Today, investors are no longer solely concerned with a firm’s financial performance, they also consider its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Numerous scholars have analyzed either the drivers or the effects of ESG performance. In this study, we contribute to the first stream of literature by investigating the drivers of a firm’s eco-efficiency. Eco-efficiency denotes a firm’s capacity to optimize resource utilization for value creation while concurrently reducing its environmental footprint. It involves striking a balance between economic performance and environmental responsibility. By embracing eco-efficient practices, firms can enhance their long-term sustainability, reduce costs, and respond to the increasing consumer demand for environmentally responsible products and services. Our goal is to identify the governance factors, specifically board characteristics and activities, influencing eco-efficiency. We measure eco-efficiency using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and focusing on efficiency measures aimed at minimizing inputs and ensuring Constant Returns to Scale (CRS model). We investigate the impact of board size, independence, gender diversity, and frequency of meetings on eco-efficiency, employing the beta regression model which aligns with our chosen dependent variable. Our analysis encompasses two distinct geographical contexts, Europe and the USA, to discern potential disparities between an environmentally regulated (Europe) and non-regulated (USA) contexts. We draw samples from the Europe Stoxx 600 index and the US S&P 500. Our findings reveal a positive correlation between eco-efficiency and board gender diversity across both US and European firms. We observe a detrimental effect of board size and meeting frequency on eco-efficiency among European companies. Furthermore, we identify a negative association between board independence and eco-efficiency for US firms. As far as we are concerned, this is the first attempt to identify the governance factors that affect eco-efficiency in the European and US context.

This study aims to investigate whether there are possible influences of the mobile sphere, specifically when considering the smartphone diffusion, from a social and cultural point of view, on the brand values of the main corporations in the world. While several factors concerning the Internet diffusion in general do not seem impacting the branding performance, the diffusion of the smartphones, with consequent access most of all to social media, shows a significant effect. Related considerations in terms of scientific and managerial implications, although there are some limitations of the research, are then provided.

This paper aims to introduce and validate a comprehensive toolkit tailored to assist cultural tourism organizations in managing digital transformation (DT) and business model innovation (BMI). As the cultural tourism industry faces the dual challenges of maintaining traditional values while integrating contemporary digital practices, this toolkit provides a strategic framework to navigate these complexities effectively. A mixed-method approach was adopted to develop and refine the toolkit, incorporating literature review, expert panel consultations, and pilot testing within various cultural tourism organizations. The toolkit includes four distinct tools: the Cultural Tourism Digital Maturity Assessment Tool, Digital Leadership Assessment Tool, DT SWOT Analysis Tool, and Business Model Innovation Profiling (BMIP) Tool, each designed to address different aspects of DT and BMI. The findings indicate that the toolkit is effective in helping organizations assess their current digital maturity, identify leadership capabilities, analyze strategic positions, and innovate business models. Feedback from pilot implementations suggests that the tools are practical and beneficial in guiding organizations through the intricacies of digital adaptation and strategic innovation. This research contributes uniquely to the field by offering a sector-specific toolkit that combines theories of digital transformation with practical, actionable strategies tailored for cultural tourism. It fills a significant gap in existing literature by providing a holistic, structured approach to DT and BMI specifically designed for the cultural tourism sector. The toolkit offers cultural tourism managers and decision-makers a practical and strategic resource to enhance their organization’s competitiveness and sustainability in the digital era. It facilitates a deeper understanding of internal and external digital dynamics and provides a clear pathway for strategic digital and business model innovation.

This study addresses the escalating global concern of dementia, a neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions and anticipated to affect even more with the growing elderly population. The research focuses on Dementia with Lewy-bodies (DLB), a common yet under-recognized and misdiagnosed type of dementia. The increasing dependency on caregivers, particularly in Italy, and the significant economic impact of dementia are highlighted. The study aims to investigate the scientific development, knowledge breadth, and research intensity on DLB using a bibliometric approach. DLB-related publications from the Clarivate Web of Science Core Collection database are analyzed and compared across various countries, organizations, and journals, with a special focus on Italian research. The use of VosViewer software tool for creating co-authorship maps, co-occurrence keywords maps, and topic clusters provides insights into current research trends and advancements in DLB.

