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Purpose This study aims to investigate the moderating effect of sustainability app on environmental citizenship behavior on the basis of norm-activation model. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey, which comprises five variables (i.e. awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, personal norms, environmental citizenship behavior in a private sphere and environmental citizenship behavior in a public sphere) measured through 16 items, was conducted in the USA by using Amazon Mechanical Turk. With 549 valid respondents’ answers in hand, the collected data were analyzed applying a multi-group structural equation modelling technique with IBM SPSS AMOS 23 software program. Findings The results revealed that there is a positive and significant relationship between awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, personal norms and environmental citizenship behavior in both private and public sphere. Furthermore, this study attested that sustainability apps utilization has a moderating effect on the predictors of environmental citizenship behaviors. Originality/value Past studies have seldom examined the contribution of mobile apps to environmental sustainability. This paper enriches the extant academic literature in the field of technology for behavior change, and bears significant implications on how sustainability apps can be adopted by governments, policymakers, organizations and teacher educators to engage people and stimulate environmental citizenship behaviors.

This study aims to investigate the cultural heritage as a strengthening factor in the social media engagement. The research is based on a content analysis conducted on 3200 posts published on Facebook by a sample of 64 medium-size and large companies registered in the "Register of Long-lived Firms" of Italian Chamber of Commerce. The Register involves firms with uninterrupted activity in the same business industry for at least 100 years. The calculation of the indices of likeability and shareability and a multiple regression model has made it possible to measure the effectiveness of posts in increasing social media engagement and verifying which dimensions are most used by the sample companies

PurposeThe present study investigates the impact of perceived enjoyment, blogger credibility and homophily on readers' engagement. Moreover, the study investigates the role exerted by blog engagement on intentions to follow blogger's recommendations. Despite the growing relevance of these issues, past studies have neglected the relevance of a joint analysis of such dimensions within the context of food blogs.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical research builds on an online survey with a sample of 821 blog readers (353 Italian and 468 American). The proposed model was tested through structural equation modelling.FindingsResults from a survey on Italian and American consumers show that perceived enjoyment and homophily have a significant effect on blog engagement, which, in turn, positively influences both intention to taste and visit. Moreover, blogger credibility does not show a significant influence on blog engagement for Italian and American followers.Originality/valueThe study contributes to a better understanding of the influence exerted by blog engagement on intention to follow blogger's recommendations. The study also examines perceived enjoyment, credibility and homophily as antecedents of engagement, which have not been extensively researched in the past with respect to food blogs.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how firms may be segmented with respect to their attitudes towards the use of mobile instant messaging (MIM) apps (e.g. WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat, etc). in their marketing practices to identify the main approaches to the use of MIM in business. Moreover, this paper identifies the key factors which can motivate or hinder the adoption of these digital platforms. Design/methodology/approach Firms are segmented on the basis of their attitudes (perceived usefulness and perceived effectiveness of performance) towards the use of MIM apps in the business. Categories for size, age of the firm and the organization’s predisposition towards MIMs are explored using data from 311 firms and latent class analysis. Threats, triggers and their real usage are also identified to describe the different approaches towards the application of MIM apps in marketing practices. Findings Four clusters are identified – lukewarm, cold, believer and unaffected – along with significant covariates such as the importance of conversation with the client, the use of MIMs in the business, the threats and triggers that can foresee adherence. The results help to understand how to approach the client using social messenger applications. MIM apps can be used for strategic marketing and not only for operative marketing. Originality/value This paper offers a more nuanced understanding of how firms engage through MIM apps by focusing on the firms’ attitudes towards MIM apps. It extends the knowledge on the firms’ reactions to these disruptive technologies and profiles the firms according to their social innovation attitudes, something that has not yet been investigated in the extant marketing literature.

