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This study examines the personality traits of start-up entrepreneurs within the Italian tourism industry. The purpose is to investigate how the specific personality traits of narcissism, locus of c...

The aim of the study is to explore the links that firms from low and medium technology (LMT) industries establish with universities for innovative purposes. Even though knowledge transfer from university to industry has generally increased over time, it has mostly been directed at firms in high-tech industries (HT) due to the belief that firms from LMT industries often lack the absorptive capacity necessary to take advantage of external knowledge. In the case of LMT industries, university-industry knowledge transfer has received less attention from management and innovation studies, and understanding the specific conditions where universities may contribute to the innovative effort of LMT firms largely remains unexplored. With the aim of contributing to this debate, the paper focuses on the wine sector, generally considered an LMT industry. Firstly, the study assesses to which type of innovation promoted by winemakers do universities effectively contribute. Secondly, the study examines under what conditions universities assume a relevant role in the innovative activity of LMT firms. To test our hypotheses, the study uses primary data collected through a survey targeting Italian wine SMEs and runs a set of econometric evaluations. Findings show that universities represent a relevant source of knowledge mainly for organizational and commercial innovation, but not for product innovation. For these purposes, university knowledge related to social sciences has a more relevant input for firms than does knowledge with higher scientific and technological content.

Purpose of the paper: This study examines the link between the profile of lifestyle entrepreneurship and the emerging concept of the hotel typology of “Albergo Diffuso”, both of which are contemporary offshoots of their major categories. Methodology : Due to the originality and novelty of the business model, first a literature review was conducted in order to achieve the realization of a clear representation of this new kind of accommodation. Then, a questionnaire divided into three sections was developed, including closed-ended and open questions, and administered to a sample of AD. Research limits : Both topics deserve merit for in-depth investigations since they are under-researched. For this point this research needs new and deeper studies focused on face-to-face interviews looking for the drivers that link the concept of “Albergo Diffuso” to the one of “Lifestyle entrepreneur”. Practical implications : Preliminary results of the qualitative study that used a nine-parameter measurement scale suggest that the “Albergo Diffuso” owners’ profile mirrors the one of the typical “lifestyle entrepreneur”. Originality of the paper: The study confirms the “Albergo Diffuso” as a socio-culturally embedded entity in its location and that AD entrepreneurs possess a high level of personal motivation in establishing their enterprises.

The research presents the combination of insights from development practices of sustainable tourism and Open Innovation approach. The aim is to unlock new knowledge on how customer can influence the translation of sustainable innovation within small accommodation enterprises. Among these, it is relevant the role played by "alberghi diffusi", defined as an authentic experience of the Italian life style, and recognized as an innovative and sustainable accommodation typology. The analysis is based on ten multiple case studies drawn from the Italian context. The paper contributes to a better understanding of innovation processes in the "albergo diffuso" formula and to a deeper evidence-based understanding of the role of customers in the development of services and practices focused on sustainable principles.

This paper investigates the concept of “Albergo Diffuso” - a new form of sustainable development within the tourism and lodging industry. The authors analyze its main characteristics and discuss its future development and sustainability practices. The analysis includes an assessment of the Albergo Diffuso concept with that of a standard hotel to determine if and how this emergent concept differs from the conventional accommodation by looking at its distinctive features. A data collection through structured interviews with Albergo Diffuso owners in a focus group setting was conducted. Overall, the authors identified the main characteristics of the Albergo Diffuso: it offers similar and unique amenities of a typical hotel brand, it contributes to the creation of new sustainable enterprises, and it contributes to the development of new sustainability policy for marginal regions. They also evaluated the challenges and opportunities this new entrepreneurial concept faces.

The paper investigates the emerging practice of social crowdfunding. It focuses on both the role played by crowdfunding platforms and the activities that these platforms perform in enhancing and facilitating the diffusion of social and cultural projects through donations. Crowdfunding platforms empower the financing of projects by soliciting small investments from a large base of potential backers over the Internet and creating a dynamic funding network. However, crowdfunding platforms should also create greater legitimacy for social enterprises by promoting early societal interaction and participation. To explore the context of social crowdfunding, the paper examines the case of the Italian social crowdfunding platform – Meridonare – by using both primary and secondary data sources. Findings reveal that, beyond acting as a standard crowdfunding platform, Meridonare eases interactions and relationships among different stakeholders. The emerging set of relationships gives rise to a Social Crowdfunding Business Ecosystem (SCBE), with the crowdfunding platform acting as a hub to enact knowledge sharing and service provision to a plethora of different actors.

