Purpose – Health policy-makers are increasingly promoting programs that embed cost-opportunity logics. Their implementation requires the mobilization and exploitation of expert knowledge controlled by professionals dispersed in the territory, unaccustomed to share/integrate their knowledge with others, and sometimes adversary to cost-opportunity logics. The success and viability of these programs thus depends on experts’ commitment to mobilize and integrate their knowledge. Past studies highlight reasons why policy might not be able to stimulate change because of institutional forces that hinder knowledge mobilization and professionals’ micro-processes and narratives that oppose new practices that alter their autonomy or their routines. The present study investigates if and how policy-makers can pursue a strategic change in their eco-system. Methodology – We investigated the case of a new Health Technology Assessment (HTA) program in Lombardy. Our unit of analysis relates to the strategy implemented by Region Lombardy to implement the HTA program. We triangulated data from: (i) archival analysis of normative and documents; (ii) quantitative analyses measuring experts’ participation in program, etc.; (iii) presentations and web reports; (iv) direct interviews with key informants; (v) participant observations of meetings and workgroups. Interviews involved the regional staff implementing the HTA program and a panel of 28 experts involved in its application. Originality/value – Our study highlights the contribution of learning mechanisms on professionals’ commitment to the new practice. The strategy implemented by Region focused upon professionals’ learning and relied on three mechanisms: (i) cognitive mechanisms supporting learning through common language, frameworks and values; (ii) structural mechanisms supporting learning with inter-organizational infrastructures; (iii) procedural mechanisms supporting learning through methods and tools that institutionalized the new practice. The interplay of learning mechanisms was not sufficient to achieve the full-fledged diffusion of the practice in the territory, but ‘only’ to disrupt indifferences locally, and stimulate early HTA experiences that added up to the gradual legitimization of the practice. Practical implications – Our analysis provides indications to policy-makers regarding the relevance and limitations of strategy of change entirely focused on learning mechanisms. It highlights the interplay of OLMs in creating an understanding of the change (instrumental for motivating individuals to engage in it) as well as a proper context, made of norms and infrastructures that are instrumental for allowing individuals the practical opportunity to mobilize and implement their knowledge.

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to study “lean & safety” projects, which are those ones that combine Health Lean Management (HLM) and Clinical Risk Management (CRM). Thus, the research objective is to understand how “lean and safety” projects can be implemented, investigating the significant features that characterize them: organizational aspects, phases and activities, tools, techniques and practices and key factors. Methodology – As it is a new subject, case study methodology has been adopted; the selected project is one of the first cases where HLM is required firstly to reduce incidents and secondly to obtain efficiency improvements and HLM is fostered by who are in charge of patient safety. After creating an interview protocol based on literature, data has been collected conducting semi-structured interviews with the key informants involved in the implemented project. To guarantee triangulation, also relevant archival documentation has been collected and observations have been executed. Data were finally analysed to obtain a framework that answers the defined research objective. Originality/value – The connection between HLM and CRM is not studied in literature yet. To this extent, organizational aspects, phases followed, tools and practices adopted and key factors for a successful “lean & safety” project implementation is described in this paper. This is one of the first researches that investigate characteristics of a HLM project adopted to solve CRM issues. The results suggest HLM and CRM should be considered in a new synergic methodology. First indications about how developing it are provided boosting future research, also in other contexts and contributing to the development of more safe and sustainable health care systems. Practical implications – The outcomes of this research is valuable for hospital units or health organizations that need to achieve efficiency enhancement, improving quality and patient safety at the same time. For an improved management of clinical processes, hospital managers could consider the results of this research to solve their CRM problems. The indications about phases to follow for the implementation of a “lean & safety” project could be cogitated as guidelines during the application of this emerging methodology. In addition, they could grasp from this research the characteristics for a successful implementation of projects that pursue multiple objectives in a challenging environment.

