firms confirm; at the same time, academic debate asks for more research to examine in depth, study and understand the phenomenon and its implications. In this perspective, our analysis focuses on the perception of the HR managers on the impact that big data actually have, may have, or would have on the whole management of HR and on the possible problems which the HR Departments may encounter when they face this challenge. The study is based on the analysis of data gathered through semi-structured interviews, carried out in a multiple case study technique on a small convenience sample of HR managers in some Italian enterprises, developed with an exploratory approach, coherently to the characteristics of the topic and the choice we did to focus the attention on perceptions. We think that a specific attention towards perceptions shown by the managers involved is the first and more important element conditioning their attitude towards this phenomenon and the possibility that it can be considered a positive challenge. This approach puts in evidence the subjective perspective of HR Managers and the HR Department on Big Data which are currently quite unexplored in academic literature. Our research underlines the importance for HR Departments in dealing with big data. Indeed, this Department is the one that is legitimated to be in charge of all HR-related functions and should assume a key role in contributing proactively to the ongoing and ‘compelling’ process of organizational change, which is necessary to face big data.

The purpose of this study is to examine specifically the configuration of distributive justice (DJ) and interactional justice (IJ) in various situations and their impact on dysfunctional behaviour among the Millennials. We propose an approach of experimental study on master degree students by creating four configurations of justice situation: (1) high distributive justice and high interactional justice situation, (2) high distributive justice and low interactional justice situation, (3) low distributive justice and high interactional justice situation, and (4) low distributive justice and low procedural fairness situation. Every subject was treated within subject design, meaning that each subject gets four treatments on different days. They listen to the case narration read by the facilitator who has the ability to involve the subjects in the narration read. The case involves the subject as an employee within the organization and gets treatment of distributive justice and interactional justice in four configuration situations described on different days. Students were asked to respond to a questionnaire containing items to test whether they are being treated equally in a distributive and interactional manner. This test was a check against the manipulations performed in the experimental study. After that the students responded to the questionnaire which contained the tendency to conduct dysfunctional behaviour after receiving treatment delivered by the facilitator. Lastly, descriptive testing averages the responses of dysfunctional behaviour over the various configurations of the distributive and interactional situations they perceive. To complete the experiment, interviews of several subjects were associated with high, medium and low dysfunctional behaviour. This methodology puts in at least two evidences. First is the importance of incorporating the configuration of distributive justice and interactional justice in explaining dysfunctional behaviour within the organization which have not been studied before. Second, the presence of Millennials in the workplace that are seen as creative, multitasking, technology-friendly and respectful of diversity, but there is a tendency to be less mentally tough and less obedient to superiors and management. This is interesting because today’s Millennials are generally at low level of management and few of them are in the middle management level who are dealing with values that are generally different from those of the Millennials. The question on how the phenomenon of dysfunctional behaviour among Millennials in responding to justice management in their perception will be interesting to be examined. This study provides the primary data related to the phenomenon of dysfunctional behaviour among Millennials in responding to justice management in their perceptions. The outcomes of this study suggests that among the Millennials distributive justice factors play a more dominant role in explaining dysfunctional behaviour than interactional justice. This generation looks more pragmatic when joining an organization. Welfare motives are still dominant over the social aspects of the workplace, but the compensation and careers described are important to them if such compensation and careers are deemed challenging. This study also suggested that it will be more challenging in the future if a deeper comparisons are made between Millennials and X Generation or even Baby Boomers generation. Comparison between generations will be interesting especially the more dramatic differences with the frequent misunderstanding between the Millennials and Baby Boomers. It is also important to consider other demographic aspects which appropriate to the work context within the organization and involve a more comprehensive aspect of organizational justice.

Competency, within the human resources field, is associated with the work of Boyatzis (2008) who defined competencies as the characteristics associated with exceptional managerial and organizational performance. The competency-based human resources is nowadays considered as a common practice since David McClelland (1973) first proposed competence as a key to investigate performance. In our paper we argue that competence model is a powerful tool to standardize and to control people. We adopt a post-structuralist view in order to interpret the concept of competence and to argue the main aim of the model is to define behavioral (and technical) skills in order to have similar responses in specific circumstances.

