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The modern world actively discusses the challenges that will lead to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As the specialists assume, part of the jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence. In addition, creation of completely new jobs is expected. As for the jobs that might be maintained in future, skills upgrading will be particularly important. In such a turbulent environment of economic development, universities, and in particular entrepreneurial universities, play a significant role. We think so as these universities have special structures that promote form a university-industry-government triple helix, reskilling and commercialization of new ideas, etc. Due to the above-mentioned factors, they will neutralize the expected fluctuations in the best way. Later we will discuss the systemic links between the mutual influence of entrepreneurial universities and economy. We consider that continuous connection with such universities will enable business to adapt to the inevitable changes with minimal loss.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the influences of different types of knowledge and their inherent dynamics on the effectiveness of the decision-making (DM) process. Knowledge dynamics (KD) is envisioned through the lens of the knowledge fields theory while effective DM process is objectivised via organisational appreciation and reward, higher business performance, sustainable partnerships and managerial satisfaction with previous achievements.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based survey was conducted with 275 middle managers from companies operating in the business consulting field. The conceptual and structural model was tested using the partial least squares structural equation modelling technique.FindingsThe study advances novel insights into the significant positive influences of various knowledge fields on KD on the DM process within real-life business environments. Even though rational knowledge exerts a noteworthy effect on DM, its influence is exceeded by the KD, which proves that integrating emotional and spiritual knowledge in the decisional equation may become a pivotal input to making good managerial decisions regardless of the level of regulation and standardisation in the field.Research limitations/implicationsThe research relied on threefold knowledge fields as predictors for the DM process, thus providing a starting point for the development of more complex models.Originality/valueThe study emerges as a groundbreaking approach via the integration and application of the knowledge fields theory within a more comprehensive and empirical outlook on the DM process. Simultaneously, it places DM beyond the unidimensional outcomes of rationality and intuition by urging its intricate and interactional nature.

Sustainability is one of humanity’s most daunting issues at present. Increasing popula- tion, escalation of anthropogenic activities, industrialization, modern agricultural practices that pollute water, air, and soil around the world, and ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions mean that sustainability is now in doubt [1]. In response to these critical concerns, the world has come up with several initiatives including Agenda 2030. Agenda 2030 is a commitment to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development worldwide, ensuring that no one is left behind by 2030. Its adoption was a landmark achievement, providing a shared vision towards sustainable development for all. Its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets aim to end the plethora of development problems and deliver a better universe

The present paper envisages an analysis of the main goals and future directions of action in the higher education sector at world level. In recent years higher education institutions apply professional management principles and guide their activities using business specific strategic tools. Starting from the fact that higher education institutions can learn from the best, the purpose of the paper is to analyze the main directions included in the mission statements of the top 150 higher education institutions at world level, according to rankings. The two main objectives of the analysis are: (a) to identify the main directions included in the mission statements of the best universities in the world and (b) to identify commonalities and differences among those. The paper will focus in its first part on theoretical insights on the subject: mission statements and strategic management, their peculiarities in the field of higher education. The methodology used is qualitative content analysis based on the documentation through the study of the public information disseminated by universities on their web sites. The results of the study illustrate that one of the main themes included in many of the top 150 higher education in the world is excellence. There are also differences in the scope of the declared mission statements as some universities see their activity applying to the local (town/state) community, others see their roles at national level, some declare themselves as acting in the interest of the whole world and some see their role at all three levels.

In this paper, by adopting a systemic framework, we argue that place's adaptive connotation be considered as a mere result of endogenous processes but as a viable system that will remain viable if it can continue to answer the needs of its numerous heterogeneous internal and external socio-economic agents. Place can be seen as a complex adaptive system characterized by a more or less planned evolution, driven by both top-down and bottom-up processes, and composed of various interconnecting parts that, at the same time, can be seen as wholes at different levels as an holoarchy. The model of the holoarchy allows to consider the place as the result of both planned and spontaneous relationships between social and economic (sub)systems and components, implemented in order to achieve a common goal. We than apply this framework to the analysis of a case study in the tourism industry in Naples (Italy).