Purpose – This paper describes how the city of Tampere in Finland developed its knowledge-based management, organized its strategic knowledge management and systemized its knowledge-based decision-support. Design/methodology/approach – Theoretical background of the paper is on strategic knowledge management and public management. The main empirical data was gathered in an intense action research process, which was carried out between December 2013 and January 2014. This process included three development workshops and several preliminary and follow-up discussions where workshops were planned, analyzed and iterated. As secondary data, strategy documents, reports from previous development initiatives and the key findings of a maturity analysis on the state of knowledge-based management were used for mapping the starting point of the development work. Originality/value – The paper contributes with its holistic perspective to public knowledge management and by providing empirical illustration on the strategic knowledge management at the city level. The literature has pointed out the narrow focus of earlier approaches. Their focus has been, for example, on the role technology and e-government or in some specific branches of public service provision. Practical implications –The paper lays a foundation for developing a knowledge-based management culture in public organizations. Simultaneously, it puts in evidence the central role of the municipality and its knowledge management in fostering the vitality of the wider service ecosystem. Without proper knowledge and understanding about the efficiency and effectiveness of service operations, service providers and ways of organizing it is not possible to make informed decisions.

Purpose – The goal of this research is to find an alternative theoretical and technical method of urban environment’s management. This method should solve current town-planning problems connected with the coexistence of urban systems. The received method must be adaptable to the management of any urban object. It must be orientated both on the improvement of urban structure’s sustainability and flexibility during its formation, functioning and development. The result of received method’s application must be the improvement of urban environment’s state due to any need of the modern society. Design/methodology/approach – I propose the application of system principles in formation of urban objects and the Control Theory’s methods in their cooperative formation, functioning and development. Both approaches, which are applied in different disciplines, should be adapted to the specific field of urban planning and urban management. However, the first step, that should precede two mentioned processes must be the analysis of current problems in interaction between any considered system and its external environment. This analysis has to be based on the particular features of systems’ interaction. Originality/value – This research puts in evidence that adapted Control Theory’s methods and renovated synthesis of System’s Theory’s and Control Theory’s methods can be applied to the modern tasks of urban planning and management. In addition, the uniform model of any urban object’s development management will be received. This model will consider such properties of urban objects as self-organization and self-regulation during their cooperative formation, functioning and development. The realization of this control model should lead to the minimization of the indicated tendencies and of the urban environment’s stochastic behaviour as a result. Practical implications – Outcomes of the application lead to the increase of experts’ work quality (minimization of the mistakes during the full cycle of any urban object’s adjustments) in urban environment’s management. The results of received control model’s realization should become: quicker reaction of each urban object on the external factors – quicker improvement of considered object due to the needs of modern society and other urban systems; improvement of urban systems’ coexistence; improvement of urban environment’s sustainability and flexibility; and minimization of its stochastic behaviour.

Purpose – Ever since it was argued that the process of knowledge creation can be modelled [Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995], the literature on designing spaces conducive to innovation and knowledge management has grown tremendously. While most of the theories and models are implemented at organisational level in the companies, the paper examines the applicability of theory to an educational campus. As much as the need for informal interaction has been emphasized upon by various knowledge creation and knowledge management models, as much has it been compromised upon in practice, more so, because of the limited knowledge on how to purposefully create such spaces. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on the assumption that when users are responsible for the design of their environment, they connect better and as a result the spaces produced are used to their maximum potential. Besides creating diverse working environments, it also increases the probability of knowledge creation. It has been proven before that process of design of spaces intentionally for innovation can at times be too obstructive or imposing [2]. Hence, it’s best to let the users shape their working environment as per their needs. To support the argument, the paper evolves a toolkit, which may essentially act as a DIY- Space kit for the design of informal learning spaces. The insights from the research highlight the spatial requirements for innovation across cultures. Originality/value – The paper challenges the traditional assumptions about learning spaces and rethinks over informal spaces as the torchbearers for knowledge creation. It also reviews the growing literature on knowledge architecture, critiques it, and develops some of the research questions that could be explored to contribute to campus planning and to the theoretical perspectives that underpin the literature. As is said, failures are the best teachers. The paper reiterates that the spaces that support failure are the ones that support knowledge creation. Adaptability and flexibility (in terms of space, furniture and technology) have been demonstrated as the two overarching criteria which determine the usability of a space. DIY approach allows users to be the controllers of their environments and shape it to their needs. Practical implications – While knowledge creation model in an organisation restricts the knowledge among the employees of a company or type of company (when the person switches job), the knowledge creation in a campus is all the more dynamic. As people from various disciplines use and shape the space as per their needs. Findings of the research will add to the knowledge and understanding of the subject of knowledge creation through informal interactions on educational campuses. This study should be significant in the sense that it will allow the identification of spatial characteristics of informal spaces in educational campuses, support and enrich campus planning theory and model of learning beyond classrooms. DIY Urbanism has been used as a manifestation of participatory design approach which connects the users to the space. As a user is more conscious of the spatial response generated, he attempts to deliver responsive spaces.