Frame of the research: A managerial perspective of public engagement can help universities to strengthen the communication of university identity from a social, scientific, or accessibility point of view. Purpose of the paper: The goal of this paper is to investigate the concept of the online university public engagement from a managerial standpoint by examining those Italian universities that have engaged in Third Mission activities thanks also to recent ministerial decrees issued on the subject. Methodology: A content analysis of the main official websites of 50 Italian universities was performed. An exploratory factorial analysis made it possible to identify the main approaches to online public engagement. Findings: There are 4 main dimensions of online public engagement that have been communicated on Italian websites (social, cultural, research and widening engagement), each referring to a specific target. A so-called “Cultural engagement” approach emerges which underlines the role of the university as a pole of cultural and artistic attraction. Research limits: The research explores public engagement only in the Italian context. Although the article investigates more than 50% of the Italian universities, it does not allow the extension of the results to the reference population. Practical implications: Research results contribute to the understanding of online public engagement and map the current uses of stakeholder engagement activities in the university context to date. Originality of the paper: The research enriches the knowledge of the online public engagement construct thanks to the identification of a new dimension “Cultural engagement”, that had not yet emerged in international contexts.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which conversation with a chatbot on an official website can change the value perception of products and influence the customer purchase intention. The study also investigates the role of chatbots on brand familiarity and the influence of previous experience of interaction with chatbots on customer buying intention. Two laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of chatbot use on customer purchase intention. Chatbots on websites shift the value perception of hedonic and utilitarian goods towards respectively utilitarian and hedonic values. Chatbots contribute to the brand awareness reducing the effect of familiarity on the customer purchase intention. Retailers should include effective chatbots while operating and designing shopping websites to stimulate the shopping intention of consumers. Companies should design and carefully manage chatbots by monitoring user involvement and quality of customer experience in order to feed a calibrated continuous improvement process on company objectives. The paper represents a first step approach in addressing e-service agents toward the online customer shopping experience. Digital assistants may change the online shopping context increasing the hedonic value experience but at the same time reducing the time for decision making by reinforcing the utilitarian value perception of the utilitarian and hedonic products.

Hosting special events can be a unique opportunity for boosting the touristic development resulting in loyalty and attachment toward the destination and its assets. Understanding the variables that influence event tourism behaviours within the context of recurring special events has not been widely observed in the event and tourism literature. The study extends this research area investing whether destination beliefs, event satisfaction and tourist motivation can predict revisit intentions and receptivity of products made in the territory hosting a special event in Italy. The findings contribute to advancing the theory and empirical studies on event-related experiences. Moreover, the importance of collaborations between tourism sector and productive system is discussed along with the significance of satisfaction and motivation as drivers of behavioural intentions.

PurposeMobile instant messaging (MIM) is changing how we communicate with customers transforming what we used to buy as products into services. Servitization is the strategy by which the services offered in combination with a product become a central part of the offer and the value. This paper aims to focus on a new way to do business by means of mobile conversational commerce identified as a unique touchpoint for customers who wish to experience the product/service.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses the case study method and mobile content analysis of WhatsApp conversations between customer and manufacturing firm to illustrate how an artisan company succeeded with customers using MIM to track the customer journey and engage the customer during the conversation. The customer journey theory and customer engagement cycle were used to detecting the main themesFindingsThe results demonstrate that by channeling a mix between engagement and service practices into one direct touchpoint, it is possible to follow the customers throughout their journey and detect their satisfaction. Nevertheless, the research finds that new skills are needed: two-way communication skills, suitability and social CRM skills.Practical implicationsThe results provide guidance for services providers on how to improve customer experience management by allocating investment to conversational commerce as a new way of promoting the customer experience for the digital transformation of manufacturing firms.Originality/valueThis research investigates the importance of human interaction in the digital servitization as a pillar of commerce in this type of service. The paper analyzes the results from the perspective of the supplier of the service and from the perspective of customer experience.

This research discusses the social perception of marketing in the Italian context. The authors conducted a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of Facebook statuses. From data analysis emerged that marketing receives any kind of public criticism. The most evident accusation regards the adoption of misleading actions, manipulation, and pervasiveness. The study also reveals an accentuated confusion about what marketing really is as a discipline and in practice. Non-marketing people tend to depict marketing as the art of selling stuff. This negative view contrasts with the image that academic community and Organisations, such as the American Marketing Associations, wish to convey about marketing discipline.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are common features in patients affected by RASopathies. The aim of this study was to assess genotype- phenotype correlations, focusing on the cardiac features and outcomes of interventions for cardiac conditions, in a single-center cohort of 116 patients with molecularly confirmed diagnosis of RASopathy, and compare these findings with previously published data. All enrolled patients underwent a comprehensive echocardiographic examination. Relevant information was also retrospectively collected through the analysis of clinical records. As expected, significant associations were found between PTPN11 mutations and pulmonary stenosis (both valvular and supravalvular) and pulmonary valve dysplasia, and between SOS1 mutations and valvular defects. Similarly, HRAS mutations were significantly associated with HCM. Potential associations between less prevalent mutations and cardiac defects were also observed, including RIT1 mutations and HCM, SOS2 mutations and septal defects, and SHOC2 mutations and septal and valve abnormalities. Patients with PTPN11 mutations were the most likely to require both a primary treatment (transcatheter or surgical) and surgical reintervention. Other cardiac anomalies less reported until recently in this population, such as isolated functional and structural mitral valve diseases, as well as a sigmoid-shaped interventricular septum in the absence of HCM, were also reported. In conclusion, our study confirms previous data but also provides new insights on cardiac involvement in RASopathies. Further research concerning genotype/phenotype associations in RASopathies could lead to a more rational approach to surgery and the consideration of drug therapy in patients at higher risk due to age, severity, anatomy, and comorbidities.