Background and Purpose: The aim of the study is to develop a conceptual key competency model for smart factories in production processes, focused on the automotive industry, as innovation and continuous development in this industry are at the forefront and represent the key to its long-term success. Methodology: For the purpose of the research, we used a semi-structured interview as a method of data collection. Participants were segmented into three homogeneous groups, which are industry experts, university professors and secondary education teachers, and government experts. In order to analyse the qualitative data, we used the method of content analysis. Results: Based on the analysis of the data collected by structured interviews, we identified the key competencies that workers in smart factories in the automotive industry will need. The key competencies are technical skills, ICT skills, innovation and creativity, openness to learning, ability to accept and adapt to change, and various soft skills. Conclusion: Our research provides insights for managers working in organisations that are transformed by Industry 4.0. For instance, human resource managers can use our results to study what competencies potential candidates need to perform well on the job, particularly in regards to planning future job profiles in regards related to production processes. Moreover, they can design competency models in a way that is coherent with the trends of Industry 4.0. Educational policy makers should design curricula that develop mentioned competencies. In the future, the results presented here can be compared and contrasted with findings obtained by applying other empirical methods.

Purpose Analyzing the entrepreneurial ecosystem related to the ARCA consortium, the purpose of this paper is to study the relationships among the start-up firms inside an incubator. Design/methodology/approach Thanks to the adoption of the relationships concentric model and the density concentric model, the paper highlights the role of relational conditions for innovative projects in partnership among the incubated firms. Reflections herein are tested via a qualitative research approach based on a single case study: the ARCA consortium. Findings This research found that about 32 percent of relationships inside the incubator support the emergence of short-term relationships among the incubated firms. Furthermore, about 18 percent of the relationships support the emergence of strong collaborative strategies for the implementation of long-term relationships resulting in innovative pathways: innovative projects in partnership. Originality/value The most interconnected firms inside the incubator are those that play a central role also in the innovation pathway developing the higher number of innovative project in partnership. This finding emphasizes a correlation between collaborative relationships and innovation inside an incubator ecosystem.

Placing online academic networks in the framework of social, cultural and institutional “deterritorialization,” the current paper aims at investigating the functionality of these new forms of transnational and trans-organizational aggregations as knowledge brokers. The emphasis is laid on the influence of human collective intelligence and consistent knowledge flows on research innovation, considering the role of organizational support within higher education systems. In this respect, the research relied on a questionnaire-based survey with 140 academics from European emerging countries, the data collected being processed via a partial least squares structural equation modelling technique. Evidence was brought that, as knowledge brokers, online academic networks are systems aimed to support the access to human collective intelligence and consistent knowledge flows which exert a positive influence on research innovation, both directly and indirectly, by means of formal and informal organizational support. As facilitators of collaborative environments for individuals with specialized knowledge, competence, expertise and experience, online academic networks have set themselves up as an agora for academics worldwide and as an outlet for their acumen and literacy.

In this opinion article, the author aims to depict the state of systems thinking research through the lens of my own personal experience. His point of view is that of a relatively young scholar who has the privilege to be involved in the international systems thinking community in many ways. Indeed, in 2012 he established, with other colleagues, an academic society named Business Systems Laboratory (BSLab), which has rapidly become an important society for research into the application of systems thinking to society, business and organizations. Through his activity of organization of conferences and his editorial activity at the journals associated with BSLab (and recently as Editor-in-Chief of one of the older leading scientific journals on systems thinking and cybernetics, Kybernetes), the author has a privileged point of observation over the path of systems thinking in recent years. With this premise this opinion article aims to point out through a SWOT analysis the strength, the weaknesses, the opportunities and the threats of and for Systems Thinking.

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate to what extent smart factories have been addressed in the research in the business, management and accounting field and to identify possible gaps in the current research. The bibliographic units from the Scopus database on the keyword ‘smart factory,’ limited to the business, management and accounting research field was searched. In order to answer research questions, a bibliometric analysis and the data mining was performed. From the text of founded articles, gaps in the current research were searched in order to provide guidance for future research directions. There is a growing trend on the smart factory topic, but they are mostly connected with the field of engineering, decision-making, or computer science. Fields most explored are management of supply chains, changes in business models, individualization of production system and business processes optimization. The important gap is the lack of studies in the field of human resources management.

This paper focuses on knowledge management in cyberphysical systems (CPS), dealing with the importance and influence of smart technologies for the creation of the smart health systems as a part of the smart home. This approach considers the reorganisation and adaptation of medicine and health systems, building the research framework upon knowledge management 4.0 for health systems. Customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction was researched using the qualitative methodology of the Kano model. The questionnaire deals with five factors that play a crucial role in the decision to purchase such a system: 1) software reliability; 2) medical device interoperability; 3) security and privacy; 4) system feedback; 5) architecture. The results show that attractive requirements, such as architecture and medical device interoperability, have high values for customer satisfaction and low scores for customer dissatisfaction.