The 2030 Agenda, adopted in 2015 by 193 nations under the United Nations, signifies a pivotal advancement towards sustainability. It delineates 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets, aimed at fostering environmental, economic, social, and institutional progress by the year 2030. Given the significant role that companies play in contributing to these objectives, there has been a considerable surge in stakeholder interest in their conduct over recent years. Consequently, integrating the SDGs into corporate reporting practices has become paramount for companies, with the aim of achieving consensus and ensuring long-term success. Italian Benefit Corporations (B-Corps), which prioritize profit while also recognizing sustainability as mandated by their statute, are integral to this evolving landscape. Essential to these companies and their communication with stakeholders are the Benefit Impact Reports (BIRs), which they are required to include alongside their financial statements. This research aims to scrutinize the extent of SDG disclosure within BIRs among Italian B-Corps. Additionally, it seeks to explore the influence of board characteristics—such as size, nationality, gender diversity, and age—on the level of disclosure. By conducting content analysis on BIRs and examining a sample of 83 Italian Benefit Corporations, this study tests four hypotheses grounded in Agency theory using cross-sectional Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis. The results reveal a positive and statistically significant correlation between board size and gender diversity, whereas board age exhibits a negative and statistically significant association with the level of SDG disclosure. This study contributes to both the literature surrounding Benefit Corporations and the disclosure of SDGs.

Despite large amount of spending, the Healthcare System lags behind the quality improvements expected by users and policymakers. Several analysis and studies motivate the hard of innovation in Health Systems (HS), meant as the inefficacy of innovations to translate in service impacts and outcomes. This study argues that a theoretical and methodological gap hamper the development of effective knowledge regarding Heath System Innovation Management (HSIM). Namely, missing to recognize and properly model the Health as a complex and dynamics system, it is missed the study of the behaviour of HS in response to the introduction of an innovation. To place a step toward in the understanding of the dynamics of innovation in Health Systems, this paper aims to review and critically analyze theoretical and modelling issues of HS literature, in order to elaborate effective directions and methodological support for the advancement of research dealing with the management of innovation in HS. The purpose is to generate and support a directions and implications for scholarly research on the management of innovation in Health Systems. By combining a critical literature review and the application of the General Morphological Analysis the research comes to the identification of the key morphological elements of researches focusing on HS innovation management, and also to outline the taxonomy of a research model for exploring HS. Scholarly research on HS innovation should comply with HS research ‘morphology’ and ‘HS model’ requirements. About morphology, it is argued to be: wide in perspective, at system level, focusing on both components and relations, capturing the dynamics, aimed to study, using soft models, and leveraging on simulations. About the model system that should support scholarly research on HS innovations, it is made of determinants, boundary, components and relations. This paper paves the way to bridge a gap in Health System management literature, by clarifying the methodological elements of a research. This limits the building of managerial theories and makes the health innovation management largely ineffective.

This paper undertakes a critical examination of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings, focusing on their application within the agri-food and textile, apparel, and fashion industries. As the demand for sustainable practices grows, so does the need for reliable ESG ratings that stakeholders can trust for investment and policy-making decisions. The core of our study involves a comparative analysis of ESG ratings provided by five leading agencies: Morgan Stanley Capital Investment (MSCI), London Stock Exchange Group Plc (LSEG), Sustainalytics, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), and S&P Global Ratings. These agencies employ different methodologies that often yield divergent results that can confuse stakeholders and obscure true company performance. This variance underscores the lack of standardization and potential conflicts of interest inherent in current ESG rating systems. In order to assess the rating provided by the selected agencies, we will consider a sample of companies from the agri-food industry. Our analysis highlights significant inconsistencies in ratings within the agri-food industry, pointing to the influence of different evaluation frameworks and qualitative criteria that lead to subjective interpretations of ESG performance. Similarly, we extended our examination to the textile, apparel, and fashion industry to determine if discrepancies in ESG ratings also pervade this industry. Our findings indicate similar inconsistencies, reinforcing the notion that current ESG rating practices may not reliably reflect companies’ actual sustainability efforts. This investigation reveals a critical need for enhanced standardization and uniformity in ESG ratings to improve their reliability and usefulness for stakeholders. By advocating for a more harmonized approach, this paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on refining ESG metrics to better support the global transition towards sustainable economic activities.

