Sinergie Italian Journal of Management

Let’s do research!

Sibel Yamak, Morten Huse — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Let us start by reminding ourselves what research is! It typically should
start with the identification of a relevant research question and continue
with the assessment of the state of the art on this specific topic. Then,
follows designing the research methods. The data collection and analysis
are followed by the discussion of the findings by comparing them with
the existing knowledge and thus offering a new contribution.... to be continued

In search of normative goal alignment within organisations: the role of employee seniority and identification with the leader

Marco Balzano, Grazia Garlatti Costa, Guido Bortoluzzi — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Frame of the research: In today's fast-paced business environments, it is key to understand what facilitates alignment between employees and managers on organisational goals for enhanced performance. Drawing from Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) and goal alignment literature, this study aims to fill a gap in the existing literature by exploring the nuanced roles of employee seniority and identification with the leader in shaping normative goal alignment.
Purpose of the paper: This study investigates the role of employee seniority and leader identification in shaping normative goal alignment, thus contributing to the existing literature and offering practical implications to enhance normative goal alignment within organisations.
Methodology: Data are collected from 719 white-collar staff and 313 managers in 20 manufacturing firms. A survey is designed for measuring normative goal alignment, employee seniority, and leader identification. Hypotheses are tested through regression analysis.
Findings: The study finds a negative relationship between employee seniority and normative goal alignment. However, leader identification positively moderates this relationship, suggesting that employees who identify strongly with their leaders are more likely to be aligned with managers on normative goals, regardless of seniority.
Research limits: The research is limited by its focus on Northeast Italy’s manufacturing industry and its cross-sectional design. Future studies could explore normative goal alignment in different contexts and employ longitudinal research designs.
Practical implications: The results highlight the importance of employee seniority and leader identification in shaping normative goal alignment. Organisations should be aware of these factors and take steps to ensure effective alignment, such as investing in leadership development programmes or implementing strategies to encourage alignment between employees of different seniority levels.
Originality of the paper: This study contributes to the goal alignment literature by focusing on employee seniority and leader identification in shaping normative goal alignment between employees and managers.

The environmental performance of B Corp SMEs companies and the Occurrence of Greenwashing

Joshua Michael Hunter , Maria Rosa De Giacomo — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Frame of the research. The paper focuses on the B Corp certification and on greenwashing.

Purpose of the paper. The study explores if environmental performance is less of a priority than social performance to achieve the B Corp certification. Moreover, the paper investigates if there is scope for greenwashing within certified SMEs.

Methodology. The paper is based on a quantitative analysis of 134 UK SMEs B Corp scores and on content analysis of company reports from a sample of 10 companies.

Results. The analysis demonstrates a range of issues within the B Corp certification. For example, findings support the evidence that the environmental impact in certain scenarios can be, in effect, avoided, while still achieving certification as companies perform well under the other impact areas, more related to social aspects. Moreover, the paper suggests that greenwashing can still occur within a certified company.

Research limitations. The study did not look into occurrences of specific claim types in relation to the Environment B Corp score. Moreover, the paper focused on one voluntary certification type, meaning the findings in this research are only fully relevant to B Corp scheme.

Practical implications. By highlighting the weaknesses of the B Corp certification, which can enable companies to achieve the certification in the presence of low environmental performance, SMEs could consider alternative voluntary certifications that align more with their values and that consider effectively social and environmental performance equally. Our paper can support companies in assessing their own communications to reduce greenwashing before releasing information to key stakeholders.

Originality of the study. The paper explores simultaneously the environmental performance of B Corp certified companies and the occurrence of greenwashing claims in their reports. In doing this, it uses a new framework to identify a range of claims by providing concrete examples.

Digital Servitization as Business Model Innovation: an explorative study on the role of absorptive capacity

Chiara Ancillai, Federica Pascucci — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose of the paper: The study explores the role of absorptive capacity as a driving factor of digital servitization in the fashion industry.

Methodology: A single case study based on semi-structured interviews with key informants.

Findings: The business model innovation process towards digital servitization started in the value proposition to affect the value creation and value capture dimensions. Significant changes exist in product development, human resources competencies as well as business relationships with customers and suppliers. The firm’s absorptive capacity represents the missing link between Industry 4.0 technologies and digital servitization.

Research limits: A single case study does not allow for statistical generalization. A multiple case study approach would help in enhancing external validity. Besides, increasing the number of interviews and collecting data from other actors (e.g. customers, suppliers, etc.) would allow a broader view.

Practical implications: Developing absorptive capacity might help manufacturing firms in capitalizing the investment in digital technology to develop servitization strategies. The acquisition and assimilation of external knowledge, together with the prior available knowledge, support the provision of value-added services which allow the firm to appropriate value by enhancing its bargaining power and expanding its market.

Originality of the paper: The study contributes to the digital servitization literature by providing empirical evidence on its driving factors. Also, it contributes to the knowledge management literature which calls for studies on absorptive capacity and business model innovation and to the literature on absorptive capacity by investigating a manufacturing firm outside technology-intensive contexts.