Obiettivi . Il processo di creazione di nuove imprese risulta particolarmente complesso qualora parta da idee altamente innovative che trovano difficolta ad essere percepite come valide dai sovra sistemi. Obiettivo del presente lavoro e dimostrare che gli incubatori accademici svolgono un ruolo determinante per la vitalita di queste imprese. Metodologia . Attraverso un caso studio contraddistinto da un embedded design si analizza l’efficacia del processo di incubazione degli spin-off dell’incubatore del Consorzio Arca. Risultati . L’efficacia del processo di incubazione e dimostrata dall’elevato numero di spin-off che, al termine del periodo di incubazione, sono capaci di competere con successo sul mercato e di raggiungere condizioni di consonanza con i sovrasistemi di riferimento. Limiti della ricerca . I principali limiti sono da ricondurre alla ridotta significativita dei dati di bilancio, finanche aggregati, nel rappresentare la reale situazione competitiva di ogni singola impresa spin-off, e alla mancanza di una misurazione quantitativa del livello di consonanza raggiunto dagli spin-off. Implicazioni pratiche . Il Consorzio ARCA rappresenta un esempio virtuoso di incubatore accademico; esso e stato in grado di creare un “humus culturale” atto a favorire la diffusione dell’imprenditorialita seppure in un contesto economicamente sottosviluppato (Sicilia). Originalita del lavoro . Molti studi sugli spin-off accademici si concentrano sull’impatto negativo che la carenza di risorse e competenze delle imprese innovative genera sulla performance. In questo lavoro, adottando una prospettiva sistemica, si sposta l’attenzione dall’impresa al contesto, mettendo in luce quali sono le condizioni sistemiche che consentono alle imprese spin-off di raggiungere la vitalita.

This paper aims to explore consumer attitudes toward using smart shopping cart, considering country of origin, gender, age, and intentions to use smart shopping carts while purchasing. Moreover, it investigates the influence of extracted factors on consumers' attitudes toward using smart shopping carts and the users' levels of digital competence. The data was collected through survey questionnaires using a purposive sample of 313 Croatian and Italian respondents. To this end, we applied statistical methodologies such as binary logistic regression, factor analysis, and analysis of variance. We found that, compared with Croatians, Italian respondents have a more positive attitude toward using smart shopping carts, regardless of age or gender. Moreover, we found that consumers are influenced by two major factors: functional and convenience. Consumers who purchase for functionality reasons will have preferences associated with faster product selection and speeding up the purchasing process without fearing that they lack the necessary expertise. If functionality has the tendency to increase, respondents will not lack ICT knowledge when purchasing with the smart cart.

Since the beginning of the XXI century, marketing theory has moved through a series of epistemological shifts from modern positivism to postmodern constructivism. This has resulted in a series of changes to the main concepts of “traditional” marketing such as: market, product, customer, and value. These shifts can be better viewed under a social cybernetics approach such as agency theory. This is because there is now a view that the linear concept of value creation needs to give way to the more complex process of value cocreation, where value is created collectively. Agency theory is one approach that is able to shed light on how customers and providers are able to recursively create collective value during interaction in a market. The theoretical framework provided here is able to provide improved understanding of the interactions betfween (and among) customers and providers in the value cocreation process. In this theory, value cocreation is depicted as an interactive process between a set of “living system” agencies (providers and customers) in a given market arena. The framework can be an effective tool for the managers involved in marketing to contribute to providers’ policies by supplying a clearer portrait of the systemic relations involved in the value cocreation dynamics.

