Gianluigi Mangia

Knowledge creation and inter-organizational relationships: the development of innovation in the railway industry

Purpose – The main purpose of the paper is to explore the relationship between the design of inter‐organizational connections, the processes for knowledge creation and transfer, and innovation. The study aims to focus on the partnership between Firema, a medium‐large Italian company in the rail industry sector, and TEST, a research consortium.Design/methodology/approach – The coordination model defining the cooperative relationship is interpreted in the temporary project network (TPN) framework. In applying the methodology of case study analysis, a semi‐structured in‐depth interview was used as a tool and, in particular, interviews aimed at privileged observers.Findings – TEST, acting as a meta‐organizer, has the crucial role of organizing, governing and tuning the network of university departments, in synergy with Firema. The analysis draws attention to the possibility that TPNs are embedded in “latent networks”, in which inter‐organizational ties are routinely activated in order to accomplish a specific...

Board of directors within public organisations: a literature review

Compared to the debate on corporate governance in the private sector and to the literature on the macro level of governance in the public sector, the micro-level governance of public organisations remains a neglected area of discussion. Against this backdrop, the paper presents an overview of international literature regarding boards in the public sector organisations, in order to evidence if, and in which terms, the board of directors has been a topic of research in public governance in the recent years. In conclusion, the paper provides suggestions for future research on boards in public organisations.

Modes of Knowing Video Research and the Problem of Elusive Knowledges

The current article argues that video-based methodologies offer unique potential for multimodal research applications. Multimodal research, further, can respond to the problem of “elusive knowledges,” that is, tacit, aesthetic, and embodied aspects of organizational life that are difficult to articulate in traditional methodological paradigms. We argue that the multimodal qualities of video, including but not limited to its visual properties, provide a scaffold for translating embodied, tacit, and aesthetic knowledge into discursive and textual forms, enabling the representation of organizational knowledge through academic discourse. First, we outline the problem of representation by comparing different forms of elusive knowledge, framing this problem as one of cross-modal translation. Second, we describe how video’s unique affordances place it in an ideal position to address this problem. Third, we demonstrate how video-based solutions can contribute to research, providing examples both from the literature and our own applied case work as models for video-based approaches. Finally, we discuss the implications and limitations of the proposed video approaches as a methodological support.

Control mechanisms and knowledge integration in exploitative project teams: a case study from the coal fired power plant industry

Purpose – This paper aims to deal with knowledge integration in projects, focusing on teams that deal with exploitative nature of knowledge work and implement standard solutions with minor refinements developed over time. In the research the authors seek to analyze how the organizational control mechanisms adopted within project teams that deal with exploitative nature of knowledge work influence knowledge integration outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – The research unfolded considering a single case study, as this approach was considered useful in gaining in‐depth, holistic understanding of the phenomenon studied. The authors started with a preliminary on‐site observation done with the aim of making subsequent interviews simpler and more productive. They therefore conducted semi‐structured interviews with the head of human resources and with two project managers and four members of two project teams.Findings – The results show how in coherence with Grants classification it is possible to argue that i...

The Interpretation of the Project Team between Collectivity of Practice and Community of Practice

In recent years managerial studies have dealt quite extensively with the organizational issues of project teams. In particular the analysis have focused on the interpretation of the social dimensions in such settings. Two different research perspectives have emerged, concerning the relationship between project team and Community of Practice (CoP). One, departing from Wengers theoretical considerations, defines the two concepts clearly by excluding the possibility that the project teams may also be figured out as communities of practice (Wenger, 2000; Lindkvist, 2005). In the second research perspective the contributions made by the Scandinavian School of Project Studies (Bragd, 2003) are included, whereby the possibility is claimed that once having satisfied certain conditions for functioning, the project teams also assume the form of communities of practice. This paper pro-poses an analysis of the possible interpretations of the concept of project team in the light of the theoretical perspectives indicated above.