The intelligent use of twitter ecosystems by destination management organizations

Maria Della Lucia, Angelo Presenza, Rodolfo Baggio — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose of the paper: The paper examines the use of Twitter by destination management organizations in terms of the content communicated and shared and who are the influential players that shape the knowledge conveyed in the ecosystems. It also deepens how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted these ecosystems.

Methodology: The analysis combines traditional content analysis techniques with modern topic modeling using the specific case of Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ), the state-level DMO in Queensland, Australia.

Findings: The analyses of the two “Twitter ecosystems” managed by TEQ have shown that not only does each ecosystem have its own knowledge domain and distinguishing characteristics in terms of variety and representativeness of stakeholder category, but it is the influence of the latter that matters in shaping the knowledge domain.

Research limits: The paper deals with a single case study with destination-specific characteristics. It follows that findings cannot necessarily be generalized to other contexts. Longitudinal evaluation studies are also needed to assess the paths taken in terms of stakeholders engaged, themes covered, and tools used by DMOs.

Practical implications: Findings revealed how Twitter is a destination-knowledge-management tool that can be used actively and intentionally by DMOs as intelligent agents to create and manage destination-knowledge in different environments.

Originality of the paper: This paper sheds new light on the intelligent exploitation, by a DMO, of Twitter to enhance destination knowledge management and value creation.

Nudging for Environmental Sustainability. Behavioral Insights from an On-Field Experiment #iNUDGEBarletta

Claudio Nigro, Enrica Iannuzzi, Rossella Piccolo — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose of the paper: The #iNUDGEBarletta project makes Nudge’s theories operational, applying them in the field of environmental sustainability, to the management of littering in cities. The purpose is to educate citizens so that behaviors deemed socially responsible are internalized and become consolidated habits and conscious choices, rather than actions implemented under threat of sanction—which presumably become ineffective when the coercive measure is removed.

Methodology: The present study applies a simple form of contextual change (a gentle push) to waste collection tools to examine the effectiveness of a nudge policy for reducing littering in cities.

Findings and Results: The simulation, based on real data from Barletta (Apulia, Italy) old town, confirms that there is a realistic impact on social behavior and responsibility, and demonstrates the usefulness of nudge strategies to obtain desired actions from people to efficiently manage the public realm—and specifically to reduce littering.

Research limitations and practical implications: This paper offers a small research case that had access to only a small quantity of funds and a small amount of time. The case represents an experimental project that could be the subject of further studies and development through the analysis of other real cases and empirical tests.

Originality of the paper: This experiment is a real application of nudge strategies in the public administration and demonstrates how small contextual tricks can gently push people to engage in healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.

We note that the potential of nudging in Italy is still underexploited. The originality of the paper lies in proposing a new planning path to public administration through which, relying on the use of Nudge, new solutions can be studied and the choices of administrations can be directed towards the attitudes of their citizens.

Mutuality in the credit business of the banking enterprise: the cooperative credit survey

Michele Modina, Domenico Curcio, Anna Vittoria Formisano — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Research frame: Inspired by the stakeholder value model, co-operative credit banks (CCBs) are enterprises that, rather than making a profit the main objective of their actions, aim to generate profits to sustain their business for the benefit of the community (Ayadi et al., 2010).

Purpose of the paper: Based on these considerations, the study aims to investigate the lending behaviour of some Italian cooperative banks to verify whether and to what extent it is consistent with the mutuality and subsidiarity objectives of cooperative credit.

Methodology: The investigation of lending behaviour focused on the examination of pricing policies and was conducted in the form of a case study focalizing on the comparison between the interest rates applied in 2020 by four Italian CCBs active in the same geographical area and the theoretical interest rates, consistent with the risk level of the entrusted counterparties.

Findings: The results show that the pricing adopted by the examined cooperative banks is partially decoupled from the risk content of the loan granted to the counterparty. The application of less favourable conditions to the best borrowers and more favourable conditions to the worst borrowers constitutes a credit pricing system that can be defined as mutual.

Research limits: Like all studies based on an analysis of case studies, the limitations of the research come from the potential lack of representativeness of the phenomena observed, concerning the number of intermediaries, in general, and, in particular, the technical form of lending (current account credit opening), which does not exhaust the types of credit line relationships, and the observation period, which is limited to 2020 only.

Practical implications: The setting of rates on loans to customers is an effective lever that the management of cooperative banks can use, from a strategic point of view, in the context of mutual credit management.

Originality of the paper: By using proprietary data from the examined banks, the work represents the first attempt to understand whether the credit policy of cooperative credit banks, which finds one of its most significant expressions in the setting of lending rates, is consistent with their cooperative nature and with the values of solidarity on which their actions have historically been based.