This theoretical work aims to analyze the choice of strategicmanagement activities, taking into account a complex systems perspective. Following this approach, we represent the firm as a complex adaptive system, in which the management must be able to develop and implement different behaviors in order to dynamically ensure the viability of the firm or system. This implies that the management governing the firm or system is capable of choosing, from among a number of heterogeneous entities, the relevant stakeholders within the competitive context and of creating and maintaining significant relationships with them, which are considered to be relevant in a turbulent environment. As an expression of the relational dynamics between the direct and indirect stakeholders, the firm exchanges energy and information with the reference contexts, in order to survive. As part of these exchanges and adaptations, both the firm and its stakeholders disperse energy, producing a dissipative phenomenon (Prigogine I, Order out of chaos. In: Livingston P (ed) Disorder and order: proceedings of the Stanford international symposium (Sept. 14–16, 1981). Anma Libri, Saratoga, pp 41–60, 1984), which we describe—in an analogy with the second law of thermodynamics and complexity theory—as entropy. Our research question is thus: Can complex adaptive systems theory help decision makers to deal with the dynamism of organizations and brand in turbulent environments? Through a theoretical and descriptive framework, we will draw our conclusions to this research question.

This paper examines the services provided by Open Innovation Intermediaries (OIIs) through their web-based platforms, in order to understand how OIIs can effectively support innovation seekers in their innovation processes. Relying on the existing literature exploring the roles and functions of web-based OII platforms, we carried out an exploratory and comparative qualitative study to identify the services available, to classify them by the various phases of the innovation processes in which they can be beneficial, and to link them to general roles and functions. Our analysis of the services provided by OII platforms sheds light on the dynamics of innovation seekers’ choices, and gives meaningful insights that can help improve this information and these services, so that OIIs can improve their offer in terms of complementary resources and knowledge for the innovation processes., Este artículo examina los servicios ofrecidos por los Intermediaros de Información (Open Innovation Intermediaries, OIIs) a través de sus páginas web para entender cómo los OIIs pueden apoyar de forma efectiva a los innovadores en los procesos de innovación. Valiéndonos de bibliografía anterior sobre los papeles y funciones de las plataformas web de OII, hemos realizado un estudio exploratorio y comparativo cualitativo para identificar los servicios disponibles, clasicicarlos según las fases de los procesos de innovación que pueden beneficiarse de ellos, y relacionarlos con papeles y funciones generales. Nuestro análisis de los servicios ofrecidos por las plataformas de OII aclara las dinámicas de los innovadores, y ofrece datos significativos que puede ayudar a mejorar esta información y estos servicios, de manera que los OIIs puedan mejorar su oferta en términos de recursos complementarios y conocimiento de los procesos de innovación.

The objective of this work is to contribute to place management and marketing studies by looking at the territory, as a complex adaptive system aiming to reach a dynamic equilibrium—a steady state. According to this approach, the territorial system emerges as a result of its capacity, its social actors and governance, and the analysis, creation and maintenance of relationships—the dynamics—between the territory components, both tangible and intangible ones, and its many and varied stakeholders. These relational dynamics produce continuous and reciprocal adaptive behaviours among social actors who determine, influence, and adapt the vision of the territory. Through an interdisciplinary approach, we evaluate the recent literature on town planning and geography, aiming to bridge the gap in place management and marketing literature. We propose a framework based on systemic and complexity theory and propose a novel approach that supports decision makers in modelling the future scenario, taking choices regarding place management and place marketing.

In the current situation of growing information overload, individuals are gradually becoming less sensitive to traditional marketing communications. For this reason, traditional marketing research models are no longer capable of giving useful insights to management. This calls for new approaches that can grasp the inner meaning of consumer behaviors and evaluate their relevance. To this end, a new multidisciplinary approach is needed to interpret complex behavioral patterns so as to gain deeper and more effective insights into customers and to understand their behavioral patterns. In this paper, following a short introduction to the basic concepts of Jung's analytical psychology and their relevance for marketing, we propose the use of the Jungian archetypes to implement a market research model, considering the case of an Italian research company's development of the Archetipus® model.

In this work, we supply a theoretical framework of how organizations can embed complexity management and sustainable development into their policies and actions. The proposed framework may lead to a new management paradigm, attempting to link the main concepts of complexity theory, change management, knowledge management, sustainable development, and cybernetics. We highlight how the processes of organizational change have occurred as a result of the move to adapt to the changes in the various global and international business environments and how this transformation has led to the shift toward the present innovation economy. We also point how organizational change needs to deal with sustainability, so that the change may be consistent with present needs, without compromising the future.

By considering the tourist experience as a complex dynamic system, in this paper we depict the traveler as a kybernetes (κυβeρνήτης is the ancient Greek word for ‘sea captain’, ‘steersman’, or ‘governor’) in search of powerful tools to help him or her to obtain directions in the mare magnum of complexity, overcoming the fear of action and taking decisions. We focus our attention on the key role of Near Field Communication technology and mobile wallet as ‘attenuators of complexity’ in the travel and tourism industry.

