Search

Purpose The unprecedented growth in the volume, variety and velocity with which data is generated and collected over the last decade has led to the spread of big data phenomenon. Organizations have become increasingly involved in the collection and analysis of big data to improve their performance. Whereas the focus thus far has mainly been on big data collected from customers, the topic of how to collect data also from those who are not yet customers has been overlooked. A growing means of interacting with non-customers is through crowd-based phenomena, which are therefore examined in this study as a way to further collect big data. Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate the importance of jointly considering these phenomena under the proposed framework. Design/methodology/approach This study seeks to demonstrate that organizations can collect big data from a crowd of customers and non-customers through crowd-based phenomena such as crowdsourcing, citizen science and crowdfunding. The conceptual analysis conducted in this study produced an integrated framework through which companies can improve their performance. Findings Grounded in the resource-based view, this paper argues that non-customers can constitute a valuable resource insofar as they can be an additional source of big data when participating in crowd-based phenomena. Companies can, in this way, further improve their performance. Originality/value This study advances scientific knowledge of big data and crowd-based phenomena by providing an overview of how they can be jointly applied to further benefit organizations. Moreover, the framework posited in this study is an endeavour to stimulate further analyses of these topics and provide initial suggestions on how organizations can jointly leverage crowd-based phenomena and big data.

The success of early-stage start-ups is strongly dependent on founders’ education. Yet, while scholars maintain that investors should consider founders' education an important signal of start-ups' prospects, mixed empirical findings suggest that more education does not always trigger positive investor reactions. Scholars have thus urged the development of new theoretical insights that may explain why and when education is beneficial to start-ups' emergence. Based on cognitive and social psychology literature, in this article, we evidence that different configurations of founders' education affect the ability of founding teams to obtain funding. The empirical support that we obtained from a sample of 1078 start-ups helps reconcile the contradictory findings of past research through a joint examination of two dimensions of founders' education that were previously only investigated separately—the level of education and the heterogeneity of educational backgrounds. Our focus on the group dynamics founding teams advances our understanding of the contribution of founders’ education onto early-stage start-ups' fund raising. In greater detail, educational level and educational heterogeneity positively affect the amount of funds raised, but their joint presence negatively moderates such a relationship. In doing so, we also provide start-uppers and policymakers with important information regarding how cofounders should group together when launching a start-up.

This article explores the impact of different types of products and rewards on the amount of funds raised in reward-based crowdfunding (RBCF). Specifically, we have analyzed two different product types, i.e., based on individual ownership or temporary use, and four types of rewards, i.e., prototype, branded promotional item, special edition, and discount. Results of a within-subject survey-based experiment indicate that individual ownership products obtain more funds than temporary use products. In addition, depending on the product type, some rewards are more effective in attracting funds from backers. These outcomes extend the application of Signaling Theory in the context of RBCF, as backers respond to multiple signals connected to both product and reward types because they are related to the likelihood of project realization, and of Self-Determination Theory, as backers are nonprofessionals and contribute their money mainly for the satisfaction of supporting what they consider valuable entrepreneurial projects. The findings of this article advance the scientific understanding of RBCF and provide advice for entrepreneurs on how to properly craft their call for money depending on the type of product proposed to the crowd.

Start-ups need investor funding to overcome the early stages of their life, during which they are more vulnerable and exposed to failure. They need to convince investors to fund their business ideas by signaling the potential success of their entrepreneurial venture, through a demonstration of cohesion, shared views, and determination. The educational background of the founders of start-ups can be a strong driver of start-up performance, as it is a visible signal for investors. However, education is composed of two different dimensions (i.e., its depth and its heterogeneity), and their configurations should be carefully considered. To clarify this aspect, in this article, we discuss the impact that these two education dimensions have on funds raised by start-ups in the early stages of their life. Results show that highly educated cofounders have improved access to external funding as long as they do not have highly heterogeneous educational backgrounds; in a parallel fashion, cofounders educated in different disciplines also have improved access to funding, as long as they have less advanced levels of education. These findings are relevant to start-up founders and indicate the best team configurations to guarantee better access to capital in the initial stages of their life.