Purpose – Study the effects of cognitive style on interdisciplinary scientific collaborative group performance and group satisfaction. Methodology– We propose an approach of measuring group cognitive style to investigate the relationships between group cognitive style, demographic factors, group performance and predictors of group satisfaction. Group cognitive style will be measured by five psychometric instruments: the Cognitive Style Assessment (CSA), the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Index (KAI), the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) and the NEO-Five Factor Personality Inventory (NEO-FFI). Group performance will be measured through authors from different institutions, either as co-authors in a scientific publication or as colleagues within a research project. A ten-items questionnaire will be administered for the measure of group satisfaction. Value –This methodology puts in evidence that group cognitive diversity may have significant effects on the effectiveness of interdisciplinary scientific collaboration. Practical implications – The outcomes of the application could optimize the resource sharing and knowledge transfer within the interdisciplinary collaborative groups, and improve the effectiveness of interdisciplinary scientific collaboration. It can be extended in large scale with no limit in academia. Our study could help practitioners, managers and designers make right decision when they design their own collaborative work group.

Purpose – The street-building with “arcade” as frontage was one of the particular image in the old Asian city centres. However, by the urban alteration, the commercial function was moved out. Arcades don’t have to support the activity for trading and exchanging any longer and become the fresh “lost spaces”; moreover, this new kind of “non-places” stop the urban development. Yet, are arcades merely negative in the “new age” entitled of knowledge economy? For the interrogation, the space character of arcade, its potential for the knowledge production and the opportunity for urban regeneration with knowledge activity (various dialogs) were tried to illuminate. Design/methodology/approach – For knowing this, an approach to combine two perspectives was proposed. (1) Cities as knowledge tools: social and physical set-up of urban environments determines human communication, information exchange, and collective thinking (Edvinsson, 2006). (2) Cities as diagrams of knowledge: knowledge is regarded as a major force shaping cities into specific patterns (Alexander, 1972). Arcade provides an intensive interaction of private commercial territory and public access atmosphere. Its public sphere (Habermas, 1989) and “soft boundary” (Hertzberger, 2005) encourage communications, interactions and divergent territorial claims. Arcade offers people the heterogeneous and flexible possibility of gathering, intensive communication and appropriate atmosphere: creative milieu. Originality/value – The interrelation between knowledge and space can be realized through a matrix with the two-dimensional array to identify the physical and social environment set-up: “heterogeneity” and “flexibility”. Four kinds of spatial patterns are recognized by four quadrants and directly reflect in urban configuration. Space structure of arcade is classified in the high heterogeneity and high flexibility quadrant in this methodology. It offers the safety sense of meeting and the spatial condition for the intensive dialogue: more property for knowledge economic production. As the study result, different types of arcades are classified by the density of knowledge activity and space structure. Practical implications – It is explained by the Model, that the “knowledge activity” – various dialogs – could be coming back to the “ruins” in the city centre. This phenomenon is beginning to be observed in the arcades in Minquan Road, the past business street in Tainan with ca. 400 years history. If the spaces of arcade could be identified as one of the potential place for knowledge production, the importance of arcade in the old city centre had therefore a chance to be revalued. It might be one of the demonstrations of the strategical application for knowledge based urban development and regeneration.