Firms operating in the electronic marketplace set and adjust prices to affect demand and profitability. In service markets, such as airline markets, different prices are commonly offered by diverse firms to accommodate to a variety of market segments having particular sets of consumer attitudes. This variation in prices is the price dispersion and is based on market distinctiveness deriving from customer heterogeneity as well as the peculiar competition in the specific market arena. In this paper we use a panel dataset from the Italian airline market to investigate the role of competition and different online channels in the emergence of price dispersion. Specifically, we examine the unclear role of competition in price dispersion with novel data collected from different online channels, namely direct and Online Travel Agency (OTA) channels. We find that price dispersion is higher in routes where competition is higher even in presence of only one segment, namely the business segment. Our results also show that price dispersion significantly differs across different types of online channels.

The goal of this study is to investigate the problems caused by the rapid growth of the global economy, coupled with high population growth and the excessive exploitation of natural resources. The global economy will not be able to maintain its current speed of growth in the long term, so a paradigm shift in production and consumption is necessary, if the collapse of ecosystems and the concurrent depletion of natural resources are to be avoided. This is the reason why capitalism needs to take a turn towards a sustainable and naturally harmonized development model.

Predictions play a key role in assuring the status of “rationality” in decisions. Nevertheless, in the field of social sciences and economics, predictions fail to correctly depict the oncoming scenarios. Why is it so difficult to achieve quantitative prediction of social and economic systems? Can science provide reliable predictions of social and economic paths that can be used to implement effective interventions? As in the notorious “El Farol bar problem” depicted by Brian Arthur (Am Econ Rev 84:406–411, 1994), the validity of predictive models is more a social issue than a matter of good mathematics. Predictability in social systems is due to limited knowledge of society and human behavior. We do not yet have worldwide, quantitative knowledge of human social behavior; for instance, the perception of certain issues or the predisposition to adopt certain behaviors. Though tremendous progress has been made in recent years in data gathering thanks to the development of new technologies and the consequent increase in computational power, social and economic models still rely on assumptions of rationality that undermine their predictive effectiveness. Through some theoretical and epistemological reflections, we propose a way in which the cybernetic paradigm of complexity management can be used for better decision-making in complex scenarios with a comprising, dynamic, and evolving approach. We will show how a cybernetic approach can help to overcome the fear of uncertainty and serve as an effective tool for improving decisions and actions.

This set of articles arises from a series of conferences (Business Systems Laboratory Symposia, 2013-2015) and in particular from the 2nd Business systems Laboratory International Symposium, Rome 2014 with the theme ‘Systems Thinking for a Sustainable Economy’, concerned with systems thinking and its relations with sustainable management, where the relevance of systems thinking was demonstrated. The current period of our global society is characterised by intense transformations in the competitive logics of organisations, markets, and, generally speaking, society. Social circumstances today are typified by dynamism, connectivity, nonlinearity, and emergent properties — in other words by ‘complexity’ (Dominici, 2012). The ongoing rapid changes of our times have undermined the concept of alleged stability of the social and business context, causing a boost in all three factors of complexity: economic, technical, and socio-psychological (Dominici & Palumbo, 2013). Economic complexity refers to the changing of relations among business players; technical complexity encompasses the drive towards more flexible technologies; and socio-psychological complexity refers to the social behaviour of the consumer (Dominici & Palumbo, 2013). These factors need to deal with the larger system of the whole ecosystem, in order to avoid compromising the ability of future generations to benefit from systemic improvements. In other words, any change, improvement, or development of a social system has to be valuable in the long term, hence it must be ‘sustainable’. This special issue brings together research articles presented in their preliminary version at the Second BSLab International Symposium in Roma 2014, which address, through different methodological approaches, the timely topic of decision support for sustainable management. These articles present interdisciplinary work that does not aim for the ‘one size fits all’ solution. Given the broad scope of application for sustainability management, this special issue addresses the remarkable open perspective of finding new ways to improve decision support tools and methods for sustainability management. For this special edition we chose four articles (coming from research presented at the BSLab Symposium 2014) considering different approaches and some of their applications to sustainability in organisations. In the first article, Karin Brunsson points out that sustainability relates to ethics, and individuals and organisations should follow different ethical standards. The author argues that, if individuals adopt an organisational kind of ethics then global

Networks are ubiquitous in our lives in their social, physical, and digital forms. A growing number of firms today rely entirely on networking and lack a physical location or material infrastructure; they are, so to speak, 'liquid'. Through a theoretical analysis and its application to the case of Doctor Chat mobile app, this paper aims to analyse the fundamental laws of networks and to answer the following questions: 1) are the traditional methods to estimate the network value still valid in the current digital age and in particular for mobile applications?; 2) how do the laws of networks work when networks expand? We conclude with some suggestions for a research agenda in order to inspire further researches on the topic.

