Cristina Santini

Sustainability in the wine industry: key questions and research trends a

Sustainability is playing a key role in the wine industry as shown by the attention paid at several levels by the academia, institutions and associations. Nevertheless, the principle itself of sustainability opens a wide debate and it significantly affects firms in all their activities.Using a systematic literature review, this paper wants to highlight some of the questions that academics must face when they approach the issue of sustainability with a specific focus on the wine industry. In particular the paper aims to: highlight where research is going and what has already been done; define the contribution of background research in explaining the determinants of sustainable orientation in the wine industry; and understand the role of research (and academics’ social responsibility) for the diffusion of a sustainable orientation within the wine industry. The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed overview of the main research contributions to the issue of sustainability in the wine industry.

Desperately seeking serendipity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate innovation practice of small family firms. Top management teams’ styles, their strategic orientations, and perceptions of external environment promote or deter innovation.Design/methodology/approach – Ten Tuscan and ten Californian family wineries are investigated via questionnaire and in‐person interviews to develop longitudinal case studies describing barriers or incentives to innovate.Findings – Changes in processes, products, or market orientations are subordinated to how top managers perceive internal and external pressure to implement innovation.Originality/value – This exploratory research proposes a model depicting the extent to which location impacts the selected variables.

The adaptive change of the Italian Food Bank foundation: a case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the case of the Italian Food Bank Foundation, highlighting how ongoing global and European challenges are pushing the organization to adapt and change. The paper aims to identify the new role that the Italian Food Bank should play in response to these new challenges. Design/methodology/approach – A case study was developed. Data were collected through the combination of a survey and in depth interviews with people working for the organization. Findings – Although the Food Bank has done a lot to improve its delivery of food aid and to respond to changing needs, it appears that the organization has not pursued a clearly defined strategy, and thus it should adopt a strategic mindset. Originality/value – The paper provides details on the Italian Food Bank and the importance of adaptation to and management of change. Moreover this is the first attempt to describe the work of the Fondazione Banco Alimentare Onlus for an international readership.

Perceived efficacy of sustainability strategies in the US, Italian, and Spanish wine industries

Purpose – This purpose of this investigation is to compare the perceptions of competitive advantage through cost leadership and differentiation with sustainable practices of wineries from the USA, Italy and Spain. Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected via self-report web-based surveys in California, Tuscany and Catalonia in 2010-2011 during a severe economic downturn in the wine industry. Findings – Of the 260 respondents among the three country samples, over 75 per cent are family-owned and family-managed. Respondents indicate who has implemented a clear business case for an Environmental Management System (EMS) and who has not. Benefits and challenges of implementing sustainability practices are also addressed. Practical implications – A comparable percentage of respondents across the three countries indicated a “clear business case for EMS”. Wineries in all three countries perceive that they have competitive advantage through implementation of EMS and commitment to sustainable practices. Top...

Big bets, small wins? Entrepreneurial behavior and ROI

Purpose – Researchers into entrepreneurial strategy have overlooked the impact of small vs big investments on a ventures return on investment (ROI). The purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent does entrepreneurial behavior impact initial investment size and the return on that investment?Design/methodology/approach – This investigation summarizes research into entrepreneurial leadership behavior and uses data from longitudinal case studies of four innovative start‐up wine businesses in California, India, and Italy.Findings – Investment size and ROI appear to be related to entrepreneurial behavior.Practical implications – Lead entrepreneurs must develop both technical competence and social networking skills to achieve small wins, i.e. early if only modest ROI.Originality/value – This paper develops a model consisting of several testable propositions to measure the impact of entrepreneurial behavior on ROI.

Chinese immigrants socio-economic enclave in an Italian industrial district: the case of Prato

This exploratory study seeks to examine the nature of a migrant Chinese network of personal relationships and business interactions, and their level of integration with the traditional Italian firms that are housed in Pratos industrial district. The specific goal is to understand how do the unique socio-economic entity which defines the quintessential Italian industrial district, and the business culture brought over by migrant Chinese entrepreneurs enmesh with each other. Responses directly collected from 50 Chinese entrepreneurs in Prato – that hosts the largest Chinese community in Italy – through a survey. Data analysis revealed that Chinese firms follow different paths than the Italian firms in Prato. Differences happen because of the strong influence of Chinese cultural heritage on entrepreneurial orientation, strategic decisions and know-how improvement.

Brunellopoli: a wine scandal under the Tuscan sun

The international success of Brunello wine has fostered economic growth in Montalcino, a small country village in Tuscany where Brunello is produced. In 2008, a scandal shocked the flourishing Montalcino wine-based economy when international press published rumors and news about fraudulent Brunello. This article focuses on the issue of crisis management in a local industry by exploring the dynamics of a wine scandal, the reactions of various people and organizations to press reports, and the potential impact of these press reports on tourism. Analysis of the data collected through indepth interviews with 12 key informants has shed light on the role that media can have on shaping tourists� expectations, depending on their degree of involvement and knowledge of wine. Some suggestions for practitioners are provided in order to increase the level of awareness of the consequences that poor crisis management can have on the whole economic system of a single product.

Internationalisation drivers in the wine business: a RBV perspective

This paper evaluates the internationalisation process in the wine business in a RBV perspective. By adopting a concept centric approach the aim of this paper is to provide a systematic analysis of the literature review about internationalisation in the wine business. An overview of main theoretical issues on RBV and internationalisation, together with the description of the major changes occurring in the wine industry, will be provided in the first part of the paper.

Mind the “academician-practitioner” gap: an experience-based model in the food and beverage sector:

Purpose – This purpose of this paper is to introduce a research model inspired by the basic principles of experiential research and apply it to the food and beverage industry. Thinkers and doers often do not speak the same language: many scholars have pursued the goal of reducing the gap between academicians and practitioners by introducing new research models or adapting existing ones. Two case studies with wine and olive oil producers illustrate how the model works and highlight its applicability. Background literature is provided to support the model. Design/methodology/approach – In defining the model, we have followed several steps. First, we searched the literature to identify research needs and insights that might be useful in formulating the model. Second, we constructed a model following some procedural steps suggested in the literature. Third, we tested a model to verify its applicability and functionality. The paper is structured as follows: the first section explores the issue of academic–prac...

Deceptive advertising and unfair commercial practices in the agrifood sector: The role of the Italian competition authority

Purpose The Italian legislature GAVE to the Italian Competition Authority has an increasingly prominent role for the consumer protection over the years, especially giving the possibility to impose fines against companies. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the Italian system of consumer protection, studying the impact of these fines on the Italian agrifood companies till 2012. Design/methodology/approach Grounded theory approach was used in order to formulate new hypothesis from emerging data. Information and data were collected through several sources: interviews with key informants of ICA, secondary data from ICA database, a survey run among companies that received a penalty from ICA during the period 2007-2012, companies website, LexisNexis database and National print and web media titles. Findings From the analysis it emerges that there is an accurate system planned for avoiding and limiting misleading practices. Firms in fact have been capable to adapt to the set of imposed rules and to reduce the efficacy of the proposed dissuasive system. Originality/value The originality of this study regards the way in which the consumer protection was investigated, in fact it takes into account the relationships between ICA and IAP, two of the most important players of consumer protection in Italy. Moreover, the study is focussed on the agrifood sector. The authors give some recommendations for future interventions focussing on the length of time of the process, which could have a positive impact on the effectiveness of sanctions.