Purpose Because engagement platforms are becoming an emerging service research context, the purpose of this paper is to understand how consumers may be segmented with respect to attitude towards the mobile instant messaging (MIM) apps used as channels for customer service. Design/methodology/approach Consumers are segmented on the basis of perception of MIM apps by means of data from 478 consumers. A two-step cluster analysis was used to individuate groups according to the similarity of their attitudinal variables and their chat experience with organizations using MIM, while the discriminant function analysis was used to assess the stability of the cluster solution. Findings Three segments were identified – benevolent, proactive and hesitant – along with significant descriptive variables, such as interaction with organization, opinion regarding effort expectancy, perception of usefulness and perceived ease of technology use. The most engaged, the proactive (30%), are most open to interaction with the organization by means of MIM, while the benevolent (51%) look favourably on the use of instant messaging to communicate with organizations, even if this cluster has never used it with an organization. Practical implications Understanding how potential customers receive the opportunities offered by MIM as a new channel for improving, extending or completing the service helps to guide the efforts of marketing investments towards a better relationship with customers. Originality/value This study explores the use of MIM apps on the part of the customer/organization as engagement platforms from the customer point-of-view. The study highlights how MIM apps can be valuable channels for weaving together relations with customers.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has forced individuals to modify their routine and lifestyle, pushing them into a different social, economic, cultural, political, and consumption reality. Restrictive actions preventing contagions, such as general lockdown and curfew, inevitably changed consumption models and behaviors. Against this backdrop, the current study aimed to investigate the Coronavirus pandemic's impact on consumption patterns by adopting Big Data Analysis (BDA) techniques, such as text mining, regression, and correlation analysis. Specifically, was analyzed a dataset comprising of 4.5 million transactional and textual data obtained from a supermarket chain, including large retailers and proximity stores, based in Salerno, Italy. Results pointed out relevant information for marketing practitioners concerning brand choice and family expenditures.

This study investigates how social media (SM) can affect the consumer-brand relationship phenomena. Basing on the literature concerning the so-called “dark side” of social media (e.g., fake news and memes), the authors analyze the case of Corona beer. Web-users attacked this Mexican brand due to the link between its brand name and the Coronavirus. The case was analyzed via Twitter textual analysis. Results offer insights for both scholars and practitioners.

In recent years, public engagement attention is drawn towards university institutions since the role of universities is projected towards the sharing and spreading of knowledge beyond the traditional academic bounds. Thus, the university is becoming a “partner” that collaborates at the community's growth, and debates with all the stakeholders who might have an interest, either direct or indirect, in the university’s activity. However, a systematization of the public engagement in higher institutions is still lacking. The aim of this paper is to advance the study of university public engagement construct through the analysis of research published in the main journals in the ambit of three disciplinary areas: communication, marketing and public management. A systematic literature review was used to select the main articles from these subject areas. Coding a selection of articles from these disciplines it is been possible to deepen the public engagement concept. The results show that public engagement is an umbrella term that covers a range of strategies and activities, which potentially come from different ideological standpoints. Five coherent definitions-in-practice emerged in the literature review: set of activities; process; communication tool; strategy; and approach. Moreover, this research presents some progresses in understanding the variables that intervene in the conceptual and methodological definition of public engagement from an inter-disciplinary perspective and the major benefits of an effective use of public engagement in the higher education management. Key words: Public engagement, civic engagement, community engagement, systematic literature review, higher education.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the use of mobile instant messaging (MIM) apps from the perspective of the user. The objective is to verify what is the perceived usefulness, perceived value of...

This paper proposes to explore the marketing communications that university websites use for promoting their public engagement (PE). The aim is to propose best practices that could guide universiti...

According to previous research, in several countries, the achievement of the objectives for tourism development and the better functioning of protected areas is affected by bad governance activities. This paper provides a framework based on the combination between the Viable Systems Approach (vSa) and the actor engagement theory for improving the managerial effectiveness of protected areas. Exploring the case of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, a well-known tourism destination in Southern Italy, we gave empirical evidence of the risks that can occur when the governing body of protected areas does not adopt a systems-based management approach, and therefore cannot handle the complexity of the territory, generate socio-economic benefits for local populations, resolve conflicts with local actors, or advance sustainable tourism goals. Findings suggest that the governing body should adopt specific strategies to engage local actors in decision-making and idea-generation processes. Such strategies could help to integrate resources within the system, co-create value and handle conflicts when the goals are not mutually aligned. Hence, actor engagement is necessary for achieving conditions of systemic consonance and resonance.