Purpose – We aim to theorize about the selected aspects of the relationship between arts and business in the context of the recent proliferation of Art-Based Initiatives. The popularity of ABIs urges us to ask some fundamental questions about the nature of such interventions: What is really happening when arts is brought into the business context? Why does it “affect value-creation capacity”. Develop employees and infrastructure? Methodology – The paper has theoretical and speculative character. It is based analysis of literature and implementing a classical, widely recognized theory into the new field. Value- By extrapolating the theory of the phenomenologist Roman Ingarden from the field of aesthetics into management the paper provides a new framework for analysis of the process of creativity and innovation. The framework differentiates between three moments of the creation process: material basis, act of consciousness of the creator and concretization performed by the recipient. Each category requires different research methodology and plays a different role in the value-creating process. Practical Implications – By providing deeper understanding of the relation between art and business, which underlie any Art-Based Initiative, the paper contributes to more efficient and more precise application of such procedures. The findings will shed the light on the questions of “when?”, “where?” and “how?” to use ABIs.

Purpose – The purpose of the research is to describe how the organizational design and socio-material space characteristics of the camping enabled the creation of a particular atmosphere nurturing creativity, understood here as a collective outcome; and how the collective creativity was embedded into the physical space of the camping. Theoretical framework – The case study bridges the organizational psychology literature stream on on creativity in organizations (Klijn & Tomic, 2010) (Zhou & Shalley, Handbook of Organizational Creativity, 2008) and workplace creativity (Baas, De Dreu, & Nijstad, 2008; George, 2007; Hennessey & Amabile, 2010; Runco, 2004; Shalley, Zhou, & Oldham, 2004) with the sociomateriality stream in organizational literature (Pickering, 1995, Dale 2005, Leonardi 2008, Orlikowski 2007, 2010). Methodological approach – We used the grounded theory approach ( (Glaser, 1992) and (Charmaz, 2006)) to derive a posteriori a theoretical framework from data systematically obtained from field observations. We chose this method to uncover processes, relationships and behaviors of individuals in an organizational context that has been little explored up to now. That enabled us to grasp the complex nature and to create a grounded understanding of the project under study. We used overt participatory observation as data collection method ( (DeWalt & DeWalt, 1998) and (DeWalt & DeWalt, 2002)). The decision to be embedded in the action and context of the social setting of the camping is motivated by the opportunity to be accepted in the community of volunteers, to have access to their “backstage culture” and to view or to participate in unscheduled events (DeMunck & Sobo, 1998). To complement data obtained from the observation, we conducted a set of individual interviews. Main results – Our main finding is that socio-material characteristics of the camping site encapsulated the root values on which the project was built and predetermined the camping’s collective dynamics. Democratic participation and the quasi-absence of vertical hierarchic relations as the principle of the organizational structure favored free flow of ideas and interaction between volunteers. The implicit organizational work processes such as “participative assessment” and “functional legitimation” by peers contributed to consolidation of the project around a collective of highly dedicated volunteers; with a sense of initiative and willingness to participate. The created camping’s creative atmosphere, understood as cognitive representations and interpretations of its organizational setting and of its socio-material space was“a place of realization of dreams of artists bricoleurs and performers” but also “a place where one feels good and where one stays, for a drink or for a long weekend”, a “sort of summer 1936, where perfume of possible is floating in the air”.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine an arts-based research method in practice and methodological issues related to it. To test the method, a clay workshop will be organized during the 9th IFKAD Conference. Testing is important, because clay workshop has rarely used as a research method before, and it will be used in my dissertation. The aim of my dissertation is to investigate institutionalizing arts in social and health care service strategies; especially the management of multiprofessional employees; how the manager recognizes employees who have many professionals and divergent knowing. Approach – The approach to research is, that clay shaping will be inspiring and the participants will have rich discussions. First, because the shaping is multidimensional and will stir up a lot of thoughts and knowing. Secondly, shaping is a very old way to express oneself. Thirdly, the clay workshop has an embodied knowing dimension. It may give a space to express issues that one rarely do otherwise. The workshop will be filmed and recorded and the analysis will be done afterwards. Value – The value of this arts-based method is multidimensionality. It has been noticed that by arts-based methods the researcher is able to get answers that are challenging to find with traditional qualitative inquiry methods, for example, interviews or empirical observation. The arts are likely to make people more sensitive and open, and give a possibility to express issues that cannot be expressed in other ways. The arts may also cause some unexpected reactions that the researcher is not prepared to encounter. The arts can raise the research onto another level and can give more value for the aim researched. Practical implications – The clay workshop will be a participative method testing workshop. The aim is to find out how the clay workshop serves multiprofessional groups, and how it should be developed to be an effective research method which can be used in the social and health care services.

