Guido Bortoluzzi

The Self-Rating Scale of Self-Directed Learning (SRSSDL): A factor analysis of the Italian version

BACKGROUND The development of self-directed learning (SDL) is a growing priority among nurses and other health care workers: they need to be prepared in order for their university education to be effective and relevant to their lifelong learning. To learn in a self-directed manner, it is necessary to develop an awareness of ones ability to self-learn and then to implement appropriate and effective strategies; progress must be assessed using validated measurement tools. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to examine the factor structure of the Italian version of the Self-Rating Scale of Self-directed Learning (SRSSDL(Ita)), and to provide evidence of its validity. DESIGN A cross-sectional design was undertaken. PARTICIPANTS Given that the instrument is composed of 60 items, a total of 600 to 900 participants were targeted. In addition, according to the theoretical assumption that self-directed learning - as a crucial component of lifelong learning - is a measurable skill that is developed across the individuals professional life, a maximum variation sample was examined. Therefore, 847 participants were involved, including 453 nurses, 141 radiology technicians, 182 nursing students and 68 radiology technician students. METHODS Principal component analysis and factor analysis were performed. RESULTS The Italian version of the SRSSDL Scale consists of 40 items composed of eight factors: Awareness (α=0.805), Attitudes (α=0.778), Motivation (α=0.789), Learning Strategies (α=0.789), Learning Methods (α=0.781), Learning Activities (α=0.676), Interpersonal Skills (α=0.684), and Constructing Knowledge (α=0.732). CONCLUSIONS The SRSSDLIta consists of 40 items across eight factors. The shorter Italian version might reduce the time needed to complete, thereby making the tool faster and easier to use.

Exporters moving toward emerging markets: a resource-based approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand whether and how specific capabilities at the firm level can sustain firms during the process of international expansion in emerging markets (EMs). Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative study was carried out, and the authors analyzed data from a sample of 271 manufacturing firms. A logistic regression was used to check for differences in the endowment of resources and capabilities of firms solely focussing on advanced markets (AMs) or extending their international scope to EMs as well. Findings – Firms that expanded their business in EMs showed a significantly higher endowment of international experience and marketing capabilities compared with firms that focussed only on AMs. The authors found that the size of the firm is irrelevant: even small firms can reach EMs by leveraging an appropriate set of capabilities. Research limitations/implications – The study is cross-sectional and cannot provide a longitudinal view of the process of capability de...

Financial austerity measures and their effects as perceived in daily practice by Italian nurses from 2010 to 2011: A longitudinal study

Abstract Most western economies have in recent years been experiencing one of the longest and deepest economic recessions since the Great Depression. During a recession health-care expenditures are often among the first to be cut. However, what is occurring in daily practice from the point of view of care has not been documented to date. Describing the cost containment interventions undertaken and their effects as perceived in daily practice by Italian nurses was the aim of the study. A longitudinal study design was adopted from 2010 to 2011 involving 1,001 nurses each year. In the 2-year period taken into consideration, participants reported a significant increase in the number of cost containment measures adopted by their health-care organisations. The effects of these cost containment measures have been perceived by nurses especially in terms of (1) increased stress levels, (2) increased number of patients with social problems, and (3) increased nursing workloads. In addition, greater difficulties in finding clinical placement for nursing students and fewer resources devoted to nursing professional development were reported, indicating that some cost containment measures will have longterm effects. The economic crisis seems to affect mainly the most vulnerable groups of society. Innovative solutions for the need to reduce the costs of National Health Services do not seem to emerge from the findings.

Becoming a nurse in Italy: A multi-method study on expenditures by families and students

Potential nursing students and their families are faced with difficult decisions regarding the amount of time and money required to complete the nursing programme and the availability of funds to cover the costs and this seems to have received little no attention to date. With the aim of describing the costs incurred by Italian nursing students and/or their families per academic year and compare cost trends incurred from 2004-05 to 2010-11, a multi-centre qualitative/quantitative study design was adopted. Italian Nursing students attending the first, second and third academic years in 2004-05 and those attending the first, second and third academic years in 2010-11 were eligible. Five hundred and six students were involved: 215 (out of 300 eligible, 71.6%) attended the bachelors degree in nursing in 2004-05 and 291 (out of 383 eligible, 75.9%) in 2010-11. On an annual basis, the average annual expenditures increased by 12% for nursing education from 2004-05 to 2010-11. Given that qualification as a nurse requires at least three years, and considering inflation, for a student who matriculated in 2005 an average of 2485.7€ per year (7457.0€ in total) was required. Data suggest that students have modified their spending behaviour (limiting lunches at public bars, buying books and photocopies) in order to handle the rise of non-discretionary costs, such as tuition fees and the costs of attending lectures and hospital/district trainings. Policies supporting nursing education in general and for those students who are motivated but unable to undertake the course for economic reasons are urgently needed.

Business Model Adaptation and the Success of New Ventures

In this study, we explore the connections between business model adaptation and the success of new ventures. We do so by analysing in depth the business model evolution of three new Italian ventures throughout their first years of life. We try to understand if and how the evolution of these firms’ business models is connected to their success. Our analysis reveals that adapting their business models was crucial to enabling these firms to survive in extremely dynamic environments. However, it did not fully act as a catalyst for their processes of growth and did not increase their profitability.

