An e-learning system, based on the Fee model (2009), consists of three components: technology, learning content and learning / e-learning design. In the literature on universities, there are not many contributions on the design of e-learning, understood as a process (Trentin, 2001). This article intends to understand, through an empirical analysis, how European universities implement e-learning design. In particular, the goal is to study the e-learning and design system, within selected European universities, to understand the phases of the project and to understand how much the university takes into account the territory. The study approach adopted to conduct the research was mixed: quantitative and qualitative. First of all, the quantitative survey was carried out on the websites of the top 100 European universities in the Quacquarelli Symonds ranking. Subsequently, the qualitative construction of some case studies and semi-structured interviews with managers of e-learning services of some European universities was carried out. The quantitative survey shows that the 100 best European universities, present in the Quacquarelli Symonds ranking, adopt e-learning methods, allowing to identify, among them, the universities involved in case studies. The qualitative construction of case studies and semi-structured interviews with managers of e-learning services of some of these European universities underlines a specific attention to the e-learning design of the courses, even if more focused on the professional figures working there and not entirely on the e-learning course project. The article aims to provide a detailed study on the design of e-learning in the educational context. The analysis of multiple case studies allows us to identify how the selected universities carry out the activity of educational design through the use of technology. The study has two main limitations. The first difficulty lies in the difficulty of having a complete view of the examined phenomenon. The second limit refers to the number of respondents and universities contacted. The future objective will be to intensify these activities by involving other actors (teaching staff, governance) and new universities.

This paper explores the entrepreneurial activities and models of Science & Technology universities. Employing a mixed-method design with a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews we find three main entrepreneurial models based on different configuration of activities and different organizational and regional characteristics: (1) an “engage” model, which focuses on local economic development (2) a “formal” model, which focuses on the financial advantage of universities and their faculties and (3) a “comprehensive” model, which focuses on the local economic development and the financial advantage of universities and their faculties. This paper extends previous literature by encompassing the conventional distinction between formal and informal entrepreneurial activities. It also contributes to the emerging literature on entrepreneurial university models and the strategic approaches by identifying the different models of entrepreneurial universities in the European setting of S&T universities focusing on the role played by organizational and ecosystem factors in affecting the adoption of a specific model by universities.

This paper aims to review and critique the Knowledge Management (KM) literature within Entrepreneurial universities, providing an overview of the results of a content analysis aimed to setup the emerging trends and suggest directions for future studies. The content analysis has been conceived into a larger and systematic literature review conducted on 1106 articles indexed at Scopus and initially submitted to a bibliometric analysis. Finally, 150 papers published in a variety of academic journals specializing in the field of Entrepreneurship, KM and Higher Education have been analyzed through a content and a bibliometric analysis to minimize mistakes in interpreting findings of collected studies. To undertake such analysis, we have used VOSviewer, a tool for constructing and visualizing bibliometric networks and clusters. KM within Entrepreneurial University is a research area of growing importance. Findings show that literature on KM models and tools in the Entrepreneurial University is fragmented and dominated by unrelated research. The content analysis here presented depicts the trends of a heterogeneous literature, but focused on some research streams such as: 1) Knowledge creation in Entrepreneurship Education; 2) Knowledge transfer in University-Industry collaboration; 3) Entrepreneurial University to support Knowledge based regional development; 4) KM processes for University’s spin-offs. Implications for theory and practices are depicted.