Aims Pulmonary veins (PVs) isolation is the cornerstone of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation and can be achieved either by conventional radiofrequency ablation or by cryoenergy. Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure has been proposed as alternative treatment to vitamin K antagonists (VKA). We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of combining cryoballoon (CB) ablation and LAA occlusion in patients with AF and a high thromboembolic risk or contraindication to antithrombotic therapy. Methods and results Thirty-five patients (28 males, 74 ± 2 years) underwent CB ablation. Left atrial appendage occlusion was carried out by using two occluder devices (Amplatz Cardiac Plug, ACP, St. Jude Medical, MN, USA, in 25 patients; Watchman, Boston Scientific, MA, USA, in 10 patients). Thirty patients (86%) had previous stroke/TIA episodes, 6 patients (17%) had major bleeding while on VKA therapy, and 7 patients (20%) had inherited bleeding disorders. Over the follow-up (24 ± 12 months), atrial arrhythmias recurred in 10 (28%) patients. Thirty patients (86%) had complete sealing; 5 patients (14%) showed a residual flow (

Il ruolo delle Universita oggi e sempre piu spinto verso la condivisione e diffusione del sapere oltre i confini prettamente accademici. L’Universita diventa cosi un "partner" che collabora alla crescita delle proprie comunita di riferimento e dialoga con tutti i soggetti che direttamente e indirettamente sono coinvolti a vario titolo nella sua attivita. Tale processo ha manifestato segnali di forte accelerazione negli ultimi dieci anni grazie al sempre piu diffuso utilizzo dei social network. Attraverso l’analisi empirica di un campione di Universita Europee presenti in particolare su Facebook e Twitter, la ricerca si pone l’obiettivo di valutare come l’utilizzo di questi strumenti di comunicazione possano rafforzare le strategie di "public engagement" delle Universita.

Communicating the luxury heritage brand is a new frontier of online communication. This paper intends to evaluate the online communication of the heritage brand in terms of identity traits and management aspects of a corporate group operating in luxury goods, to help fill some gaps in the literature. Using a case study on the LVMH Group, one of the most iconic luxury conglomerates, we selected 35 historic brands, in order to highlight those ambits of heritage that function well and those areas that require improvements on a communication level. Our objective is to identify the types of online communication and relative possibilities of development using the new model of the e-Heritage Brand Communication Matrix. The data is collected by a team of web marketing experts for luxury goods. The results are discussed from an intra- and inter-sectorial perspective.

Nowadays, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) play an important role in different functional areas of marketing. Starting from this assumption, the main objective of this theoretical paper is to better understand the relationship between Big Data, AI, and customer journey mapping. For this purpose, the authors revised the extant literature on the impact of Big Data and AI on marketing practices to illustrate how such data analytics tools can increase the marketing performance and reduce the complexity of the pattern of consumer activity. The results of this research offer some interesting ideas for marketing managers. The proposed Big Data and AI framework to explore and manage the customer journey illustrates how the combined use of Big Data and AI analytics tools can offer effective support to decision-making systems and reduce the risk of bad marketing decision. Specifically, the authors suggest ten main areas of application of Big Data and AI technologies concerning the customer journey mapping. Each one supports a specific task, such as (1) customer profiling; (2) promotion strategy; (3) client acquisition; (4) ad targeting; (5) demand forecasting; (6) pricing strategy; (7) purchase history; (8) predictive analytics; (9) monitor consumer sentiments; and (10) customer relationship management (CRM) activities.

The objective of this study is to explore the complex phenomenon of “social media firestorms”, because such crises can substantially affect brand reputation and the financial performance of the company owning the brand. Analysing the case of Dolce & Gabbana (D&G), we tested some extant theories concerning the antecedents of such form of collaborative brand attacks. Furthermore, focusing on brand management strategies in response to consumer attacks, we found out what brands should do, or not do, to survive a social media crisis.

The rapid development of new technologies has created interesting and unexpected possibilities in e-health, and digital platforms have become widespread, connecting users, experts, and practitioners of the health world. This triggered our investigation into the relationship between the engagement platforms used by 293 doctors with various specializations, their satisfaction, and the dimensions of social sustainability in the healthcare sector. The research focused on professional interaction and its sphere of action in engagement platforms, defined as virtual contact points for exchanging information, thus increasing the co-creation of value between physicians and patients. In order to verify our hypothesis, a health digital platform called paginemediche.it was used, and the two dimensions of engagement and sustainability were considered, examining their causal relationship and evaluating their effects on physician loyalty in terms of the re-use of the digital platform by doctors. Our results, using a multiple linear regression analysis, showed that the social sustainability of the digital health platform was directly influenced by online engagement, generating a positive effect on physician loyalty. In particular, the human dimension of social sustainability proved to be decisive for the re-use of the platform.