This chapter aims to represent the evolution of the cultural vocation of the territory with relation to the cultural product. The authors achieve this by adopting a holistic, viable-systemic approach. This approach proves useful to draw a better representation of the relationships existing among members of the territory - which is a prerequisite for the creation of any cultural product - and among them and the stakeholders to whom the cultural product itself is targeted. The authors consider the notion of relationship as a form of interactive connection determining - in causal fashion - a series of input-output effects among system members.

The increased usage of mobile apps has a great potential for the tourism industry. Through the use of mobile apps, web portals and social media may allow a fast and wide diffusion of awareness for museum and attract a large number of visitors, thus increasing the value of their image, with moderate investments. The aim of this chapter is to identify the key factors as antecedents of customer satisfaction for the design of a mobile app for a museum. To this aim, the authors use the Kano model that allows categorizing service attributes according to how they are perceived by customers and estimating their impact on customer satisfaction. This model is adopted in order to identify express and latent needs of cultural tourists and to design a mobile app for museum according to their perceptions and expectations. To apply the Kano model, the authors used qualitative data collected through 300 questionnaires administered to tourists visiting the Sicilian cities of Palermo and Trapani over a period of 3 months (October- December 2012). The results of this analysis can be relevant for museum and public managers to plan strategic and operative activities, for researchers in the field of touristic marketing, for application developers, and for all those concerned with touristic and cultural heritage issues.

Our times are characterized by intense transformations in the competitive logics of markets and, broadly speaking, of business systems. Business scenarios today are typified by dynamism, connectivity, nonlinearity, and emergent properties—i n other words by ‘complexity’ (Dominici,2012). The systemic approach has been pivotal to open new lenses and understandings of the inner dynamics of complex systems. In recent times, we have witnessed a paradigm shift in the managerial approach from the whole/part model to the systemice nvironmental approach. This shift generated the epistemological frame of the systemic approach to social sciences in the fields of sociology, management and economics (Pitasi and Dominici, 2012).

The increasing use of web technologies has changed the way business is done, including in the field of education. In the last decade, the development of electronic learning ( e-learning ) systems became crucial to meet students’ demand. In this study, we adopt a relationship marketing perspective and apply the Kano Model to propose a way to build a non-academic e-learning course that can achieve student satisfaction. We measure the relevance of e-learning requirements from university students’ perspective to identify their expectations about e-learning courses and obtain relevant characteristics that can help to plan an e-learning product capable of achieving high customer satisfaction. Our study is based on interviews of 239 students from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Palermo. Through surveys, we measure users’ satisfaction of e-learning courses and classify quality attribute expectations into Kano Model categories. The indexes we create reveal key elements that can increase or decrease customers’ perceived satisfaction of e-learning courses. This study has specific value for academics who work on new product development in the field of customer satisfaction. Highlighting the correlation between the classification of expectations and satisfaction level, we find practical implications for educational institutions and/or other companies interested in developing and selling e-learning courses based on students’ needs using a customer-oriented approach.

The increase in the complexity and variability of the business environment, due to constant and rapid changes in markets, calls for more flexible and effective production systems. Of the most valuable production systems, the Japanese lean production system (LPS) is the best known and studied, but is still not the most widely applied with success outside Japan. The reason for the low level of success of lean production outside its native country is the lack of understanding of the strong interactions which hold between enterprises and business systems. In order to fill this gap in our knowledge, we investigate the systemic interactions according to the Viable System View. To develop our analysis, we combine the elements of two of the major viable systems theories: the Viable System Model (VSM) of Stafford Beer, and the Viable System Approach (VSA) of Gaetano Golinelli. We combine these two perspectives to create a cohesive framework that combines the internal structural analysis of VSM with the analysis of links to the environmental suprasystems of VSA. In line with this framework, we examine the peculiar aspects of the Japanese lean production system in order to find the relevant correspondences between the Japanese LPS and the Viable Systems perspective. We portray the peculiarities of the lean production system, shedding light on its roots in the Japanese business environment (Dominici, 2008, 2010), and we show how it has worked as an incubator to create those managerial practices that represent the LPS. We also show how the Japanese kaisha can be effectively represented as a viable system in homeostatic interaction with the Japanese business environment. We conclude with an analysis of the results and summary of the possibilities for further research.