The overall aim of this paper is to provide knowledge on the importance of systems thinking as strategic in understanding organisational community systems. If “systems” literature can be complex and inaccessible since there are many different approaches to and ways of understanding systems thinking, the article explores the theory and practice behind the use of systems approaches in tackling public challenges as they represents a different way of looking at the world. The latter is understood as an open, complex set of systems that are social ecosystems themselves but are interconnected to external environments. The starting point is the recognition that all individuals consist of and are part of multiple interconnecting systems – biological, social, organisational. The systems thinking approach takes this recognition and makes use of it as the basis for understanding and changing the world. It also sees the relationships within and between systems as crucially important by recognising that there is huge complexity in these relationships. These open systems need to keep evolving and learning, as if they are micro organizations, in relation to changes and needs of multiple stakeholders. Systems become, then, learning organizations. In essence, systems thinking is a worldview; merely, an attitude of inquiry and reflection. Thinking and working, in ways that recognise the interconnectedness of the community, is the first step to being able to make the systemic changes that community residents expect to see. The proposed approach is firstly based on the review of the literature available on systems change following systems thinking as its precursor, and collaborative community governance. In order to testify the suggested research question, this paper is based on a case-study approach (Yin R.K. 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013) whose value resides in allowing an in-depth investigation of complex issues in their natural real-life settings. It provides not only phenomena’s insights but practical challenges in understanding the case as an integrated whole. In particular, starting from the relevant scientific literature, this paper aims at creating a relationship between evidence from the scientific literature review and facts provided by the case-study so to highlight the levers and main featuring aspects that make a specific organisational model. This will help acknowledging the underlying elements for a first possible theoretical framework to explain how sustainable development of communities and territories can be achieved through the perspective of systems change. Starting from the consideration that the underlying values of PORTA FUTURO BARI are transparency, reliability, ethics, solidarity, cooperation, talent and creativity’s enhancement, the originality of this paper is related to the value of the experiment itself, which has an impact on the community and the metropolitan territory as a whole. Originality is also given by the approach used to explain the unfolding dynamics of community organisation aimed at delivering development through the perspective of systems change that leverages on some variables present within that system such as power/authority, communication, relationships (social capital) and modelling capacity. The paper will tell if, first of all, such an experiment at the local level is successful in creating an urban hub that is a community platform where people are empowered to make change of the systems where they are embedded in. Hence, to understand if the local community is able to design and promote the building of sustainable actions, practices and organisations that offer new opportunities for participation and engagement of peoples, for sharing and integrating spaces, resources and values for knowledge creation, for co-creating value through co-producing people for a collaborative-driven urban development.

Alumni are one of the most important assets of the universities and their role and place in the university is more often becoming matter of scientific discussion. Author suggests universities to apply systems thinking and look at the wider environment and interactions of various subsystems, alumni community being one of them. Many authors discuss Higher Education and Research Institution (further HERI) customers and their segmenting (Weaver, 1976; Juran, 1988; Conway, Mackay and Yorke, 1994; Kotler and Fox, 1995; Pereira and Silva, 2003; del Barrio-García and Luque-Martínez, 2009; Taiwo, 2010). The research approves that alumni are HERI customers not only at the particular moment when they purchase HERI services but also continuously (Kotler and Fox, 1995; Heckman and Guskey, 1998; Taiwo, 2010). Alumni as customer lifecycle is adapted to classical customer lifecycle and merged with Alumni Triple Helix Segmentation. The alumni lifetime engagement is cyclic and with each cycle, it aims for deeper engagement and closer ties, more personal relationship and higher investment in the university. Alumni knowledge management exploits the concept of alumni being customer – that changes attitudes and perspectives towards the strategic activities and knowledge that HERI intends to manage in alumni matters.

The aim of this paper is to describe and analyse a best practice event organized and managed by the Italian Public Administration concerning the achievement of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, we are going to answer the following research questions: RQ1, Which approach is the most appropriate for the management of highly complex events and inter-institutional projects?; RQ2, Which is the connection between 2030 Agenda and great events? Large-scale events, which are characterized by a dynamic complexity involving different national public administrations and institutional levels, require a special attention in selecting an adequate event management systems. For this reason, after a detailed literature review on network management, this chapter aims to define the basics of a theoretical framework useful to understand collaboration among several actors, considering that participative approaches should help achieve outcomes in a more effective way. Furthermore, this paper explores the concept of sustainable development and focuses on the traditional elements of social, environmental and economic pillars within context of planned events. Given the objective of this work, the analysis of a best practice event will be useful to identify the main variables, in terms of sustainable strategic planning, execution and control, required to achieve the greatest level of efficiency in terms of cost optimisation and quality of service delivery, also exhorting the Italian public sector to look for a structural renewal, to better use its available resources, as well as to foster a global sustainable growth. From this point of view, a relevant experience is the case of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, coordinated by the Prefect of Rome, explored in the last section of the paper. Indeed, the latter, decided to adopt actions consistent with sustainability standards, thanks to the design of an inter-institutional network and the engagement of institutions at different levels. The Prefect of Rome achieved, in a very short term, three main results: coordination of the activities of the working groups (SDG 17, “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development”); integration of internal and external surveillance and communication systems (SDG 9, “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable and foster innovation”); collaboration with higher education institutions to acquire and disseminate knowledge (SDG 4, “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”). To systemise and combine the outcomes of these processes, as well as to analyse their consistency with sustainable development, the System Thinking technique was used.

