Gian Luca Gregori

Export market orientation and international performance in the context of SMEs

The purpose of this study is to provide new insights into the relationship between ‘export market orientation’ (EMO) and ‘export performance’ by using a disaggregated approach. The authors want to provide empirical evidence of some antecedents of EMO and its contribution to export performance in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The empirical research consists of a survey, conducted by using cross-sectional data of a sample of 300 Italian small and medium-sized coffee roasting firms. The results show how roasting firms seem to be more inclined to respond to market changes than to generate and share market information, since the value of export intelligence responsiveness is higher than export intelligence dissemination and export intelligence generation. Regarding the antecedents, the number of foreign markets and the presence of an export department are significantly and positively related to the two components of EMO, while the number of years has no impact. Finally, the regression analysis also demonstrates how the responsiveness influences export performance directly, while market intelligence generation and dissemination are fundamental drivers of responsiveness. The study extends previous empirical research works on EMO in the Italian context and demonstrates its applicability also in the case of SMEs.

Improving innovation performance through knowledge acquisition: the moderating role of employee retention and human resource management practices

Purpose This paper aims to study the effects of knowledge acquisition on innovation performance and the moderating effects of human resource management (HRM), in terms of employee retention and HRM practices, on the above-mentioned relationship. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 129 firms operating in a wide array of sectors has been used to gather data through a standardized questionnaire for testing the hypotheses through ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models. Findings The results indicate that knowledge acquisition positively affects innovation performance and that HRM moderates the relationship between knowledge acquisition and innovation performance. Originality/value With the increasing proclivity towards engaging in open innovation, firms are likely to face some tensions and opportunities leading to a shift in the management of human resources. This starts from the assumption that the knowledge base of the firm resides in the people who work for the firm and that some HRM factors can influence innovation within firms. Despite this, there is a lack of research investigating the link between knowledge acquisition, HRM and innovation performance under the open innovation lens. This paper intends to fill this gap and nurture future research by assessing whether knowledge acquisition influences innovation performance and whether HRM moderates such a relationship.

Relationship beginning and serendipity: insights from an Italian case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose evidence on the role of serendipity in business relationship. It concerns the understanding of the unplanned development of the relationship and the opportunities that may arise from taking serendipity as a “shaping” factor of relationship beginning. Design/methodology/approach – The paper recurs to a longitudinal case study in the mechanical industry. In particular the development of the relationship between an Italian manufacturing company as supplier and a Chinese large customer is presented. Findings – The case study highlights the role played by serendipity in the beginning and development of the business relationship between an Italian manufacturing company and a Chinese customer. Originality/value – The main theoretical contribution of the paper is to point out how serendipity may affect business relationship development.

The influence of production, IT, and logistics process innovations on ambidexterity performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the relationship between three types of process innovations (i.e. innovation in production, IT, and logistics processes) and ambidexterity performance. Specifically, the paper attempts to examine whether changes in business processes help companies to reconcile exploration and exploitation learning activities within the firm domain. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on data of 2,843 manufacturing firms, whose data are available from the Italian Innovation Survey (period 2010-2012). Hypotheses are developed and tested by using a Tobit regression approach. Findings Innovation in production and IT processes favors ambidexterity performance, whereas changes in logistics activities, despite being positive, are less relevant. Originality/value This is one of the first attempts to offer empirical evidence about the relationship between process innovations and ambidexterity performance (without engaging in domain separation), hence providing additional insights into the ambidexterity literature and the literature on process innovation.

The Brand Made in Italy: A Critical Analysis

Several studies about the brand “made in Italy” have illustrated the real significance of this brand, placing it in the top position for brand awareness in most countries. The words “made in Italy” evoke in consumers‟ minds attributes that positively characterize the image of Italy as a country—in particular, the attributes of creativity, aesthetics, quality, and sophistication—facilitating the perception of a differential value through the effect of the product-country association. Italians are proud of this, but what really composes the brand “made in Italy”? Above all, is there any truth behind this expression? The paper aims to propose a critical analysis about the “made in Italy” value appropriation and the future development of this brand.

Sustainable Management of Events in an Experiential Perspective

Events are complex value propositions that are realized by specialists to meet different leisure and entertainment needs. They are highly intangible and experiential-type products (Pencarelli and Forlani 2016) to which the application of logical experience is particularly suitable (Bartolazzi et al. 2008; Pegg and Patterson 2010; Manthiou et al. 2014; Getz and Page 2016). This chapter aims to describe the role played by events in the experience economy for territories involved in sustainable tourism strategies. The authors also propose a model for event impact analysis and evaluation. Starting from the idea that tourist destinations represent a stage on which tourism products can be displayed, so as to satisfy the demands of travelers seeking engaging experiences (Pencarelli and Forlani 2016), the importance of the role played by destination management in managing the events is further underlined. Tourists searching such experiences want to be in the spotlight and co-participate with territorial players in the creation of value. As such, event management requires the use of tools such as planning, organization, and control in order to design, plan, and put on a balanced program of events while monitoring the impact on value creation for both tourists and regional stakeholders within the perspective of sustainability. This chapter proposes to redefine the experiential perspective of a set of indicators that are useful in holistically evaluating the performance of events in a traditional tri-faceted dimension, i.e., economic, social, and environmental.

