Gianluca Vagnani

The firm as a viable system: managing inter-organisational relationships

The paper discusses the role played by business relationships within a view of the firm as a viable system. Attention is focused on relationships between firms and their supplying system, emphasising the way how such relationships affect firms’ innovation processes. The paper also considers the role of trust in enhancing the effectiveness of customer-supplier relationships and in promoting innovation. These aspects are discussed theoretically and further developed using the empirical example of the Ericsson subsidiary in Italy.

Exploration and Long-Run Organizational Performance The Moderating Role of Technological Interdependence

This study considers how cross-sectional differences and intertemporal variations in interdependencies between productive activities at the industry level moderate the contribution of exploration to long-run organizational performance. We use patent data to measure interdependencies between productive activities at the industry level and computer-assisted content analysis to derive firms’ orientation toward exploration. We also introduce statistical techniques to control bias in estimates induced by potential sources of endogeneity. Our analysis shows that exploration largely contributes positively to long-run organizational performance. This positive effect is stronger in industries with more extensive levels of interdependency or that exhibit more changes in such interdependencies. This study shows the unique and contingent ways in which exploration affects long-run performance. We hope our ideas will influence several areas of future research, not the least of which involves exploration and interdependencies in developing our understanding of organizational success.

Alla ricerca del valore della filiera vitivinicola: verso la formulazione di un modello di analisi

Measuring the value of the wine productive chain: toward the development of a model of analysis - This study presents the theoretical construct named extended productive chain as a model that may possibly be used in order to express and measure the value of the multiple relationships and interrelationships existing among economic activities. When applied to the wine productive chain, the model shows the relevance and value that the latter is able to create because of its effects on both some linked productive chains (e.g. bottles, tops, labels), and other correlated ones (e.g. publishing, food and beverage, tourism). This value is also due to its intangible components (e.g. reputation, made in Italy image worldwide). Besides, the present study sheds light on some criticalities related to the Italian wine productive chain, whose relational components may turn from synergic factors into channels of contagion and diffusion of negative effects among different productive chains. Thus, this contribution leads to reflect about the need for institutional actors, professional associations, and firms to develop and strengthen their planning skills in order to protect and re-create the value induced by the wine productive chain within a changing environment over time.

Technological uncertainty, market orientation and firms’ economic performance

The paper analyzes how the technological environment affects the relationship between market orientation and a firm’s economic performance. In particular, the study focuses on a dimension of technological environment that has been neglected by the extant literature to date, i.e., the level of uncertainty for firms created by the homogeneity-heterogeneity of the set of technologies available in an industry. In addition, in contrast to past studies that have been primarily based on cross-sectional analysis and subjective measures, this paper proposes a longitudinal study based on objective measures of market orientation, technological uncertainty and performance. Our findings show the peculiar effect of technological uncertainty on the market orientation-firm’s performance link. Moreover, this paper introduces a set of new methodologies, particularly on the measurement of market orientation and of technological uncertainty. The theoretical contribution and practical implications of our results are discussed.

Co-creazione di valore e territorio: il caso Monumenti Aperti

Obiettivi . Il presente studio si propone di esplorare il tema della co-creazione di valore nell’ambito del governo dei beni collettivi di un territorio. Metodologia . Stante la natura esplorativa dello studio, il tema verra trattato mediante l’analisi in profondita di un caso di studio. In particolare verra qualificato il concetto di co-creazione di valore con riferimento all’evento Monumenti aperti, espresse le problematiche emergenti e identificati i fattori che possono stimolare gli attori verso la co-creazione di valore. Risultati . L’analisi esplorativa dei dati ha consentito di evidenziare l’esistenza di un circolo virtuoso tra identificazione, commitment e co-creazione del valore. Emerge inoltre che l’assenza di un introito economico per l’organizzazione e l’erogazione del servizio facilita la co-creazione del valore e, di conseguenza, anche il commitment e l’identificazione. Limiti della ricerca . Lo studio ha natura esplorativa e quindi si propone di definire un primo modello di analisi della cocreazione di valore nell’ambito della gestione dei beni collettivi di un territorio. Questo modello dovra essere soggetto ad ulteriori approfondimenti nonche essere soggetto a test empirico su insiemi di dati piu ampi. Implicazioni pratiche . Lo studio consente di definire i primi tratti di un modello utile per supportare e stimolare processi di co-creazione di valore nell’ambito di beni collettivi di un territorio. Originalita del lavoro . Il lavoro applica il concetto di co-creazione di valore in contesti nei quali l’incentivo al profitto non rappresenta il primo carattere di motivazione degli individui ad intraprendere iniziative di valorizzazione dei beni e servizi esistenti. In tal senso, lo studio approfondisce concetti di identita, di committment, di reciprocita di relazioni quali potenziali fattori alternativi al profitto nello stimolare gli individui verso la co-creazione di valore applicata ai beni collettivi di un determinato territorio. Il lavoro offre inoltre dettagli sulle micro-dinamiche in presenti in un qualificato caso di studio

Intelligenza, compimento e vitalità dei sistemi di sistemi. Una riflessione sull’industria finanziaria

Stemming from the observation of the evolution of the financial industry, and assuming the viable system approach, our paper aims to shed light on some of the determinants of a system’s viability. Among others, individual intelligence of its components - based on technologies of rationality (i.e. ICTs and legal technologies) - and its overall degree of completion as a system - deriving from both top-down regulation and self-organization - appear to be salient and are thus deepened. Although technologies of rationality, top-down regulation and self-organization all seem clearly to be effective antecedents of survival in simple situations, their effect in more complex contexts appears uncertain. Since complexity has a moderating role on the determinants of a system’s viability, in the quest for stability and survival of the financial industry increasing investments in technologies of rationality as well as vigorous enforcement of top-down regulation should be carefully examined and confronted with investments in components’ values and culture, deep understanding of agents and operations, relationship lending approaches, as well as virtuous self-organization processes.