In the current knowledge-based economy, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are called to play different interconnected roles related to triple university missions. Alongside the two traditional missions of teaching and research, HEIs have experienced the emergence of the so-called “third mission”, which sees HEIs as knowledge-based agents part of ecosystems of public institutions, companies and citizens oriented to co-knowledge creation. Finding a balance between the traditional missions and the third mission can be a serious challenge. For this reason, HEIs need to revise their objectives, strategies and performance indicator systems to plan, monitor and assess their social, cultural, and economic impact. Actually, there is no shared approach (and related KPIs) to assess in an univocally and standardised manner the performance of HEIs, in order to effectively reflect the whole range of academic missions, by reducing the possible tensions between them created at various organizational levels. Thus, the authors decided to carry out a qualitative inductive study based on the institutional logics perspective to: i) analyse how HEIs performances are measured, ii) to improve university performance measurement systems and iii) to mitigate the tensions within and among the different missions and the logics behind them.

In recent years, positive correlations between some factors of collaborative group task processes and the increasing of collective intelligence (CI) have been presented. This work introduces an hypothesis that argues the existence of a new factor of positive influence for the increasing of collective intelligence in collaborative group tasks operating in cooperative environments: self-determination. Therefore, we present an argumentation based on Cooperative Multiagent Systems that spotlights the significance of self-determination in these particular environments. Furthermore, we also introduce a preliminary design of an experimental setup and a methodological framework for validating the hypothesis empirically in human organizations. Our propose consists on measuring, on the one hand, the level of self-determination from the individuals that participate on the decision-making processes, and on the other hand, on measuring the level of collective intelligence achieved by performing collaborative group task. Finally, we propose to use statistical analysis to explore if there are positive correlations between self-determination and collective intelligence in cooperative environments, such as collaborative organizations.

OECD’s countries in the last 15 years are changing their public management systems (Keating, 2001). The diffusion of the New Public Management philosophy (Gruening, 2001; OECD, 2010; Pollitt & Bouckaert, 2000) determine an increasing innovation in the public field. Innovation management is relevant to improving and increasing performance in healthcare organizations (Dey, Hariharan, & Ho, 2009; Fleuren, Paulussen, Van Dommelen, & Van Buuren, 2014). Moreover, this is strictly connected with an efficient accounting and information system able to process, store and share data (H. Xu, 2011). In Italy, each Local Health Authority (ASL) adopts a different innovation program defined by the Region of reference. In Piedmont from 2016, the HTH system is used which presents various possibilities for analyzing and managing patient data with pathological addictions (Regione Piemonte, 2015). In the management of clinical pathways, the management of data and the use of shared platforms among healthcare professionals brings about a better concentration on the need expressed in terms of care and improving its efficiency (Leape et al., 2009). The management of high volumes of users requires the appropriateness of the care and definition of those useful and functional data to increase performance; in this sense, observations are made more and more necessary concerning the granularity of the data (Biancone, Secinaro, & Brescia, 2018). In the diagnostic and therapeutic path knowledge acquires a determining role for the well-being of the community of reference. The knowledge we refer to assets comprised, traditionally, human capital, structural or organizational capital, and relational or social, and often they are summarized in the holistic notion of intellectual capital (IC) (Marr et al., 2004; Schiuma et al., 2008). The theoretical GAP detected relates to the granularity and the type of information contained in the electronic health record whose influence and impact on the different aspects of the IC are unknown (H. Xu, 2011). This paper contributes on the cycle of innovation and join the theory of rational administration based on the budget. Our analysis will focus on the case study of the department of dependencies of the Local Health Authority “City of Turin”. The data management system matches the needs of national information through the annual report to the Italian and international Parliament through the comparison in Europe of data dependencies.

The Health Technology Information (HTI) is an important driver for change for the health sector. The evolution of HIT impacts directly on the health system. Health Information Technology is defined as “the application of information processing involving both computer hardware and software that deals with the storage, retrieval, sharing, and use of health care information, data, and knowledge for communication and decision making” (Thompson and Brailer, 2004; Payton et.al, 2011). The main electronic software of HIT is health records (EHR longitudinal), health medical records (EMR) and electronic prescribing. It can be expected that the utilization of HIT could lead to care coordination and improved outcomes. In this article the purpose is to make in evidence the creation processes di new knowledge thought the HIT tools. Also, we make a review of the scientific studies on the implementation of the different health information technologies. Consequently, this study may fill the gaps that previous studies may have encountered due to the timing of the studies prior to EHR – EMR implementation. The involved sample is the Scientific Institutes (IRCCS) located in Italy and specifically in the Sicily Region.