Exploring the relationship between attendees’ motivation, satisfaction and loyalty in the context of a home-grown festival

Sonia Caterina Giaccone, Marco Galvagno — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose of the paper: This study addresses the topic of home-grown festivals, which help to promote local cultural heritage and have also a social significance beyond tourism. Specifically, it explores the relationships between attendees’ motivations, satisfaction and loyalty.

Methodology: Data were collected from 227 participants to the Maiorchino Festival, which is performed annually in an ancient town in South Italy. This festival has handed down over time a local cultural tradition based on a typical product of the area, the Maiorchino cheese. A principal component analysis, a multiple linear regression and three logistic regressions were performed to test the hypotheses.

Findings: The analysis reveals that, contrary to previous studies, festival satisfaction affects destination loyalty, but not festival loyalty. It also confirms that motivational factors affect perceived satisfaction with the festival, and that socialization also influences festival loyalty.

Practical implications: This study provides several insights to local managers, to exploit home-grown festivals as effective marketing tools to expand tourism flows and destination loyalty in small towns, by improving the overall satisfaction in attendee experience.

Limitations of the research: Since we analyzed a single case study, the results may lack generalizability. Therefore, further research is encouraged to test the hypotheses within other festival contexts.

Originality of the paper: This study extends the findings of previous research on home-grown festivals, showing that, contrary to previous studies, attendees’ satisfaction affects destination loyalty, but not festival loyalty.

Human Resource Management Shaped In A Platform: A Literature Review

Chiara Ottolenghi — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose of the paper: Technology is radically changing the way we do many things in our lives, including how companies work internally. In order to adapt to change, Human Resource Management should evolve toward digital.

Methodology: Through a literature review, it has been analyzed how many papers on electronic human resource management platforms are in literature, what kind of studies have been made on the topic, which are the many definitions of key concepts. The degree of depth of certain subjects is then analyzed and the relation to each other is studied.

Findings: It has been given a definition of what these platforms really are, explanation of their functionality and attributes, it has been noted which are the journals that write the most about the topic, which are the countries where the authors come from, and that the topic is growing fast in the last years. It has been made a focus on: Technology, Recruiting, Assessment, Strategy, and Organizational Performance.

Research limits: The research may have limitations because the keywords used on the search platforms, include certain papers, meanwhile it could exclude some others that could be considered important by other researchers.

Practical implications: It could be interesting to explore what are critical and success factors on information technology and innovation.

Originality of the paper: Managers can use the multidimensional scaling analysis and the topics correlated to the thematic area in order to understand better these platforms. This study can help managers to solve practical issues that companies might face.

Unveiling the relationship between women on board and woman CEO selection: what is the role of sustainability governance?

Maria Cristina Zaccone — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Frame of the research: Studies highlight challenges affecting woman CEO selection. However, the literature falls short in emphasizing proactive measures and supportive conditions crucial for women’s success in organizational leadership.
Purpose of the paper: Several companies nowadays are committed to improving the presence of women at the corporate apex. However, little is known about the factors able to facilitate women’s access to the CEO role. This paper relies on critical mass theory to investigate whether the presence of a critical mass of women on board facilitates the appointment of a woman CEO. Moreover, the paper investigates whether the presence of a sustainability committee on board strengthens the relationship between women on board and a woman CEO appointment. Lastly, the paper examines whether the presence of a sustainability-linked incentive system strengthens such a relationship.
Methodology: Analyses are performed on a sample of companies listed in the most important market of developed countries (S&P100, FTSE100, IBEX35, DAX30, CAC40, SMI). The time frame is about ten years (2010-2019). To test the hypothesis, we first ran a regression analysis. Later, we ran robustness tests adopting different matching techniques.
Findings: Results show a positive linkage between the presence of a critical mass of women on board and the presence of a woman CEO. In addition, results show that such a link is stronger when the company sets up a sustainability committee on board. Lastly, the results indicate that such a link is stronger when the company has a sustainability-linked incentive system for board members.
Research limits: Our study’s sample is confined to particular businesses in developed nations, with a particular emphasis on the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France, and Switzerland. The concentration on these geographical regions prompts contemplation about the broader relevance of our results. Additionally, our sample consists solely of publicly traded companies, a deliberate choice aimed at guaranteeing the comprehensiveness of the data essential for our analyses.
Practical implications: The results must be taken with care as people belonging to different interests’ groups or categories could interpret them differently. For women, our empirical results may seem like one more reason to break the glass ceiling and promote workplace inclusion at the top of companies. For men, this empirical evidence could instead be interpreted as a mechanism that rewards people based on whether or not they belong to a certain demographic group and not so much based on the skills and abilities they possess. In essence, men may perceive that as the critical mass of women on boards increases, so does the likelihood that men will be excluded from top positions.
Originality of the paper: This study investigates a phenomenon currently under-investigated in literature, namely the antecedents of having a woman CEO. In addition, the study investigates the possible role played by a company’s effort toward sustainability in strengthening the relationship between women’s presence on the board and a woman CEO selection.