This work aims to critically analyse the role of technologies to reduce inequality in public administration, exploring their contribution to the translation of knowledge into innovative dynamics. In the context of the growing recognition of innovation as central factor in organizational development (Paoloni and Modaffari, 2021; Provasi and Harasheh, 2021; Smith et al., 2020), this paper focuses specifically on its impact in fostering an inclusive work environment within public organizations. Using the SLR methodology, this paper systematically reviews the existing literature to identify key trends and future directions for diversity management in public administration (Di Vaio et al., 2021). Specifically, 715 international contributions (articles, books and book chapters) on the selected SCOPUS database were analysed. The research builds on the notion of gender equality as a strategic resource allocation mechanism (Toren, 1993) and contributes to the stream of literature on gender studies by creating food for thought on the vital importance of pro-diversity management strategies in promoting an equitable work environment (Chordiya, 2022). Such analysis is essential to enable stakeholders to understand the added value that diversity management brings to public institutions. The findings, derived from the specific examination of public entities, may not wholly translate to the private sector’s context. The dominant theme concerns “Social and Governance”, demonstrating an intense focus on the importance of information transparency and citizen participation for good governance. Gender studies, on the other hand, underline the criticality of overcoming structural and cultural barriers, promoting policies and practices that enhance gender diversity within public administration. This contrast reflects a broad recognition of the social impact of innovation and a growing, but still insufficient, focus on gender mainstreaming as a key aspect for truly inclusive innovation in the PA. The manual review process of Systematic Literature Review (SLR) results can be considered a limitation of this study. In addition, a further disadvantage of the research is its dependence on a single database.

Companies emphasize the importance of having managers with the fitting and required competences. They point out that it is difficult to recruit such personnel. Many companies try to identify suitable managers by hiring recruitment companies. In our empirical study we investigated, on the one hand, on which competences recruiters focus and, on the other hand, which competences applicants emphasize. The practice-oriented study aimed to gain more knowledge about how recruiters and applicants think and, to point out how better decisions may be taken. In the literature, there is no single definition to the term of competences. Nonetheless, a frequently cited defining element is a person’s abilities, skills and willingness to solve problems in certain situations. In the literature considered in the paper different specific competences are mentioned to be of importance and relevance. However, in our empirical study we didn’t start deductively, but inductively: Instead of theory (that has to be tested) empirical data was used as a starting point. Data was analysed in new ways by using an unsupervised text mining approach combined with qualitative methods (qualitative content analysis). This approach objects to support the gaining of knowledge through text-based business analytics. The results show that applicants and recruiters weigh the importance of the established competence-categories quite differently, although not fundamentally different. However, one large difference was found. It refers to the competence-categories personality and hard qualifications in the context of genders: Recruiters put with 56% a much higher weight on hard qualifications in the case of women then in the case of men where this value is ‘only’ 35%. In the case of men, the recruiters compensate the either low value in hard qualifications through personality with a relatively high value of 33% compared to women with only 13%. Contrastingly, both, male and female applicants themselves weigh the hard qualifications quite similarly with 50% (male) and 46% (female). To validate this and the other results that were found, data of more recruiting companies would be needed. However, the result may be used by recruiters to recognise their unconscious gender-bias and to develop strategies to avoid it.