Ecosystems are of growing significance in research and industry business practice. Definitely, they will change the way how managers perceive central aspects such as strategy, business models, innovation, organization, and competition. There is still a lack of research on the question of how firms can design and integrate different types of ecosystems based on predominant possibilities and purposes. This paper depicts framework of main types of ecosystems and shows how and why these distinct types are being used. These insights lead to propositions for researchers as well as implications for practitioners. Finally, it intends to produce several pathways for future research on open innovation platform ecosystem orchestrators, development and governance.

This paper aims to explore the role of knowledge developed within Open Innovation Platforms (OIPs) – i.e. internal knowledge – in supporting the initiatives launched online. The paper uses a quantitative methodology based on two regression analyses and data collection was done through four well-known OIPs. The final sample consists of 212 projects. In this study we adopt a knowledge-based perspective and consider OIPs as knowledge platforms. We coded internal knowledge based on two levels of analysis: backers (prior OI experiences) and OIPs (community size). The findings demonstrate the influence of internal knowledge on the success of projects launched on OIPs. Both our explanatory variables – i.e. internal knowledge at the backers level and at the OIPs level – have a positive impact on the outcomes of the initiatives. We measured the success of initiatives through two dependent variables, i.e. the number of ideas submitted and the number of backers involved. This study provides insights on successful drivers of OI mechanism and it could be able to provide valid information for different actors. The paper also contributes to the current debate on the role of knowledge in the OI context and sheds some light on the nascent research field related to OIPs.

Innovative concepts and technologies for citizen participation have become key components of Smart Cities concepts. Smartness of cities cannot be reduced anymore to IT infrastructures and communication networks, but needs to comprehend smart interaction between citizens too. Based on the new U_CODE approach for citizen participation in urban development, this paper presents User Engagement Protocols (UEP) that are able to concert the a broad variety of activities and contributors to urban co-design projects. In analogy to music scores where “protocols” for individual players are derived from a Master Score, specific UEP can be deduced for all stakeholders and user groups from a comprehensive choreography of the entire participation process. The paper presents the methodical steps that lead to the establishment of this master protocol, as well as to specific UEP for Citizens, Expert Planners, Authorities, or Faciliators. It demonstrates how U_CODE manages to coordinate co-creative activities of a multiplicity of participants with its new methodology and digital tools.

Since technology, institutions and markets continuously change, business models are also dynamic configurations that evolve through micro- adaptations and/or disruptive changes. This dynamism enables economic resilience, that is, the (re)generation of system-level economic sustainability, mainly through the mechanism that in the entrepreneurship literature is called “creative destruction”. But what about social and environmental resilience? How, and under what conditions, can business model dynamics contribute to the (re)generation of environmental and social sustainability, as well? Even if business model (re)generation is today recognized as a key force to the resilience (and fragility) of social-ecological systems, we have scant understanding of how its actual contribution to sustainability could be assessed and maximized (Schaltegger & Wagner, 2011). This study contributes to addressing this challenge by developing the Common-Good DPM approach. This approach results from the cross-fertilization between Dynamic Performance Management (DPM), which is a system-thinking based method, the theory of the commons, and institutional theories. The Common-Good DPM approach is a sustainability-oriented tool for sense-making, monitoring, testing and designing around the dynamic link between business models and sustainable development models, thus leveraging business model evolution for sustainability transformations. The Common-Good DPM approach is conceived to concretely enable participatory and adaptive modelling, in which sustainability-relevant knowledge is collectively co-created through feedback based learning. In addition, the Common-Good DPM approach is data-driven, and may both enable and leverage effective big data management.

Despite their heterogeneity, Industry 4.0 enabling technologies have been recognized as a unique multi-faceted set of innovation that is able to provide disruptive innovation and define a new industrial paradigm, whose pervasiveness is experienced irrespective of sector, company size, or adopted business model. In this paper, we present the preliminary results of an analysis, based on case studies retrieved in extant literature on this topic, aimed at investigating whether and in which way Industry 4.0 enabling technologies impact on companies’ sustainability, especially with respect to the environmental and social dimensions. The goal is to contribute to provide an overall view wherein the different Industry 4.0 technologies are analyzed in terms of their implications on the social and environmental dimensions of sustainability.