This paper explores theoretical frameworks, drawn primarily from learning theory, which might inform future research into arts-based initiatives (ABIs) in organisations and HE, and both the analysis and dissemination of outcomes. The theoretical insights considered here include pedagogical and philosophical models (eg Buber 1937/2002; Heron 1992; and Gardner 2006, 2011); psychological and management frameworks in self-efficacy, social cognition, socio-constructive approaches and complexity theory (eg Bandura 1997; Hutchins 1995; Kolb and Kolb 2010; Mowles et al. 2008); and models applied to research in the creative arts, including metaphor, aesthetic distancing, embodiment, and threshold concepts (eg McGilchrist 2009; Pässilä and Vince 2012; Dreyfus 1996; Meyer and Land 2005). In the conference presentation, we will also review some of the more populist ideas, including emotional intelligence, presence and mindfulness (Boyatzis and McKee 2005; Senge et al. 2005; Goleman et al. 2002), which have become established in leadership and management development practice, aiming to consider whether their application to the analysis of research results may offer benefits in the dissemination and interpretation of arts-based research for practitioners. The paper concludes by considering potentially appropriate research methodologies and other recommendations for future research into ABIs, and by inviting debate and feedback.

Purpose: As is commonly known the bond between the wealthy powerful elite and artists is having long lasting roots. Although it seems to be a very old phenomenon it is still rather actual. Once aware of it an unavoidable observation seems to be: entrepreneurs love art. But why? And if we can find an answer to this first question will this answer help us understand the act of business creation in entrepreneurship? The paper will address these questions. Design/methodology/approach The starting point of the paper is an overview of the major literature on the phenomenon of art appreciation in business. In literature we found 5 major motives. With the use of the 5 motives as sensitizing concepts, a rather open interview protocol was developed. In long interviews with 10 CEO/owners of innovative Dutch companies these concepts were explored. Based on the first results of the study a field experiment was carved out to provide a rich source of data. Originality/value The experiment provided the data presented in the paper. Based on a quantitative analyses of the profile of the participants versus non participants the paper will address the question of the relation between innovativeness and art appreciation. This is a first step in unravelling our major research question. Practical implications The results of the study so far indicate there is much more in harnessing the bond between the Arts and Entrepreneurship than an occasional visit to the concert hall or a museum. Organizing a fruitful dialogue between Arts and Entrepreneurs needs further research and designs based on the outcome of our research.