This paper delves into the significance of digital marketing as a new form of structural capital that substantially enhances market knowledge and plays a pivotal role in the dissemination of new or improved products and services. It juxtaposes the use of digital marketing tools with the enduring value of personal customer interactions in acquiring market insights and underscores the critical role of marketing innovation in elevating product/service innovation performance within the organic farming sector. Employing survey methodology, the research analysed responses from 177 family-owned organic farms across Spain using structural equation modelling based on partial least squares. The findings reveal a strong, positive relationship between both digital marketing and market knowledge, and between customer relational capital and market knowledge. Furthermore, marketing innovativeness fully mediates the relationship between market knowledge and product/service innovation performance, and digital marketing is also directly and strongly related to product/service innovation performance. In essence, the paper contributes to the intellectual capital, marketing, and innovation literature by underscoring the emerging role of digital marketing as structural capital. It delineates marketing’s dual role as a provider of crucial market insights and a direct contributor to value creation. Furthermore, by highlighting the synergy between marketing innovation and product innovation, this study enriches the discourse on the impact of non-technological innovation on technological innovation outcomes. This multifaceted exploration offers new perspectives on leveraging digital marketing, intellectual capital, and innovation strategies to overcome the market challenges faced by organic farming in Spain.

Aim of this paper is to provide a knowledge-based perspective about the Entrepreneurship Education (EE). Despite EE has recently emerged as a relevant enhancing factor to support innovation and entrepreneurial dynamics, little attention has been paid to the identification and the operationalization of the knowledge assets dimensions grounding effective EE programs. To fill this gap, this paper first elaborates a dedicated conceptual framework and then provides a set of case examples to show the theoretical framework’s application to current real EE programming. The paper combines a deductive and an inductive approach. Specifically, first, a conceptual framework is elaborated to identifying the potential knowledge-based dimensions for EE. Then, it is tested and applied in three real EE programs recently developed in Italy and in Finland. The study proposes one of the first conceptual framework supporting the identification and the interpretation of the potential knowledge assets dimensions grounding EE programs and a set of empirical evidences collected through multiple case examples. This paper contributes to developing the literature on EE according to a knowledge- based perspective.

Traditionally employed by businesses to disclose environmental, social, and economic performance, social reporting is finding a novel application within the justice system. Judicial office social reports unveil court performance and stakeholder experiences, but their potential extends further. Through meticulous analysis of social reports, valuable data concerning case flow, resolution rates, and processing times can be extracted. These reports serve as a rich source of information on judicial activity, offering insights into the efficiency of a particular office. Beginning with an overview of the evolution of social reporting in the Italian justice system, it is argued that it should be utilised as a valuable tool for both ex ante impact assessments and ex post evaluations of legislative changes. Social reports could represent the foundation for substantial change in this regard, at least in the field of justice. On the one hand, the data they provide can serve as a crucial starting point for understanding the needs of judicial offices; on the other hand, they can reflect the results achieved (or not achieved) following the implementation of legislative reforms.

This paper explores the concept of strategic partnerships within the context of Innovation Ecosystems. Relying on the Open Innovation framework, the study investigates the key factors shaping the decision-making process of establishing new partnerships between different IEs. Through a multiple-case study design involving Kilometro Rosso, AMS Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions, and Connected Places Catapult, the research aims to assess the reliability of a tool composed of six constructs: partners’ maturity, execution capacity, proof of value, co-development, intellectual property management, and internationalization potential. Findings reveal the efficacy of the tool in assessing proof of value, execution capacity, and internationalization potential. On the other side, it sheds light on emerging IP management strategies, highlighting the importance of alignment with IE objectives and contextual factors. The practical contribution of this work lies in the creation of a framework that can be beneficial for assessing the attractivity of potential partners and enhancing collaboration effectiveness between IEs at a national and international level.