Shining a Light on the Dark Side of Business:The Resistible Growth of Criminal Firms in the Public Sector

In this paper, we analyze the mechanisms adopted by criminal firms in order to thrive in the business of public works. We submit that resource dependency theory (RDT) can shed light on this area. We find that criminal firms use a variety of techniques to alter the behavior of actors in procurement processes. We claim that the best way to analyze this phenomenon is by integrating the traditional RDT strategies codified in Pfeffer and Salancik (1978) with an understanding of these criminal techniques. We adopt a qualitative research methodology, relying on official judiciary sources in order to develop and validate the concept’s objects of analysis. Our work has been supported by leading Italian magistrates actively engaged in combating the penetration of criminal firms into legal businesses.

Coping with Power of Control: The Role of IS in an Italian Integrated Tariff System

The study explores the role of the Electronic Ticketing Systems in the Integrated Tariff Systems (ITS), focusing on the relationship between technology and control from the perspective of the Critical IS Research. More specifically our work reflects upon the impact of the “smart card technology” on the process of control and power centralization from the perspective of the ITS meta-organizer. It is for this purpose that a case study of UnicoCampania, an Italian ITS, is analyzed and discussed. We show that UnicoCampania’s power to control the transport operators is not only extended through technology, but also becomes more pervasive and more effective. So the electronic ticketing could be considered an artifact which enabled the power relations within the tariff network, establishing itself as the strength of the process that the drive the network. Our chapter provides an empirical example of the application of critical approach to an Italian local transport system, confirming that the two categories analyzed—political and technological—do not denote a specific and separated belonging.

Special issue on organizational mechanisms for effective knowledge creation in projects

Purpose – Knowledge creation is increasingly singled out as an important activity in a wide range of sectors. At the same time, projects are considered to be the loci where much of knowledge creati ...

Employer Branding Management as a Strategic and Organizational Control Tool

The issue of employer branding has always had an intrinsic interdisciplinary content, since it builds a bridge for cross-fertilization between different disciplines (strategic marketing, strategic management, and human resources management). This paper presents employer branding as an approach based on effective strategic organizationalresources and a precise employer branding management process. In this paper, the target is to define a possible frame in order to interpret employer branding techniques as control and regulation mechanisms. Control in organizations has long been a topic of interest for researchers and practitioners, alike who generally recognize that control mechanisms are needed to ensure that organizations may achieve their goals. It has been carried out a field work on the Italian Aeronautical Meta district, that generates annual revenues equal to EUR 8.7 billion and employees 36,300 people, of whom approximately 10% are employed in the space sector. Through this field work, the intention aim is to understand if and how employer branding may create, enforce, and set up internal and shared meaning and values. In particular, stemming from the empirical research’s evidences, this paper tries to conceptualize employer branding as a factor to persuade and influence the way that organizational actors enact in a socially constructed context. In this effort, the aim is to understand how managers may affect meanings, values, goals, and opinions through an effective action on employer branding that can play a crucial role in affecting sense-making processes, meanings, interpretations of the symbolic environment. The paper therefore opens up to new horizons, since it embraces a new application for employer branding, considering it as a modern control system and proposing an innovative approach in managerial control, founded on organizational identity as a key concept in an organizational citizenship’s perspective.

Advancing Public Governance Research: Individual and Collective Dynamics in and Around the Boardroom

Abstract Purpose In recent years, increasing scholarly attention has been directed towards the field of governing bodies research. However, little attention has been paid to the behavioural perspective on studying public boards. Aiming to fulfil this gap this paper offers a review of the international literature addressing boards behaviour within the unique organizational setting of public sector. Design/methodology/approach Considering as behavioural studies those publications focusing on actors, processes, decision-making, relationships and interaction inside and outside the boardroom, 91 papers were analysed. Adopting the framework provided by Huse (2007), the papers are classified following four behavioural dimensions/blocks which are crucial to understand board dynamics: board members, interactions, structures and leadership, decision-making culture. Findings The literature review shows the increasing production – in the last years – on the theoretical issues related to the behavioural perspective in public governance literature. The most relevant part of these contributions addresses the theoretical dimensions of the board member’s characteristics and of structural leadership. Originality/value of the chapter The manuscript reveals the need to adopt a more organizational approach for studying the behavioural categories and levels of analysis proposed by public governance literature. Moreover, the article evidences some possible directions for future research that might further contribute to enrich the ‘behavioural governance perspective’ in public organizations.