Purpose – The aim of the current study was to identify and analyse success factors of knowledge transfer in innovation processes of regional industry clusters that increase organizations´ and, in turn, clusters´ resilience.
Design & Methodology – The research process consists of three parts: literature review looking at success factors for inter-organizational knowledge transfer in innovation processes, empirical study on the identified factors, and statistical as well as analytical evaluation of the results. Object of the study was Silicon Saxony, Germany – a regional high-tech cluster of producing and developing companies, research and education institutions, suppliers, service providers, and consultancies. After combining the identified factors, derived hypotheses concerning the dependency and correlation were analysed using a standardized online survey: knowledge- and innovation managers of all member organizations of the Silicon Saxony Association were contacted. A total of 55 representatives completed the questionnaire.
Originality & Value – Up to now, research in this field is little and studies are mostly theoretical or qualitative. The current quantitative-empirical study puts dependencies and correlations of factors in evidence that support inter-organizational knowledge transfer in innovation processes building up resilience. Innovation culture was identified as the central factor. Furthermore, with the results four types of organizations were identified and characterized by indicating their participation in the regional industry cluster and their understanding of knowledge transfer.
Practical implications – The results of the study offer a cross-disciplinary argumentation for managers to improve innovation culture and their participation in clusters, which in turn, increases their organizational resilience. Mangers are equipped with instruments measuring success factors for knowledge transfer. With the results they can identify weak points in their organization and improve them.
Keywords – Innovation Management, Knowledge Management, Cluster Management, Resilience Management, Communication Management

Purpose – The diffusion of the open innovation paradigm has been changing the ways in which firms acquire, manage and exploit their intangible assets. It is widely recognized that intangible assets play a relevant role for companies in creating and developing their core competences, thus yielding competitive advantage and leading to innovativeness. This paper aims at analysing the composition of intangibles portfolio of R&D intense companies and relating it to the degree of openness of their innovation processes. Further, the linkage between portfolio composition, structural features and performances of companies is investigated.
Design/methodology/approach – To analyse companies’ stock of intangibles, we recorded them in different categories and calculated composition ratios. In order to quantify the degree of openness of companies we considered revenues and costs from open innovation activities and investments and divestments of innovation-related intangibles, occurring in either separate acquisitions or within business combinations. Finally, different variables are used to describe structural features and performances of companies. The analysis is performed on a sample of 243 world top research and development (R&D) spending companies, according to The 2012 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, for which the 2012 annual reports were analysed. Results are discussed from cluster, one-way ANOVA and correlation analyses.
Originality/value – The paper contributes to the existing literature on the measurement of open innovation from two perspectives. First, it focuses on the pecuniary dimension of the phenomenon, using quantitative, objective data. Second, while most literature is focused on inbound metrics, our paper suggests a set of metrics which can be used for both inbound and outbound processes, allowing to define the ways in which companies can capture value from the exploitation of their technology, i.e. the business models of companies. Moreover, the paper contributes to the understanding of the relevance of intangible assets in open activities.
Practical implications – The paper addresses the need for operative, practical instruments, which can help managers to monitor the impact of the investment in intangibles on companies’ innovation processes after an open-oriented approach. It proposes a set of metrics enabling to evaluate their core competences and relate them to the propensity to open up innovation processes. Further, given the availability and objectivity of annual report figures, this accounting framework can also be used by decision-makers for comparisons over time and space, also allowing the benchmarking with competitors.
Keywords – Open innovation, Intangible assets, Innovation metrics, Bio-pharmaceutical, Technology hardware and equipment

Purpose: The article presents a study about knowledge mobilization for sustainable growth. Thus, the present study aims to advance the understanding of how crowdsourcing and open innovation can mobilize knowledge to generate actions in a company that will stimulate its sustainable growth.
Design/methodology/approach – We propose a theoretical and descriptive approach based on literature review about crowdsourcing, open innovation and sustainable growth of the company. A single case study, using qualitative interview and data content analysis, was carried out in a large Brazilian building and developing company in order to analyze how crowdsourcing and open innovation actions can provoke sustainable ideas and organizational growth.
Originality/value – The construction sector is a relevant participant in the Brazil’s economy. It was responsible for over 5% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012 (IBGE, 2012). The companies in this sector in Brazil have been going through a continuous growth process. The study pursues providing evidence of the positive effects of the use of crowdsourcing via a web based platform through which information and innovative ideas are shared within this competitive sector in a sustainable way.
Practical implications – The strategic management between non-monetary social and environmental activities and economic success is necessary for a sustainable business company (Schaltegger et al. 2011). Sustainable company growth is a challenge for companies facing a tough competitive scenario in the business environment they operate. The case study used shows a large Brazilian company that has been dedicating time to acquire crowd-source knowledge and combining that with their expertise and ideas. This has resulted as the case study will show in a tool that has contributed to improving its internal processes as well as the application of an overall more sustainable business model. The implementation of ideas resulting from the knowledge acquired through crowdsourcing also improved the company’s relationship with its customers and other stakeholders. Keywords – Crowdsourcing, Open Innovation, Sustainable Growth, Knowledge Mobilization