This article investigates the main impacts of intrapreneurship on innovation in the public sector, addressing the main contributions to the development of innovation in the public sector and how intrapreneurship can enhance the paradigm shift and the transformation of the “ status quo ”. Using an integrative literature review approach, the research was conducted in three databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Scielo) and Google Scholar, with descriptors such as ” Intrapreneurship “, “Innovation” and “Public Sector”. 114 primary studies were initially selected, which went through a selection and peer review process, resulting in 24 final articles. Intrapreneurship is fundamental for significant and impactful innovation, bringing agility, the ability to deal with opportunities and an open culture. It influences innovation by bringing values such as being productive with fewer resources and engaging employees around a greater purpose. Its impacts include greater competitiveness, performance aligned with innovation, implementation of new ideas, improvement in the quality, accessibility and effectiveness of services for citizens.

The collaboration between startups and large enterprises is a topic of growing interest in the scientific literature. However, although existing research has produced several contributions on this topic, the knowledge in the field appears fragmented. This fragmentation can be traced back to the lack of reference frameworks that clarify the most used concepts, thus providing a shared language. This paper aims to systematically explore the dynamic interplay of asymmetric collaborations between startups and large corporations involved in open innovation projects. The systematic approach adopted in this study leverages a text mining technique, namely Latent Dirichlet Allocation, to synthesize existing research on this topic, employing the MySLR software platform for comprehensive data analysis. A total of 440 relevant articles were analyzed, providing a broad spectrum of insights into the mechanisms, outcomes, and barriers associated with these collaborations. In particular, we characterized the four relevant topics in the investigated research domain: (1) Strategic Alignment and Market Entry, (2) Innovation Transfer, Corporate Strategy and Academic Partnership, (3) Investment dynamics and entrepreneurs’ role in Venture Success, and (4) Organizational Development and Partnership Management: embracing Open Innovation. Our findings reveal that while these partnerships can drive significant technological and economic advancements, they also pose substantial risks and complications. Startups and large corporations often struggle with the integration and alignment of goals and operations, which can impede collaborative efforts. The results of this study may help managers and policymakers understand the nuanced interactions between startups and large companies, and develop frameworks that support and streamline these integrations. Such policies are crucial for ensuring that collaborations are not only innovative but also sustainable and contribute positively to the broader economic and technological landscape.

Recent years have brought many challenges (economic crisis, COVID-19, digital transformation) to organizations, their arrangements (workflows, teamwork, leadership, and culture) and human resources management (HRM). New digital tools such as big data, cloud, social media and artificial intelligence (AI) favored the introduction of new forms of working that revolutionized traditional work practices and respective organizations by redefining individual and organizational boundaries, and social bonds with the introduction of greater flexibility and autonomy in the choice of space, time and technological tools. These also embraced organizational transformation and digitalization processes that were previously neglected, especially in the public sector historically resistant to change. All these have prompted research on the growing intensive use of agile working (e.g., smart, remote, hybrid work) from different angles including organizational or job design, human-centeredness or ethics of technologies adopted, and their effects on the quality of work, employee well-being, organizational models and economies overall. Despite the efforts to define clear boundaries and characteristics, the literature shows an overlapping conceptualization of the different forms of working with contrasting effects these have on employees, HRM, organizations, and societies. For instance, a universally accepted definition of agile work is still missing and its conceptualization is often overlapping with hybrid, flexible-, tele-, and remote work. Thus, we are conducting a systematic literature review on sustainable organizational models, HRM practices and the underlying technologies employed in the public sector. This project is the first part of a broader project funded by Italian Ministry of University and Research. The review is currently in progress. Overall, we believe that the results of this review will have important practical, scholarly and policy implications, inform the next phases of our research, as well as build research agenda for future scholars.

