Chiara Cannavale

The important effects of national culture on the environmental proactivity of firms

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to verify if and how national culture affects firms’ environmental proactivity, by using a specific index: the Carbon Disclosure Score (CDS). Design/methodology/approach The study, an analysis of two linear regression models, examines how cultural values, measured by the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness Research “should be” scores, affect companies’ environmental proactivity measured by CDS. Data about CDS derive from the Carbon Disclosure Project, which monitors Global 500 companies each year. Findings The analysis reveals that the values of in-group collectivism, performance orientation, assertiveness and uncertainty avoidance negatively affect firms’ environmental proactivity, while future orientation and gender egalitarianism have a positive impact. Research limitations/implications In spite of the limitations inherent in the indicator and the limited sample, the paper has some interesting implications. On a theoretical level, this study extends prior research in the field of organizations and natural environment, by examining the specific role exerted by national cultural dimensions on firms’ environmental proactivity. Practical implications From a practical standpoint, the study suggests that corporations and policy regulators should be sensitive toward national idiosyncrasies and formulate the environmental strategies according to the cultural values and contextual environment of the relevant region. Creating policies based on cultural values and adapting policies to a country’s culture can improve the effectiveness of environmental policies and raise individual and corporation awareness on the topic. Originality/value Most contributions consider environmental strategy at the national level. This study, instead, focusses on the effects of national culture on the environmental proactivity of firms.

Do Italian expatriates adapt to different cultural contexts? Some evidence from South Mediterranean countries

This study explores Italian expatriates’ inclination to adapt to different cultural contexts, such as Southern Mediterranean countries (SMCs). In emerging countries, expatriates play a very important role: they control the activities delocalised in the host market, they monitor the market, and they overcome the lack of qualified employees. However, cultural differences can limit expatriates’ results. When the home and the host culture are too distant, communication between headquarters and subsidiaries becomes difficult, and performances in the host market can be limited by a different work philosophy and by local employees’ reluctance to accept foreign managers’ knowledge. Expatriates’ capability to adapt becomes consequently very important. This is the case of Italian expatriates assigned to SMCs. The capability to understand local culture and to respect diversity is crucial to build profitable relationships. Considering the observations above, our paper explores Italian managers’ capability to understand distant behaviour, and to adapt to different levels of performance orientation and assertiveness.

Outsourcing and Reshoring

Outsourcing activities to international third parties is a way to implement international development strategies. More specifically, it is a way to implement internationalization strategies for expansion when outsourcing is done in markets culturally close to the domestic ones, and for diversification when outsourcing is carried out on markets distant from the domestic ones. However, outsourcing is not always a first best choice, and more and more firms are revising their strategies and deciding for back- or re-shoring. This chapter discusses the factors firms should take into account in their outsourcing decision, and highlights the main risks connected to this choice.

Key Risks of Internationalization

During their internationalization processes, firms face different kind of risks, and the capability to reduce their effects and to find out the best hedging techniques is a fundamental factor of strategic success. Firms need to become aware of the different nature of risks, in order to handle with them, and try to reduce their potential effects on profitability. We consider both counterpart, and financial risks, and give some insights into the basic hedging techniques firms can use. The focus is on the firms, so we don’t refer to intermediaries and financial institution, but keep attention on firms’ hedging. Together with the risks, we consider the financial management of international firms and refer to reinvoicing centres as a possibility to manage the global activities with high efficiency.

Internationalizing Firms: International Strategy, Trends and Challenges

1. Determinants of Internationalization -- 2. International Strategy -- 3. Market Entry Strategy -- 4. Outsourcing and Reshoring -- 5.Key Risks of Internationalization -- 6. The Role of Culture in Internationalization.

How emerging digital technologies affect operations management through co-creation. Empirical evidence from the maritime industry

Abstract Globalization, variation in customer expectations, and the developments connected to Information & Communication Technology are usually considered as the main drivers of changes in Operations Management (OM) strategies by firms in both manufacturing and service industries. Emerging digital technologies, such as Internet of Things or Cloud Computing, represents a novel paradigm that is rapidly affecting on several aspects of everyday-life of private and business users. This paper contributes to extant literature about the relationship between emerging digital technologies and OM, by stressing the value co-creation issue. Specifically, we investigate how emerging digital technologies affect OM through value co-creation in the maritime industry. Our study reports the case of FairWind project, an open technology marine service and graphic user interface enabling sailors to personalize their experience on board through 3rd party boat applications. The case of Fair Wind points out how emerging digital technologies contribute to OM within both organizations and, more in general, maritime industry, as well as the critical role of user’s co-creation in defining and managing on-board operations.