Cristina Simone

Le declinazioni della complessità. Ordine, caos e sistemi complessi

The paper deals with complexity in terms of measurement and multidisciplinary systemic approaches. First part gives reasons and motivations for the birth of complexity theories in a lot of human scientific fields and recalls a classification of several kind of measures of complexity in complex systems. Second part is dedicated to some of the multidisciplinary approaches focused on complexity: from cybernetics to the Santa Fe Institute programme research. Third part is dedicated to complexity in economics and management and to epistemological contribution of complexity sciences to the methodology of research. Conclusions point out reflections about the link among complexity, firm and interdisciplinary perspectives.

The economies (and diseconomies) of distributed technologies: The increasing tension among hierarchy and p2p

Purpose This paper aims to focus on distributed technologies with the aim of highlighting their economic-organizational dimensions. In particular, the contribution first presents a deeper understanding of the nature and the dynamics of the economies and diseconomies that arise from the adoption and diffusion of distributed technologies. Second, it aims to shed light on the increasing tension between the hierarchy-based model of production and peer-to-peer (p2p) production, which involves the pervasive diffusion of distributed technologies. Design/methodology/approach Adopting an economic-organizational perspective, which is deeply rooted in the related extant literature, an analytically consistent model is developed to simultaneously take into account the following variables: adoption density independent variable) and economies of knowledge integration and organizational diseconomies (the costs of a loss of control and the costs of organizational decoupling and recoupling) as dependent variables. Findings Distributed technologies allow access to a large quantity and a wide variety of cognitive slacks that have not been possible until now. In doing so, they are leading the transition towards p2p. This is an emerging production paradigm that is characterized – with respect to mass production – by a shift in the relative importance of cognitive slack in comparison with tangible slack. Nevertheless, the unrestrainable diffusion of distributed technologies is not neutral for organizations. On the one hand, these technologies allow for the integration of economies of knowledge, and on the other hand, they involve organizational diseconomies that should not be ignored by managers and researchers. Originality/value This paper fills a gap in the literature by developing a consistent analytical framework that simultaneously takes into account the economies of knowledge integration and potential organizational diseconomies (the costs of coordination and the loss of control) that arise from the adoption and diffusion of distributed technologies.

Firm and territory: in searching for a sustainable relation. Four cases study from Italian secular firms

The paper is focused on the relation among firm and territory and aims to identify the main features (cultural values, core competences and key organisational processes) of a sustainable business model. Wondering about virtuous (and vicious) firm behaviour, the paper starts with a deep literature review with the aim to delineate different relational models on the basis to which firms relate to their territory; then, on the basis of field research, the paper describes four case studies related to Italian secular firms characterised by a sustainable relation with their own territory; the on field research findings provide a model of an ideal-typical enterprise, sustainable and territorially virtuous - the Arbor vitae model; final remarks are then discussed in the last section.

The complex issues of carbon sink: A critical overview

The aim of the paper is to offer a systemic overview about some critical and interdependent relations among carbon offset, carbon sequestration and carbon stock. Rooting in the complexity perspective, the work discusses some relevant measurement methods and financial issues related to the land use - land use change forestry (LULUCF) applied under Kyoto Protocol rules. There are uncertainties on the estimation on carbon flux owing to the application of various models of estimates. The study also focuses on the credits of forestry projects, which can be sold or purchased on the carbon market. In conclusion, the work sheds light on the complex side of decision processes in framing and selecting models to estimate the carbon balance under the Kyoto Protocol target. The opportunity for investment in forest projects depends on the cost management of the projects themselves, and the price between wood market and unit carbon.