Problematizing customization and IT in the fashion industry: A case study of an Italian shoemaker

Abstract This paper focuses on the problematization of customization processes in the fashion industry. We investigate how companies may face and orchestrate customization processes that are based on the use of specific Information and Technology (IT) tools such as online sales configurators. Most studies on customization in fashion have considered the roles of consumers and their impact on the development of customization strategies. The co-development of customized goods – the choices concerning which IT system should be implemented to allow customers to design their products – has been studied extensively. We offer new insights into the extent to which customization represents an issue to be managed in business relationships, particularly among different business actors involved in a supplier network. By considering the case of a shoe manufacturer we seek to answer to the following research questions: (1) How can a fashion company implement a customized solution via the Internet? (2) Which specific trade-offs affect the management of customization and IT when online customization must be linked to offline production? The paper concludes with implications and suggestions for further research.

Exploring the Influence of Overlapping Business Networks on Subsidiary Internationalization

While received research has highlighted the importance of business networks for the internationalization of firms, this literature has primarily focused on such networks as the context into which i...

A colloquio con Enrico Loccioni

Buon pomeriggio a tutti, onorati di essere qui con Voi ed onorati di intervistare Enrico Loccioni, con il quale il sistema Universitario collabora sinergicamente da oltre 40 anni. Perche un intervento del genere in questo convegno? Proprio nell’accezione allargata di Cultura, di Heritage, soprattutto in termini di tutela e di valorizzazione del territorio. Cio nella consapevolezza che svolgere attivita di impresa significa creare valore per il territorio e per la Comunita. Una frase che ci ha colpito molto di Enrico e la seguente: “non chiamatela azienda, la mia e una bella avventura”, costruita insieme alla moglie Graziella, colonna fondamentale nello sviluppo del percorso imprenditoriale, purtroppo recentemente scomparsa e considerata una “mamma da tutti i 400 «ragazzi» del gruppo”. Potremmo in un titolo sintetizzare cosi la traiettoria evolutiva del Gruppo Loccioni: “dalle mucche, all’elettricista, ai produttori piu importanti nel mondo!”; questo ad evidenziare innanzitutto il ruolo fondamentale che ha avuto il mondo agricolo, nel quale Enrico cresce e sviluppa la sua prima “invenzione”: un sistema per abbeverare gli animali delle stalle in “modo automatico”, grazie alla grande innovazione che fu l’arrivo dell’elettricita e ad i primi rudimenti di elettrotecnica appresi a scuola e quindi evitando di portare manualmente pesi rilevanti. Questa soluzione colpi molto i contadini della zona, che andavano a vedere (potremmo dire a “spiare”) il risultato dell’ingegno di un giovane ragazzo. Ma il “tema” che poi Enrico ha sviluppato in tutta la sua vita e stato sempre lo stesso, come nel caso delle mucche: “partire dai bisogni e trovare soluzioni”, anzi, il motto prevalente e: “dove ci sono problemi, allora siamo pronti ad intervenire perche la ci sono opportunita”!.... (to be continued)

7 The Impact of a Start Up’s Key Business Relationships on the Commercialization of Science: The Case of Nautes

The purpose of this chapter is to shed light on how start-ups deal with the complex task of commercializing science. While the linear “spin-out funnel” model (Clarysse, Wright, Lockett, Van de Velde, & Vohora, 2005) views commercialization simply as a bridge between technology and the market, the process of connecting science to industrial or societal needs is more complex and transforms the original science into something else (Pavitt, 2004; Grandin, Wormbs, & Widmalm, 2004) rather than simply transferring it over a bridge. This “something else” is often “downgraded” because the most cutting-edge discoveries are too advanced and clash with established investments and the other technologies already in place (Hakansson & Waluszewski, 2007, pp. 6–10). Therefore, most scientific knowledge is used in the business world, after it has already been embedded in a complex socio-technical network through several connections created with surrounding technologies, actors and organizations (Hakansson & Waluszewski, 2007, pp. 6–7). Following this approach towards the commercialization of science and the adoption of a network perspective (Hakansson & Snehota, 1995) means “the real challenge in commercializing science is making it fit in the established socio-technical structures of producers and users” (Hakansson & Waluszewski, 2007, p. 10).