Purpose – Still little is known about the determinants of the openness degree. Examples of investigated determinants are firm-specific or environmental/external factors. However, the role exerted by some of them remains unclear. In particular, it is still debated the influence by the so-called “technology aggressiveness”. As a matter of fact, evidences on the relationships between the technology aggressiveness and openness are in fact conflicting. The aim of this study is thus to shed further light on the relationship between technology aggressiveness and openness degree in order to give a more conclusive evidence to the debate.
Design/methodology/approach – We elaborate a structural equation model which enriches the state-of-the-art by explicitly testing the interplay among technology aggressiveness, openness (innovatively measured in terms of partner intensity, phases intensity, and variety) and innovative performance. Our study relies on data from more than 400 firms by a survey research developed in Finland, Italy and Sweden.
Originality/value – Findings shows that openness, if measured as partner intensity and phase intensity, fully mediates the relationship between technology aggressiveness and innovative performance, by suggesting that the effectiveness of a firm’s technology aggressive behaviour is strongly related to the intensification of collaboration with the partners along the innovation funnel. Conversely, openness variety seems to play an opposite role and is differently influenced by partner and phase intensity. This result likely emphasises the cost-side of an open behaviour becoming harder to manage, and thus costly, when involving too many different partners, phases and contents.
Practical implications – If one hand firms, which adopt a technology aggressive strategy, are recommended to deeply open their innovation process in order to foster innovation performance. However, due to the fact that a high openness variety could generate some downside, managers should be very careful in the management of different phases, sources and contents. So that a call to find adequate strategies for effectively managing the collaboration process in order to avoid waste of resources and efforts clearly emerges.
Keywords – Open Innovation, Partner Intensity, Phase Intensity, Openness Variety, SEM

The proposed article aims to show which aspects of organizational skills contribute to successfully maintaining an open innovation model. Open innovation is a global approach to innovation management analysed from different angles, such as the strategic, technological, human, and market aspects. Although various research trends have contributed to understanding open innovation, a key element is missing from the debate: the role-played by organizational arrangements and skills in implementing open innovation. The purpose of this paper is therefore to fill this blank area in research on open innovation by addressing the following research question: What organizational framework should be put in place to develop organizational skills for open innovation? Our approach is based on a case of inbound open innovation concerning the improvement of an urban transport system, led by a French high-tech group with an active open innovation policy.
Keywords: open innovation, organizational arrangements, organizational skills

Purpose – Today’s socio-economic crisis ongoing in many countries, is strongly challenging the value creation approaches and the sustainability of traditional for-profit enterprises’ model, mainly focused, if not exclusively, on the satisfaction of the shareholders or the owners. In this context, that sees even more companies reducing or shutting down, the Social Enterprise (SE) is increasing the production and the opening of new units, distinguishing for its competitive capability and sustainability. The paper investigates the reasons at the basis of such SE’s performance, identifying in the management model setting the peculiar reason: multistakeholder structure, balanced value creation among stakeholders, integrated management of three key dimensions: compliance, process performance, knowledge and learning.
Design/methodology/approach – The research has been designed on the basis of case study methodology. In particular an italian Social Enterprise theoretically significant and relevant for the investigation of the research topic has been sampled. The qualitative data collected have been carried out from interviews to the president, observation of day to day management practices, participation to enterprise’s internal meetings, access to organization’s repositories.
Originality/value – The paper analyses one of the oldest italian social enterprises, and discloses key elements of its management model, providing useful insights for a sustainable value creation model setting.
Practical implications – Identifying social enterprise management model’s settings, enable to compare traditional for-profit enterprises’ model with SE’s ones. For-profits may benchmark useful settings in order to create value and be sustainable in today’s turbulent competitive context.
Keywords – Social Enterprise, Value creation, Management settings, Integrated governance