The aim of this study is to depict the relational dynamics between the firm/ brand and the individual/consumer or communities of consumers. To this aim we propose a conceptual framework, integrating the viable systems approach (VSA) with consumer culture theory (CCT), which considers the individual as an active co-maker of the product/brand (‘prosumer’). The VSA view of the firm overcomes the limitations of CCT research, which is mainly focused on the individual, giving little consideration to the other actors in the context. Among the different approaches under the umbrella of viable systems we chose the VSA because of its emphasis on the analysis of the systemic external relations with the agents in the context, helping to underscore the marketing and social perspectives of CCT. Using a viable systemic perspective, the firm/brand and the individual/consumer can be conceived as viable systems embedded in a social-business context. Therefore, the consumption system can be considered as the momentum for the creation and maintenance of symbolic and cultural relationships between the firm/brand and the individual/consumer or communities of consumers (i.e. brand communities or subculture of consumption). These relationships are finalized to establish a common and consonant language in order to achieve a desired consonance level capable of enabling both the consumer and the firm/brand to co-evolve, maintain, and enhance their systemic viability.

This qualitative paper aims to point out the incidence of small world characteristics in the World Wide Web. To this end, some theoretical implications of small world theory (SWT) are verified using information from focus groups and in-depth interviews administered to experts and users of the World Wide Web. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether it is possible to apply small world properties to online social networks while pointing out the key variables of website centrality in that context. Building on this, the paper traces possible contributions for better management of the World Wide Web in terms of the professional use of social media to facilitate information or product and service sharing. The results of the proposed investigation highlight some pivotal aspects of small world properties on the web, as well as on website centrality. The findings are relevant for the application of social media marketing (SMM) and search engine optimisation (SEO).

In this paper, we take the perspective of app developers. Specifically, based on a sample of top paid apps from three major app stores, i.e., App Store, Google Play, and Blackberry World, we construct a hedonic price model to examine the role of relevant factors in price formation in the app market. Our results suggest a strong evidence of two-sided market effects. In fact, the lower price charged for apps operating as two-sided markets reflect the strategy of subsidising users, due to the positive cross-side externalities they exert on valuable third parties. Surprisingly, the effects of trialability, in-app purchase and mechanisms to build reputation are not significant in the context of successful apps. Finally, we find weak evidence that developers of top paid apps prefer price skimming to penetration price strategies.

In this paper we discuss the body of knowledge known as complex system theory and its relevance to the analysis of inter-firm networks. We start by addressing the development of systems thinking. Through a literature overview, we point out the main elements for the development of systemic thought from its beginning, through its application in business sciences, to the birth of Complex Systems Theory (CST). With these initial annotations we provide an introduction to the concepts of the complex systems theory. We will underscore those aspects of CST that can be useful to analyze inter-firm networks, in order to highlight the evolutionary dynamics of the networks and to clarify the logical link between the networks’ structure and the cognitive processes inside the network and the firms. In particular we highlight how CST can be an interpretative framework to connect and empower the economic, cognitive, structural and managerial aspects of network business systems.