Political system in Italy has known over the years frequent government turnovers, making the government average institutional life very short. Horovitz, Hoff and Milanovic (2009) define political instability as “a basic source of variation in institutions and practices (… whose) frequency and character depend on voter preferences, political institutions, and salient events and issues” (p. 107). Political instability depending on frequent government turnovers entails a leadership change and an ideology change. This study aims to contribute to the literature on public sector management, by focusing on the administrative leadership in the Italian context. In our study, we draw from the literature on change uncertainty with the aim of investigating how government instability generates perceived environmental uncertainty affecting the behaviour and the competencies of individuals who work more in touch with the high spheres of public policy, i.e. public top managers. Despite the increasing attention for public leadership in complex environment, research neglected the effects of policy and organizational changes on public management behaviors. This paper aims to investigate the key role of public management in exercising leadership and in planning strategic activities. Our paper presents a discussion on how change in the public administration environment could create a perceived uncertainty among top–managers whose assignment will end with the collapse of the government. This uncertainty affects their competencies (i.e. the motivation to lead), in terms of efforts they exert to perform their high level administrative leadership duties, and on planning activity, in terms of the goals’ difficulty related to their projects or executive programs.

In a SMART community, individuals from different parts of the world and various hierarchical levels of the same or different organization are aware of their role in the community and help each other to solve problems, by sharing with others insights, experiences, emotions, beliefs, and know-how. As a result, they identify new perspectives, from which the problems could be approached, develop new tools. In other words, they start by disseminating a mix of emotional and cognitive knowledge and end up creating mainly cognitive knowledge, and secondary emotional knowledge. Within this framework, the research concentrates on describing how knowledge is shared within a SMART community. The focus is on the type of shared knowledge and also on the knowledge flow direction. Since SMART communities describe both the private and public entities, two case study units are selected. The first one belongs to the business environment and is represented by TripAdvisor, world’s largest travel site while the second one belongs to the public environment and is represented by Barcelona City Hall. Further, the Facebook page of both units is analysed; these serve as a starting point in identifying what type of knowledge is shared among the SMART communities’ members and how knowledge flows in each community. Data are extracted using Netvizz App. The activity is tracked and synthesized from September 1, 2017 until February 1, 2018. Therefore, 469 posts with 150 users liking or commenting 38 119 times are extracted and processed based on social network analysis. This methodology puts in evidence the nexus between knowledge management, SMART communities, and social media; the last one may serve as an instrument for knowledge sharing and also as a transactive memory system. Furthermore, it proves that SMART communities foster the relationships developed among the members, and support the acquisition and dissemination of emotional and cognitive knowledge. At the policy-makers level, it offers a viable tool which can get the managers closer to their customers and can also improve the communication and collaboration between the firm and its external stakeholders. Using technology as driver for developing and breeding new knowledge helps processes of value creation and knowledge sharing in a digital world leading smart, online and virtual communities build forms of collaboration and co-create economic and social value involving all the stakeholders and actors living in the digital ecosystem.

Chronic diseases are a crucial matter for worldwide National Health Systems; they represent one of the first causes of disability, mortality and morbidity, due to their persistency and tendency to develop some degree of disability (WHO, 2013). To ensure the economic and social sustainability of such diseases, new healthcare business models development should be considered. Accordingly, Chronic Diseases Management shows how patients are enabled to actively take part of their healthcare by taking advantage of Internet of Things (IoT) (Batalden et al., 2018). This is particularly highlighted in cardiac chronicity: patients enhance their health status, by increasing the participation level (Osborne et al., 2016) on their care pathway, through telemedicine. Accordingly, the main purpose of this work is to explain how is possible to improve real time medical information exchange between patient and hospital, by using technological infrastructures. Just in time information allows the clinical staff to improve the chronicity management. This means: increasing quality of life for patients, optimisation of hospital workload, cost saving. It was adopted a pilot case study method (Yin, 2014), classified as “Extreme Case Sampling” (Patton, 2002). Study concerns with the observation of remote management of a group of heart failure (HF) patients that, at moment of discharge, are equipped with: i) electrocardiograph; ii) weight scale; iii) pulse-oximeter; iv) sphygmomanometer. All those medical devices are connected with a mobile transmitter. Thus, according with his/her own clinical protocol, each patient provides both the self-measurement and dispatch of his/her own clinical data. These data are sent on a website platform, where, on a daily basis, cardiology staff check them. The availability of these biomedical parameters allows medical staff to predict patient’s health status evolution. Before a patient’s health condition worsens, a predictive model, based on patients’ co- production and IoT, allows the medical staff to provide a TRIAGE aimed at promptly manage those troubled patients. Preliminary findings show that: i) patients were managed exclusive by telephone contact ii) no HF relapse, iii) no ER transit; iv) none hospitalization. Also a cost saving was observed. Empirical experience demonstrates that possibility to share clinical information might change the traditional paradigm (Cahn, 2000) of service providing. As complexity increases, information requirements increase; thus, managerial approaches to healthcare change. Patient’s participation and IoT technologies become critical drivers in chronicity management sustainability: operative inputs able to enhance also Social Value of services provided.