Purpose – Quantifying managerial ability is central to management literature. Prior research indicates that manager specific features (ability, talent, reputation, or style) affect economic outcomes and are therefore important to economics, finance, accounting, management and IC research as well as to practice. Most of the measures used in archival research, also reflect significant aspects of the firm that are outside of management’s control. The paper, coherently with Demerijan et al. (2012), is directed to exploit the possibility to measure the managerial ability assessing managers based on the efficiency with which they generate revenues.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper addresses his aims applying a more sophisticated approach to the three stage estimation (Fried et al., 2002), in which both Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Stochastic Frontier Approach (SFA) are used to estimate the efficiency scores firms to derive a measure of manager ability (MA). The method used could be named “two-stage SFA DEA” approach. Our idea is to obtain a measure of MA as residue of the inefficiency equation of SFA and to use it as a new input to insert in the “second/third” DEA stage. The Italian banks have been chosen as the sample to investigate and implement our model.
Originality/value – The originality of the paper consists in the proposition of a new model to measure managerial ability, able to outperform the alternative measures of managerial ability, simple to use as it is based on easily obtainable financial data and available for a broad cross section of firms. Moreover, our paper is original also from a technical point of view, by employing not just the SFA or DEA methodology, but a “two stage DEA SFA” approach, in which the frontier and the inefficiency equation are estimated simultaneously.
Practical implications – We believe that our managerial ability score exhibits an economically significant manager-specific component and contains less noise than existing proxies of managerial ability. This more precise measure of ability opens the door to a wide array of studies that previously were difficult to conduct.
Keywords – Managerial ability, Data Envelopment analysis (DEA), Stochastic Frontier Approach (SFA), “two-stage SFA DEA” approach

Purpose – Global economic integration, technological change, the rise of digital opportunities and a new and sophisticated demand for products and services are creating a multitude of new opportunities and business options for firms and organizations. Accordingly, they are increasingly challenged to develop more and more renewed strategic, management and knowledge models, approaches, tools and techniques to satisfy effectively customers and to improve performance and sustainability. Although these scenarios characterize all the economic activities, this is particularly true for some industries more involved to face these transformations: it is the case of the banking sector. In fact, in the last decade, in a regulatory framework changing and under an high competitive pressure, banking organizations are revisiting and expanding their traditional borders and modalities to do business, trying to re-think their internal structures and to integrate more effectively places and channels, new services, new technologies, customers’ wants and cost-reduction needs. The aim of the paper is then to examine the new strategic, management and knowledge models elaborated and adopted in the banking sector in the Italian context. The relationships among these models and the business performance of the main banking organizations are identified and analyzed. Five successful experiences related to the adoption of new strategic, management and knowledge models are introduced and discussed.
Design/methodology/approach – To support our arguments we adopt a multiple-case studies methodologies. We provide the case examples of Banca Fineco, Azimut, Banca Fideuram, Banca Mediolanum and Banca Generali which recently have effectively planned and implemented innovative strategies and models aimed to activate and support a sustainable growth of their business.
Originality/value – This paper contributes to further develop our comprehension about the importance to elaborate and implement new strategic, management and knowledge models in a very relevant business sector such as the banking one. The analysis of the case-examples shows in particular how some Italian banking organizations – often considered too small to compete in the capitals global competition – have been able to elaborate and successfully implement new mechanisms to guarantee performance and sustainable growth.
Practical implications – The paper provides implications for future research and useful insights for management. However, further and detailed case studies are called to improve understanding of the phenomena and the capacity to generalize insights and best practices.
Keywords – Strategic, management and knowledge models, Banking, Services