La complessita dell’ambiente sociale e di business ha reso ormai evidente l’imprescindibile necessita, per le organizzazioni complesse (tra cui le imprese) del XXI secolo, di miglioramento della capacita di gestione dei necessari mutamenti al fine di mantenere la vitalita e garantirne la sopravvivenza. L’approccio sistemico si e rivelato cruciale per l’apertura di nuove prospettive di studio e di comprensione delle dinamiche dei sistemi viventi. La comprensione di tali fenomeni si e rivelata di fondamentale importanza per il governo delle organizzazioni complesse. Negli ultimi decenni si e potuto assistere alla crescita della rilevanza strategica della comunicazione per la governance delle organizzazioni complesse di ogni tipo. A partire dagli anni ottanta dello scorso secolo si e verificato un cambiamento di paradigma nell’approccio manageriale: dal modello tutto/parti all’approccio sistemico-ambientale. Questo cambiamento ha generato il quadro epistemologico dell’approccio sistemico nelle scienze sociali nei campi della sociologia, dell’economia e delle science manageriali.Dal punto di vista sociologico il cambiamento di paradigma e significativamente rappresentato dall’evoluzione del pensiero sistemico da Parsons a Luhmann. Tale nuovo paradigma implica un cambiamento della concezione delle organizzazioni complesse da “strutture” a “flussi di comunicazione”, dunque uno spostamento di prospettiva dagli asset tangibili a quelli intangibili.Nella sociologia sistemica tale cambiamento del ruolo della comunicazione e rientrato nel paradigma dominante da piu di vent’anni.La pietra miliare dell’approccio sistemico nelle scienze manageriali e rappresentata dal lavoro di Stafford Beer con il Viable System Model (VSM). Il VSM ha avuto un’importante influenza in Italia ed e stato oggetto di una rilevante rivisitazione per opera di Gaetano Golinelli e della sua scuola sull’Approccio sistemico Vitale (ASV). Tuttavia, nonostante la rilevanza dei progressi negli studi sistemici, il cambiamento di paradigma nelle scienze manageriali e stato meno netto rispetto a quello avvenuto in sociologia e non ha comportato l’abbandono del concetto tradizionale di “struttura”. Il motivo di cio appare evidente, poiche l’azienda come struttura organizzata rappresenta l’oggetto di studio delle discipline aziendali e gestionali. Cio nondimeno, in questo lavoro dimostreremo che e possibile conciliare queste diverse visioni considerando l’intera azienda come una struttura dematerializzata creata dalla strutturazione di flussi di informazioni.La nostra domanda di ricerca e “se e come nelle scienze aziendali-gestionali sia possibile applicare i concetti fondamentali che hanno portato al cambiamento di paradigma in sociologia”. Per rispondere a questa domanda discutiamo circa l’ontologia del valore e dell’impresa, per comprendere cosa sia oggi l’impresa.Ci proponiamo di indicare le direttrici per l’inclusione negli studi aziendali delle teorie sistemiche dominanti nell’ambito della sociologia sistemica (basata sull’approccio di Luhmann). Attraverso un confronto teorico, ci si prefigge di integrare il paradigma sistemico vitale con quello luhmaniano per lo studio delle organizzazioni complesse. Ci soffermeremo sul perche e sul come le organizzazioni complesse debbano essere considerate costellazioni di valore di asset intangibili (secondo la definizione di Richard Normann). Oggi l’esistenza stessa dell’impresa dipende piu che in passato dal suo portafoglio di asset intangibili. Il valore degli “intangibili” e strettamente dipendente dalla comunicazione, che dunque diviene cruciale per l’esistenza e la vitalita dell’organizzazione.Partendo da una concezione strutturale-culturale dell’organizzazione fino alla sua riconfigurazione come “costellazione”, caratterizzata da un flusso continuo di ricombinazioni memetiche, esamineremo, in chiave teorica, come i flussi comunicativi intangibili vengono inclusi nella definizione di struttura per trovare un punto di contatto tra la visione luhmaniana e l’ASV.The aim of this paper is to pave the way towards the inclusion of mainstream sociological approaches (based on Luhmann’s approach) for the studies of firms-organizations. In social sciences we can observe that the theoretic consequences of a paradigm shift is significantly represented by the evolution of systemic thinking from Parsons to Luhmann. This shift implies the change from the vision of systemic organizations as "structures" to that of systemic organizations as “communication flows”. The milestone of systemic approach in management maybe found in the research and applied works of Anthony Stafford Beer with his Viable System Model (VSM) that today faced a relevant reconfiguration by Golinelli and the Italian school on Viable Systemic Approach (VSA). The paradigm shift in this field has been smoother than in sociology, and didn’t imply the discard of the concept of organization as a structure. This because, in management sciences, the perspective and, consequently, the subject of study is the organization and its structure. We think this paradigm shift is possible also in management sciences, if we consider the whole organization as a structured information flow creating a dematerialized structure. Our research question is: “Is it possible to apply in business sciences the fundamental concepts that caused the paradigm shift in sociology?” To answer to this question we discuss about ontology of the firm and of the concept of value in order to understand to what extent intangible communication flows are called upon to be involved in a new definition of structure.