The role of tradition in developing innovations in the hospitality industry is examined within the context of a new and emerging form of accommodation called Albergo Diffuso. We describe and discuss the different impacts of tangible and intangible sources of tradition on the development and unique positioning of this emerging form of accommodation. The data used are based on a qualitative analysis of 100 Albergo Diffuso websites and in-depth interviews with eleven owner/operators. The findings indicate that identifying and combining tangible and intangible attributes of tradition from various time periods may improve the value of an innovation, especially when it is perceived to enhance the authenticity of the experience for guests. Tradition-based strategies are shown to have multiple possible paths leading to innovation and development - a result that is relevant both for scholars and practitioners.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed new light on the role of country of origin (COO) for the competitiveness of luxury restaurants. The main goal is to understand how an haute cuisine (HC) chef can develop a personal cooking style and language based on the exploitation of COO in such a highly institutionalized field. Design/methodology/approach A single case study methodology is applied based on the analysis of the Italian HC chef Niko Romito. Findings Findings of this paper highlight the existence of pervasive use of strategies based on the search, recombination and codification of procedure that take direct inspiration by national and regional traditional gastronomic resources and recipes. Research limitations/implications Research implications refer to the interpretation of how a chef can work by formulating and developing competitive strategies through the recombination, reinterpretation and codification of local and typical gastronomic resources and cooking recipes. Practical implications The paper provides managerial insights into the relative effectiveness to use COO as a strategic resource for HC restaurants. Originality/value A model is presented and the three gears that form the COO chain of chef Romito are explained. This model will help academics and practitioners to better understand the ways need to be followed to improve firms’ competitiveness fostering COO.

This study analyzes the motivations and mechanisms that chef-entrepreneurs use to innovate their business model. Specifically, the paper adopts an in-depth case study approach for investigating how the Italian chef Romito innovates his BM over time. This research highlights and discusses the four motivations (creative freedom, reputation, legitimation, need to grow) and mechanisms (strategic thinking, standardization, co-operation, internationalization) along which the BM develops. Our findings contribute to the literature on creative industry, offering novel insights on the approaches adopted by creative entrepreneurs to compete over time. Indeed, these elements provide us clues to understand how creative firms can explore unfamiliar territories innovating their BM. Indeed, our results suggest that top chefs generally engage in entrepreneurship in order to innovate without restrictions and maximize their reputation for greater profits. This study is expected to provide useful insights in both theoretical and practical perspectives regarding the strategic decision-making approach leveraged by chefs.