Our investigation proposes a preliminary analysis on the diffusion of digital technologies in Entrepreneurship centers as emerging mechanisms to deliver entrepreneurial activities. Our research question is: how entrepreneurship research centres (Italian Contamination Labs) are adopting digital technologies to support the variety of entrepreneurial activities they deliver? An explorative study of 12 Entrepreneurship centers named “Contamination Labs (CLabs)” is conducted. Empirical evidence will provide evidence about the role that Digital technologies could play in supporting and enhancing the processes that the Italian Contamination Labs could play (e.g. presenting their own programmes and activities) and their indirect role (e.g. undertake joint programmes/activities with other faculties) in promoting enterprise and entrepreneurship activities of the academic entrepreneurs.

Our paper consist of a literature review about business model research in academia, which represents a premise to identify the main topics, as well as the evolution of the studies. As for the methodology, we used EBSCO database, searching for academic papers having “business model” in the title and in the abstract published from 1975 until now. This paper contributes to the literature in two ways. First, it provides a wide analysis of the extant literature on business models. Besides the classification by main topics, we aim to outline the trend of these studies over time. Moreover, by this review we propose to understand how much literature has already investigated, and to identify new roots for future research on empirical and practical application of business model in business studies. Our work is the first step of a project. In order to contribute to previous literature, we propose to view corporate business models as the crossroads of different disciplines, as management and accounting and finance are. Further developments of our research, actually, could concern the study of the characteristics of sustainable business models applied by firms, in order to select which key factors of firms’ business model positively affect their performance and their value.

Today, the evolution of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) and the widespread use of mobile devices are pushing tourists to a continuous interaction among themselves and with service providers during every stage of the holiday experience. Therefore, the DMOs – the bodies responsible for tourism development and the tourist companies – must offer through the Web an increasing number of services, even in situ ones. Some of them have the aim of improving destinations’ accessibility by means of geolocation marketing strategies. The aim of our research is to show how the GPS geolocation of points of interest can become an instrument to promote destinations and to enhance their accessibility together with tourists’ levels of satisfaction – improving tourist flows in a specific area through structured information.

The rapid evolution of tourist demand pushes the tourism sector to innovate and to meet the requests of the most demanding customers, generating innovative and higher quality services based on authenticity. This is the philosophy of the innovative hospitality system called Albergo Diffuso (AD). The typicality of this new form of hospitality concerns services linked to the authenticity of the territory. This way, tourists, like temporary residents, can fully immerse themselves in the culture of the territory they are visiting. We aim to identify the business model of the AD that has influenced the development of sustainable tourism through the regeneration of historic villages and the recovery of cultural and territorial heritage. We used an exploratory analysis based on a multi-case. We analysed 19 ADs. An open questionnaire was administered to the managers. The questionnaire was then supported by a short interview with the manager. Our results confirm that the Albergo Diffuso is very appreciate by tourists and emphasize how this innovative model is leading a reversal of the current tourism business logics. The results show that the main factor of success is the experience that tourists experience in the territory, understood as a combination of local cultural traditions and knowledge. The key success factors of the operators’ business models are the local area, its products and its best quality traditions but these are not sufficient to guarantee the sustainability of the AD model: solid management skills are also required. The ability to retain customers, invest in staff training and extensive communication channels are strategic management tools that companies must use efficiently to achieve success. This study identifies the main characteristics of business model of AD, pointing out how the rediscovery of the territory and its authenticity (socio-cultural and environmental), involvement and relationships with local communities are the key factors for the creation of a competitive advantage. It is critical for decision makers to know how own business is structured and which aspect are more appreciated by customers.

The paper intends to examine factors that mainly influence the creative process of celebrity chefs and culinary students. By using primary data obtained through an ad-hoc survey built by reviewing prominent literature focused on creativity and innovation in the haute cuisine context, we performed a discriminant analysis to compare the two different groups. Findings provide a better understanding of the origins and the main factors that drive creativity in haute cuisine. Outcomes of this study highlight the main differences that separate chefs in training from top chefs in terms of their creativity. Theoretical implications contribute to shed light on how creativity is influenced by both individual features and environmental/social components. Practical implications suggest which set of managerial capabilities chefs in training and, in turn, professional high schools of cooking have to develop in order to stimulate and sustain creativity in their educational programs. The study contributes to the academic debate on creativity and innovation in haute cuisine context, by suggesting key factors that effectively stimulate actions and behaviours leading to a continuous flow of novel and useful ideas.