The purpose of this paper is to outline the challenges faced in supporting strategic levels of Knowledge Management (KM) in Disaster Management and to propose approaches to mitigate these in the future. The paper will draw on a deep understanding of KM to explore how to develop a common platform that will enable Disaster Management to utilise the Knowledge Base, with Knowledge Sharing, on business activities in Disaster Management systems. It will elaborate the role of the range of support organisations in the process of mitigating disasters and how these in turn might benefit from the utilisation of Knowledge Management practices and procedures. The paper will draw on a narrative analysis of the crisis response in a tsunami that wrecked havoc on telecom, infrastructural support seen from a complexity theory perspective. Data were collected through 11 in‐depth interviews of persons involved in the crisis response and through an analysis of secondary data. The Research conducted will discuss how KM was implemented and how effective the resulting systems were. The paper will embed the concepts of Knowledge Management and Knowledge Systems into the context of their utility in Disaster Management and develop Knowledge Strategies that can predict future action points which are vital for successful Disaster Management. The outcomes of the paper is to provide an analytical set of learning for Disaster Management using convergence of IT, Knowledge Management Systems for Emergency response teams on shore, on land and in air.

Attracting skilled students is an important aim of many cities in a knowledge-based society. This paper focuses on urban factors of attractiveness from a student’s perspective and analyses their influence on locational choices of students. The criteria found were also used to evaluate how the City of Osnabrück, Germany, is rated in terms of these criteria and to reveal the greatest discrepancies. The paper is based on a multi-level empirical research concept, including qualitative and quantitative approaches. A survey of 2,300 students was conducted in Osnabrück on the basis of focus group discussions with students and interviews with various experts such as a neighbourhood manager, an urban planner, a district mayor, a college president, a real estate manager. To date, little research has been undertaken to empirically examine the specific requirements that German students look for in a place to live and study. According to the author’s present state of knowledge (January 2018), a comparable study has not been done. The main contribution of this paper is the empirical analysis of what makes cities attractive to students. In contrast to the findings of Richard Florida about the Creative Class, the cleanliness of a city, beautiful city scenery, and attractive apartments are more important to students than cultural offers, interesting job opportunities, or a multicultural population. Insights from the empirical survey can both help to analyse important factors in students’ decision-making process and provide possible measures that the city stakeholders can take.

Cities are the centre of innovation, hub of financial district, strength of economy and prospect of country’s future and development. Building a city “Smart” requires use of advanced technologies to enhance quality and safety of its citizen and at the same time mitigate current catastrophes and issues and foresee future events. The main aim of the paper is to express different visions of smart cities from the vantage point of a socialist, a normal citizen and younger generation. Further this paper shares the best practices for a true smart city. The authors of the paper propose an approach to integrate the smart city from three different visions: as a Purpose Economic Capital which is driven by key five drivers like emerging technology, millennial generation, economic and political instability, different mind-sets, and changing needs. Secondly from a vision a Future Smart City, this includes some critical attributes like – self-sufficient society, government of volunteers, transportation system, education and learning, etc. Lastly from the view point of the younger generation which is known as Youthful cities. This methodology puts in evidence to what is known as Youthful Cities. More than half of the world’s current population is young and majority of the youths are living in modern cities and the migration of young people moving to cities keep increasing day by day. The term Youthful city means how the younger generation see their version of the smart city which includes some of the minimum indicators that the smart city should possess like – health and safety, entrepreneurship, digital age, diversity, saving environment, transportation system, financial independence, and food and nightlife. This paper shows the different versions of the smart city from the points of view of various members of the society. Citizens will witness the purposeful economic cities from the view of socialist members of the society. On the other side citizens will notice the requirements of a common man. Lastly, the future of smart city as imagined by younger generation is shown by the concept of youthful cities. The outcome of the paper is to combine all the visions and show the results in a form of best practices for a modern smart city.

Increasing attention is being paid towards the potential of social innovation in responding to society’s greatest challenges. While measures have been taken to support the flourishing of these innovations, they have thus far been made on ideal models of development, misaligned with what occurs in reality. This has led to the creation of supporting infrastructures that fail to respond to the real needs of social innovators. The paper seeks to provide a picture of the real social innovation development process through a case-based discussion coming from the results of, SIMPACT, a recently concluded EU research project, where nearly 60 cases of SI across Europe were analysed, with a specific focus on their economic foundation. In the article, we will demonstrate how SI – described by existing frameworks as a rational and structured sequence of prompts, proposals, prototyping, sustaining and scaling – actually takes place in constrained contexts and typically develops as a frugal answer to a social problem. The article will highlight how SIs do not take shape in isolation, and how the ecosystem plays a relevant role in making them flourish. The article will offer substantial empirical evidence that a support system is fundamental in making SI thrive, thus providing relevant insights and guidance for policy making, with particular emphasis on the concept of SI ecosystems.