Promoting innovation and knowledge transfer are two fundamental processes that drive the growth and development of organizations in the information age. Innovation, whether it’s new products, services, or processes, is a key driver of competitiveness and long-term success. Knowledge transfer, on the other hand, involves the dissemination of skills, experiences, and information within an organization. Project Managers (PMs), with their unique skills in terms of leadership, relationship management, and implementation strategies, are uniquely positioned to ease both innovation promotion and knowledge transfer. Through effective management of teams and projects, they can create an environment that encourages the sharing of ideas and the adoption of new practices. However, promoting innovation and knowledge transfer are not without challenges. These can include resistance to change, communication barriers, and lack of adequate resources. Therefore, it is crucial for PMs to understand these challenges and develop effective strategies to overcome them. For this reason, the Department of Innovative Technologies (DTI) of University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), launched a study in September 2023, focusing on how the role of the PM can be a key player into these dynamics. The expectations of this study are to provide a deeper understanding of the role of the PM in facilitating knowledge transfer and promoting innovation. We expect that the findings of this study may contribute to the existing literature on these topics and provide useful insights for practitioners in the field.

This paper explores the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), focusing on Mission 4 (“Education and Research”) and the role of universities in fostering a cultural ecosystem. The study aims to understand how concepts of cultural ecosystems and university involvement apply to NextGenEU-funded projects, specifically through the case study of the extended partnership called CHANGES-Cultural Heritage Active Innovation for Next-Gen Sustainable Society, involving universities, entities, and institutions. Methodologically, content analysis is employed to scrutinize the CHANGES research proposal, focusing on the design of knowledge generation and transfer. Findings confirm universities may play a central role in shaping knowledge flows within cultural ecosystems. Initial findings underscore the significance of knowledge-driven initiatives and interdisciplinary collaboration in the cultural heritage field. Criticalities include the challenge of connecting researchers from diverse fields within a multidisciplinary framework, as well as the short timeline for achieving the mission. The complexity of the project and the need to foster cohesion among diverse stakeholders is a crucial aspect. However, the paper highlights the potential for NRRP funds to drive innovative models in cultural heritage management, with universities facilitating knowledge sharing and transfer. Future research aims to assess the ex-post impact of CHANGES in promoting sustainable cultural ecosystems.

In the age of digital transformation, the potential for collaboration is significantly enhanced by technologies that optimize decision-making processes, especially with the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. This implies the value of constructing an AI-based innovation ecosystem. Thus, this study aims to explore how AI-based digital platforms and technologies are shaping innovation ecosystems, with a particular focus on startups. Employing a systematic literature review methodology, the study examines 244 relevant publications collected from the Scopus database. The findings of the study are synthesized into three main clusters: “Digital Technologies in the Innovation Ecosystem for generating Digital Entrepreneurship”, “Digital Technologies in Innovation Ecosystems for addressing Circular Economy and Sustainability”, and “Digital Tech and AI for Innovation Ecosystems: Implications for Business Models”. Findings suggest that startups at the forefront of adopting AI, IoT, and blockchain are not just transforming their business models but are also leading the way in promoting a sustainable and interconnected digital future. The paper concludes with managerial implications, suggesting that a profound understanding and strategic implementation of digital platforms and advanced technologies within innovation ecosystems are crucial for optimizing decision-making processes in startups. It highlights the promise of these technologies in empowering startups to navigate complex ecosystems and create value that goes beyond economic gains, aligning with societal benefits and environmental sustainability.

Urban and spatial development in metropolitan areas is subject to high pressure on space. The project presented here focuses on digital tools and geodata for dealing with these challenges on the one hand and on close cooperation between research and practice partners on the other. Digital applications are being conceptualized, prototyped and tested. The partners’ innovation framework has been tried and tested over many years and contributes to the trust-based development of technically and content-wise innovative and practically relevant applications. This includes the development of a web app that uses various filter and analysis functions to help find suitable areas for urban and area development. In the area of natural language processing using geoparsing and other functions, the applicability of new technologies for planning processes is being explored. In the future, the cooperation will focus on the transfer of suitable prototypes into practice on the one hand and the exploration of new methods and tools on the other.