Purpose This study aims to analyze how, under the stakeholder theory, corporate social responsibility (CSR) might favor the emergence of circular economy (CE) in the Agri-food sector, which is a relevant context, as it is technologically dynamic and requires paying attention to all the stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory, qualitative research design has been adopted to study the phenomenon in detail, as it facilitates the understanding of complex phenomena such those under investigation and helps enrich existing theory with new insights from real-world cases to add theoretical generalizations to the existing body of research in the field. Findings The results of this study highlight that companies adopting CSR models are oriented toward circularity. Practical implications This study provides useful indications to managers and policymakers as to how to favor the two approaches (CSR and CE) and benefit all the stakeholders. Originality/value While there is wide scholarly and managerial interest toward CSR and CE, previous research has mainly analyzed CE and CSR as two independent phenomena. Therefore, there is a lack of understanding about how the two areas are linked. Following previous studies that have started to theoretically argue an interconnection between CSR and CE, in this research, it has been empirically investigated, and further explored theoretically, whether CSR can implicitly encourage the emergence of CE approaches.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role of the digitalization phenomenon in the development of innovative business models that are sustainability oriented. Thus, the authors aim to understand whether the presence of digitalization forces companies to create, capture and deliver value in new ways, focusing on their social impact.Design/methodology/approachThrough the analysis of a case study in the automotive sector, the authors provide evidence that both digitalization and sustainability need to be considered to adequately innovate business models. Moreover, these two dimensions are interrelated, and therefore digitalization sustains sustainability and vice versa.FindingsBy inductively investigating the evolutionary path along which companies tend to adapt their business models to digitalization and sustainability trends, the authors found that this innovative transformation needs to be as sustainable as possible in order to offer benefits to organizations, customers and society at large. Furthermore, the authors revealed that, at least in the automotive sector, companies and customers are aware of the remarkable consequences of digitalization; however, they are still uncertain regarding the actual adoption of new technologies.Originality/valueThe literature on business model innovation is quite extensive. However, the role of digitalization in developing sustainable business models to achieve a competitive advantage has been overlooked. This study suggests that, within a specific context, forging a value network of stakeholders is helpful when innovating a business model with a sustainability orientation.

Background Neuropsychological testing plays a cardinal role in the diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease. A major concern is represented by the heterogeneity of the neuropsychological batteries currently adopted in memory clinics and healthcare centers. The current study aimed to solve this issue. Methods Following the initiative of the University of Washington’s National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC), we presented the Italian adaptation of the Neuropsychological Test Battery of the Uniform Data Set (I-UDSNB). We collected data from 433 healthy Italian individuals and employed regression models to evaluate the impact of demographic variables on the performance, deriving the reference norms. Results Higher education and lower age were associated with a better performance in the majority of tests, while sex affected only fluency tests and Digit Span Forward. Conclusions The I-UDSNB offers a valuable and harmonized tool for neuropsychological testing in Italy, to be used in clinical and research settings.

Pocket-sized urban parks may contribute to more widely distributing the advantages created by parks in urban neighborhoods, allowing more citizens to benefit more frequently from park environments. Notwithstanding their several benefits, including citizens’ psychological, physiological and physical well-being; possibilities for recreational activities; and improved economic attractiveness of a neighborhood, pocket parks (PPs) are not yet widely diffused worldwide. Considering the state of the art of PPs, we identify four main perspectives that characterize them: architectural, microclimate, managerial and legal. Focusing on a relevant case study, i.e., the Mediterranean context, we analyze the multi-disciplinary challenges – connected to the four identified dimensions – for their diffusion elsewhere. Finally, we provide a general framework for favoring PPs’ creation and management, as the original contribution of this work. Besides advancing scientific knowledge about PPs, our results also interest policymakers and public organizations, as the diffusion of PPs can mitigate urban environmental challenges by creating pleasant experiences for citizens and favoring economic activities.

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), i.e. the initial offer of a crypto-token, represent an increasingly popular method to raise money. However, the determinants of ICOs’ returns for investors are still ...

The impact of corporate strategy decisions on capital structure has attracted substantial scholarly and managerial attention from decades, although leading to mixed and inconclusive results until now. While previous studies have focused on the effect brought about by a single strategy at a time, this study tries to reconcile the overall picture of the impact of strategic decisions on capital structure. Based on the Strategy Hierarchy Theory, we estimated the effect brought about by the three strategies determined at the corporate level: internationalization, diversification and integration. The results provide empirical evidence that the above-mentioned strategies impact firms’ capital structure both simultaneously and independently. Integration and internationalization are negatively related with debt ratio while diversification is positively related with debt ratio. The findings of our paper contribute to enrich the strategy/capital-structure literature, and provide academics and managers a clearer understanding of the effect brought about by the corporate strategy on capital structure.