Beyond entry mode – SME escalation in emerging markets: a conceptual framework

Drawing on core theories of international business research, this conceptual paper moves from a focus on the firms’ ‘entry mode’ decisions towards an interesting aspect of small firms’ international behaviour – namely their escalation of commitment to emerging markets. Escalation is the dynamic aspect of the entry strategy (and international form of presence) and refers to the change in the mode of presence that firms experience in a market over time. Several studies report that small and medium sized firms (SMEs) face difficulties in escalating in emerging markets. The paper investigates this issue by building a conceptual framework that links the escalation of a firm’s commitment in an emerging market to a firm’s endowment of resources and capabilities, as well as to the feedback it receives from the market and to the moderating impact of institutional voids – a key contextual aspect of emerging markets.

Processi di innovazione e fattori di competitività nei cluster internazionali della nautica

Il paper si propone di sviluppare sul piano teorico e di dare una prima applicazione empirica ad un modello di analisi dei cluster che contribuisca alla spiegazione del rapporto esistente tra le caratteristiche dei contesti locali e la natura dei processi di innovazione. Il framework adottato cerca di superare la proliferazione di approcci esplicativi alla materia e di collocare entro uno schema interpretativo unitario le diverse variabili di contesto che stanno alla base delle performance innovative e competitive delle imprese. La ricerca empirica, che si e focalizzata su cinque cluster nautici di assoluta eccellenza internazionale, ha consentito di mettere in evidenza lo stretto rapporto tra le basi di conoscenza in essi prevalenti e l’ampiezza dei processi di innovazione realizzati, nonche la varieta dei possibili percorsi di emergenza della governance di sistema e l’impatto di questa sulle performance del cluster e le sue dinamiche evolutive. Parole chiave: cluster, distretti, RIS, innovazione, nautica, governance In this paper we develop a theoretical framework aimed at providing a thorough explanation of the relationship between local contexts and firm innovation. After summarizing the main theoretical approaches on localized innovation, we combine their major variables into a unique framework and use it in order to analyze five world-class boat-building clusters. Among our most noteworthy empirical findings, we found a relationship between the prevailing knowledge bases of the clusters and the scope of innovation processes. Further, we found that different governance systems have different impact on the cluster’s performance and dynamics. Key words: clusters, districts, RIS, innovation, boat-building, governance

Managing distribution networks in emerging markets. Evidence from the furniture sector

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how three firms set up distribution networks in China and India. The authors highlight the criticalities in this process and the modifications necessary to adapt the firms’ distribution networks to the local conditions of both markets. Firms entering emerging markets (EMs) must deal with specific business and environmental conditions that can jeopardise their ability to succeed. The establishment of a proper distribution network is among the most pressing priorities for entering firms. Design/methodology/approach – The case study approach was used to analyse three European firms in the furniture sector. Findings – The results show that several adaptations of already-tested solutions were necessary to cope with the specificities of both markets. Such adaptations differently involved the three layers that form the firms’ distribution network: actors, activities and resources. Theoretical and managerial implications are derived from the results. Research limitations/impli...

Innovativeness as a driver of the international expansion of developing markets’ firms: evidence of curvilinear effects

The purpose of this paper is to examine the curvilinear effects of firm innovativeness (i.e. product, organisational and marketing innovation) on international expansion as well as the effect of expansion on performance in the developing countries (DCs) setting.,Research hypotheses are tested using survey data obtained from firms located in four South-East European DCs. Covariance-based structural equation modelling is used to test the proposed conceptual framework.,Empirical findings support the hypothesised U-shaped relationship between product innovation and organisational innovation and the level of international expansion of firms in developing markets. The authors found an inverse U-shaped relationship between marketing innovation and the level of international expansion. Furthermore, the existence of a strong positive link between the level of international expansion and firm performance is also confirmed.,While this research utilises a sample of firms from a homogenous group of DCs, further research could use a more heterogeneous sample and thus control the model for various contingency effects (e.g. environment turbulence, market structure and competitive dynamics).,When it comes to product and organisational innovation, international expansion is achieved only with a higher level of innovativeness. On the contrary, beyond a certain level, further investments in marketing innovation do not have additional positive effects on international expansion.,This study is one of the first that explicitly focuses on examining the non-linear effects of innovativeness on international expansion in the DC context.

Putting process on track: empirical research on start-ups’ growth drivers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the growth drivers of start-up firms from the process perspective. Increasing scholarly attention to the growth of start-up firms has led to a more sophisticated understanding of their drivers. However, the richness of the results is partly offset by both potential and real contradictions in the literature. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, 233 studies on the growth of start-up firms are reviewed using a process-oriented lens. Findings – The analysis reveals an imbalance in the use of variance-based empirical approaches to study the process-based phenomenon and some misalignments in the use of non-process-based empirical approaches to improve a process-based theory. Originality/value – This paper offers an original perspective from which to reconsider the relevant literature and provides useful recommendations for researchers to forge a path ahead in this field.