Territory and management science: new insights by the ConsulCubo model

Globalisation exacerbates the need to conceive sustainable and shared solutions to the dramatic environmental, social and economic issues at a local level, i.e., for a specific territory. Satisfying this need asks for a decision-making processes awareness of the specific environmental, social and economic features of the territory itself. The paper starts debating the challenge to linking effectiveness and efficiency with a viable sustainability at a local level (par. 1); then, after discussing the vision of the territory in the economic literature (par.2), the work firstly offers deeper insights in understanding the complex nature of the territory according to the viable system approach (VSA) (par. 3) and secondly it proposes a new model, the ConsulCubo VSA, helpful to support the decision-makers facing the increasing challenge of an effective, efficient and sustainable management of territory (par 4); final remarks are then discussed and fully debated (par. 5).

Arbor vitae: alla ricerca di un modello d’impresa per la valorizzazione del patrimonio culturale periferico

Nell’era della globalizzazione, esistono imprese che valorizzano il patrimonio culturale periferico? Se si, quali? Qual e il loro modello di business? Quali i processi organizzativi chiave? Con l’obiettivo di rispondere a queste domande, si e dapprima svolta un’indagine desk sulla base della quale, in funzione di proxies quali la longevita e il radicamento territoriale, si sono selezionate tre imprese italiane operanti in tre differenti settori manifatturieri tradizionali e sulle quali si e focalizzata la ricerca on field . L’indagine ha portato alla mappatura dei processi organizzativi core attraverso i quali le imprese selezionate danno voce e visibilita all’unicita del patrimonio culturale in cui sono immerse. A partire dalle evidenze empiriche, si e elaborato un modello idealtipico d’impresa metaforicamente definito arbor vitae . In una cornice dialettica tra deduzione e induzione, il modello proposto offre ai policy makers un possibile strumento per identificare e incentivare comportamenti d’impresa orientati alla valorizzazione del patrimonio culturale periferico e altresi ai decision makers aziendali un originale frame teorico per interpretare strategicamente l’ologrammatico rapporto impresa-territorio. In the era of globalization, are there are companies that enhance the peripheral cultural heritage? Which ones? What is their business model? What are their key organizational processes? With the aim to answer these questions, we first carried out a desk survey on the basis of which, according to the proxies “longevity” and “territorial roots”, we selected three Italian companies operating in three different traditional manufacturing sectors. Field research has led to map the core organizational processes through which the selected companies give voice and visibility to the uniqueness of the cultural heritage in which they are embedded. Starting from the empirical evidence, we developed an ideal-typical firm model metaphorically called arbor vitae. In a dialectic frame between deduction and induction, the model offers policy makers a tool to identify and encourage firm behaviors oriented to the enhancement of peripheral cultural heritage and also to the business decision makers an original theoretical framework to strategically interpret the hologramatic relationship firm-territory.

Aspetti interni e transazionali del progetto approvvigionamento dell’Alenia-divisione Spazio

Questo lavoro analizza la riorganizzazione dell’attivita approvvigionamenti avvenuta nella Divisione Spazio dell’Alenia, mettendone in luce due aspetti salienti. Il primo aspetto riguarda la riprogettazione dell’Unita Acquisti: a tal proposito, ci si sofferma in particolare sulla struttura e sull’implementazione del vendor rating, inteso questo quale insieme sistemico di attivita, procedure ed algoritmi volto a valutare la composizione del task environment dal lato degli approvvigionamenti. Il secondo aspetto riguarda il riassetto della supply chain, i cui effetti principali sono stati il ridimensionamento del parco fornitori e l’aumento della prossimita relazionale con i first tier supplier. Il caso proposto costituisce un eloquente esempio delle trasformazioni che hanno interessato il supply management negli ultimi due decenni. Key words: organizzazione, vendor rating, supply chain.

Problemi aperti in merito al governo della conoscenza nelle imprese

Da sempre, la conoscenza esercita un ruolo di primo piano nello sviluppo economico e sociale. Da sempre, tutte le conoscenze scientifiche e tecniche vengono scambiate, viaggiano attraverso il mondo, seguendo un movimento di diffusione incessante, la cui portata e velocita dipendono dalle tecnologie di comunicazione di volta in volta disponibili. L’affermarsi delle modalita di negoziazione e scambio (to be continued...)