This study examines how the success of reward-based crowdfunding (RBCF) is affected by two narrative styles—namely “results in progress” (RIP) and “ongoing journey” (OJ)—and by the entrepreneur’s RBCF experience. Our findings reveal that greater success in collecting funds is achieved by RBCF campaigns that are communicated through RIP narrative styles rather than OJ styles. Moreover, we have underscored the positive effect brought about by an entrepreneur’s RBCF experience. In addition, we highlight how these two factors interact with each other in their overall effect on successful fundraising through RBFC, showing that entrepreneurs with extensive experience in RBCF attract more pledges by adopting OJ narratives rather than RIP narratives. The outcomes of this study advance the theoretical understanding of success factors in RBCF and provide RBCF entrepreneurs with suggestions regarding the most appropriate narrative style to adopt, depending on their level of experience.

First-person experience of stressful life events can change individuals' risk attitudes, driving to increased or decreased risk perception. This shift to more risk-averse or risk-loving behaviors may find a correlate in the individual psycho-socio-emotional profile. To this purpose, we aimed to estimate the relationship between differences in risk-taking attitudes toward possible negative health outcomes and psycho-socio-emotional dimensions modulating the experience of life-threatening situations, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. In March 2020, we launched the PsyCovid Study (https://wprn.org/item/428452) to assess psycho-socio-emotional changes due to Covid-19 pandemic in the Italian population. Additionally, we distributed to 130 participants the Covid-19 Risk Task, including monetary and health-related stimuli, estimating a measure of risk-aversion toward health and classifying participants on the basis of their risk-attitude profiles. The set of psycho-socio-emotional variables was reduced to three PCA components: Proactivity, Isolation, Inactivity. The individual degree of risk-aversion toward negative health outcomes was directly related to Proactivity, encasing empathic, social support and positive coping strategies, which may prompt individuals to put in place self-protection strategies toward possible negative health consequences. These findings indicate that a risk-averse profile toward possible negative health outcomes may be associated to higher levels of individual prosocial and proactive dispositions, possibly making individuals' more compliant with the social and hygienic guidelines and, thus, reducing their exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

As organizations are increasingly involving individuals across their boundaries in the generation of new knowledge, crowd involvement can also be beneficial to cultural heritage organizations. We argue that in an &ldquo, Open Innovation in Science&rdquo, approach, visitors can contribute to generate new scientific knowledge concerning their behavior and preferences, by which museum managers can re-design the cultural offerings of their institutions in ways that generate major economic and social impacts. Accordingly, we advance visitor-sensing as a novel framework in which museum managers leverage digital technologies to collect visitors&rsquo, ideas, preferences, and feedback in order to improve path design and the organization of artwork in exhibitions, and to shape a more satisfying museum experience for visitors. We contend that visitor-sensing has the potential to yield higher numbers of visitors, with positive impacts in terms of increased revenues and increased literacy of the general public, thus benefiting the economic and social sustainability of cultural organizations towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the Agenda 2030.

Advances in information technology (IT) have prompted tremendous growth in security issues for companies. Increasingly, cyberattacks represent a threat to companies and national security; to prevent them, firms should routinely perform risk assessments of their IT infrastructure and employees. This article highlights the importance of open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools in conducting risk assessments to prevent cyberattacks. More specifically, we performed a vulnerability assessment on the critical infrastructure of a company operating on the U.S. electrical grid. We successfully profiled the company’s network software, hardware, and key IT personnel—using OSINT—and detailed potential vulnerabilities associated with these findings. The results of our study provide empirical evidence for the efficacy of OSINT in improving the security posture of organizations. Our research findings were subsequently used to produce tactical and strategic recommendations for organizations based on the use of OSINT to identify vulnerabilities, mitigate risks, and formulate more robust security policies to prevent cyberattacks.

Based on Signaling Theory, in this research we have analyze the effect of product types, i.e., based on individual ownership or temporary use, and types of rewards, i.e., prototype, branded promoti...

Nudging is a framework for directing individuals toward better behavior, both for personal and societal benefits, through heuristics that drive the decision-making process but without preventing any available choice. Considering the Grand Challenges that our society faces today, nudging represents an effective framework to tackle some of these pressing issues. In this work, we assessed the effectiveness of informational nudges in the form of detailed, customized feedback, within an energy-demand-management project. The project aligns energy production and demand, thereby reducing greenhouse gases and pollutant emissions to mitigate climate change. We also offered evidence that this kind of feedback is efficacious in involving individuals as citizen scientists, who volunteer their efforts toward the success of the environmentally-related aim of the project. The results of this research - based on surveys, electroencephalography measurements and online participation measures - indicate that feedback can be an effective tool to steer participants' behavior under the libertarian paternalistic view of nudging, increase their motivation to contribute to citizen science, and improve their awareness about environmentally-related issues. In so doing, we provide evidence that nudging and citizen science can be jointly adopted toward the mitigation of pressing environmental issues.