Over time, the acronym DMO has evolved from a meaning centered on marketing (i.e. Destination Marketing Organization) to a meaning centered on management (i.e. Destination Management Organization). Expanding the role of DMOs to one of management implies a greater need to engage stakeholders both within the destination and external to the destination. We assert that this places the DMO in a fundamentally unique position of being a boundary spanner between the internal destination environment and the external competitive environment. This boundary-spanning role requires higher capabilities in knowledge management. The successful DMO of the future will be an intelligent agent of the destination that is able to identify, engage and learn from disparate stakeholders both within and outside the destination. It must acquire, filter, analyze and prioritize data and information from various sources to create knowledge that can be used to fulfill its role in destination management. Our paper is conceptual in nature, advocating an organizing framework to help understand the DMO's role as an intelligent agent that acts as a boundary spanner between the destination and the external competitive environment generating and disseminating knowledge. Outside the destination, the DMO must gain knowledge about the competitive environment, opportunities and threats, and trends that will change the future competitive landscape. Within the destination, the DMO must use this knowledge to strategically assess the strengths and weaknesses of the destination, align the resources of stakeholders and develop adequate competencies to formulate a strategy that is both competitive and sustainable. We conclude with a set of prescriptions for destination managers seeking to create an intelligent DMO that maximizes their knowledge management capabilities. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Purpose The aim of this paper is to analyze the relationships between distribution strategies and the level of innovation propensity in the winemaking industry. It intends to identify the existence of patterns around the way wineries innovate and the way distribution channels are used. These determinants can support or constrain wineries’ behaviors in their strategic choices related to distribution channels. Design/methodology/approach The sample comprised 191 Italian small- to medium-sized enterprises in the wine industry. First, a two-step cluster analysis was used to identify patterns in the level of innovation propensity and differences in distribution channel strategies. Second, the research question was tested using multinomial logit regression. Findings Five clusters of innovation propensity were identified, varying from “no propensity to innovate” to “propensity for radical innovation”, and three clusters of distribution channel strategies were found. A significant negative relationship between innovation propensity and distribution channel strategies was revealed. This means that the greater the propensity to innovate, the smaller the need for a wholesale distribution option. Research limitations/implications As with most research, there are limitations to this study. First, the sample is from only one country. A second limitation is the sample size (191 Italian firms). A sample including large firms can be used to further validate the findings. Linked to the sample, another possible limitation is that all respondents were small- and medium-sized enterprises from a single industry. Practical implications This study contributes to the current innovation research by showing the existence of a negative relationship between innovation propensity and the choice of distribution channel in the wine industry. This knowledge is precious to entrepreneurs and managers in the wine sector, allowing them to better consider not only the type of strategies related to distribution channels but also the importance of building the firm’s propensity to innovate into the strategic decision-making process. Furthermore, the paper provides an opportunity for practitioners to reflect upon the fact that changing the distribution channel is more than just changing the outlet for their product; it might also require a revision in their innovation propensity to better facilitate the process. Social implications There are also social implications, in particular providing an advantage for consumers. The major advantage is based on the fact that consumers are now aware that the level of innovation propensity in a wine industry is directly linked to the type of distribution channel adopted. Therefore, wines with low-innovation propensity are most likely found to adopt wholesale distribution strategy, while the more innovative wineries adopt the wine expert and direct distribution channels. Originality/value For the first time, a cluster analysis approach was used to review different typologies of Italian wineries based on their propensity toward to innovation and subsequent distribution strategies. This study further explains the direct relationship between innovation propensity and the strategic choice toward between long or short distribution channels.

The paper analyses industrial heritage tourism management (IHTM) through a meta-analysis conducted with a review of international peer-reviewed journals in the English language. The literature on this topic, although showing an increasing interest, appears disarticulated and without a clear understanding of the main aspects and issues related to it. The aim was to explore IHTM concept and assess the state-of-the-art in literature, mainly looking for the connection with the tourism sector. A list of scientific articles has been created using these databases: Emerald, EBSCOHost, Science Direct and Google Scholar. Each paper has been analysed using several bibliometric indicators (number of articles, trends, methodologies, analysis of keywords, etc.) while the meta-analysis permitted to deepen the contents. Results highlighted the existence of three main themes: tourism demand; local development; destination governance. Conclusions offer some implications useful to academic debate and policy-makers regarding how to manage and innovate destinations seeking to restore and revitalise the industrial heritage.

The paper investigates the relationship between the culinary innovation process (divided in two stages: idea generation and idea transformation) and the role of creativity protection. The aim is to understand how chefs protect their creativity and their innovation outcomes. The analysis is based on a sample of 132 Italian Michelin-starred chefs. The study sheds light on creativity and innovation domains in the hospitality environment where organizations have to continuously innovate in order to maintain a defensible competitive position. It identifies five “barriers against imitation” by competitors: “listening to clients’ needs”; “chef’s own creativity”, “systematic approach to creativity”; “knowledge based feasibility”; “accumulated professional skills”. The paper represents an initial effort to examine creativity protection concepts in the gastronomy sector, which are still unexplored. It contributes to a better understanding of how to protect the intellectual property in a sector where the applicability of law-based intellectual property systems is very low.

In this paper, we introduce the themes addressed and the approaches used in this Special Issue to investigate the relationship between business model innovation and sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry. After presenting the topics under investigation, we briefly discuss how the articles in the collection allow to unveil firms’ approaches used to innovate their business model focusing upon sustainable practices and goals. Therefore, by offering multiple perspectives of analysis, this Issue increases our comprehension and understanding of which sustainable strategies companies may adopt to compete in the tourism and hospitality sector.