La ricerca indaga la comunicazione degli organi istituzionali dell’UE attraverso Twitter al fine di individuare quali modalita generano un maggior coinvolgimento dei cittadini. Inoltre, attraverso la ricostruzione dell’ampia letteratura presente sul tema e dei filoni di ricerca piu innovativi, l’indagine proposta offre un significativo contributo teorico agli studi che analizzano il ruolo dei social media nelle politiche europee di citizen engagement. Sulla base dei risultati ottenuti dall’analisi del contenuto di un campione di tweets postati dai Commissari Europei, si identificano le categorie di comunicazione che maggiormente stimolano la partecipazione e si forniscono indicazioni sulle strategie di comunicazione istituzionale dirette a coinvolgere il cittadino europeo.

Questo studio analizza la relazione esistente tra animosita economica, etnocentrismo del consumatore ed effetto country-of-origin. Sulla base di un’analisi critica della letteratura gli autori sviluppano e propongono un modello di analisi che viene testato su un campione di 203 studenti italiani con riferimento alla percezione dell’immagine Paese della Germania durante la crisi dell’Euro. I risultati mostrano che l’animosita economica verso una nazione percepita come "ostile" esercita un effetto negativo sulla propensione all’acquisto dei prodotti ad essa associati ed un effetto positivo sulla preferenza per i prodotti nazionali. Come previsto, invece, l’animosita economica non produce alcun effetto negativo sulla valutazione dell’immagine generale del Paese e sul giudizio relativo ai prodotti made in. L’etnocentrismo, d’altra parte, influenza negativamente sia la propensione all’acquisto dei prodotti esteri che (in parte) la valutazione degli stessi. La ricerca inoltre dimostra l’esistenza di una relazione gerarchica tra immagine generale di un Paese, immagine dei suoi prodotti e propensione all’acquisto. A partire dai risultati, gli autori discutono la collocazione e l’originalita dello studio nella letteratura di riferimento ed i suoi limiti, evidenziando le relative implicazioni manageriali e di ricerca.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the construct of online public engagement by identifying the modalities universities use to give visibility to their approach on institutional websites. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory factor analysis outlined the principle dimensions that explain online public engagement starting from the analysis of a sample of American and English universities. To finish, a t-test shows the differences in the approaches to online public engagement in the sample universities. Findings The results of this analysis show that the construct of public engagement used for online communication has been investigated through three dimensions and that the American and English universities have different approaches in its declination. Research limitations/implications The analysis was conducted on a sample of American and English universities; however the study underlines the fact that the traditional approaches to public engagement can assume different connotations for online communication. Practical implications Coherent organization of the online communication of public engagement activities can reinforce the perception of the university in the eyes of both internal and external stakeholders. For this reason, research offers interesting input for evaluating which kind of strategy should be adopted for online public engagement in line with the desired positioning and as defined by the governing bodies of the university institutions. However, the universities still need to institutionalize public engagement. Originality/value This work constitutes the first attempt to investigate public engagement in the university context through the web, using quantitative methodologies in order to highlight the different strategic orientations and operative declinations.

Purpose In recent years, marketers have adopted new technologies to engage customers and better meet customer needs throughout the customer journey. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of consumer engagement on satisfaction and behavior-based CRM performance generated by mobile instant messaging (MIM) services. The objective is to verify which aspects of consumer engagement generate satisfaction and optimize customer relationship management. Design/methodology/approach Data were made available for analysis from an online survey on customers who had been contacted or had contacted an organization by means of MIM. Based on literature analysis, relations between customer engagement dimensions, satisfaction and behavior-based CRM performance were studied by using structural equation modeling. Findings The cognitive engagement dimension and the emotional engagement dimension affect the level of satisfaction, but only the emotional engagement dimension has an effect on the behavior-based CRM performance, while social engagement does not affect satisfaction and CRM performance. Moreover, this study confirms the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer behavior-based relationship performance. Practical implications MIM used as support to the relationship with customers contributes to generating customer satisfaction and increases the value of service performance revealing it an excellent marketing tool in support of the customer journey. Originality/value This research extends our understanding of customer engagement in the ambit of the instant messaging application used for business that so far has not been investigated. This work shows how instant messaging can be a valid instrument for customer relationship management in optimizing the benefits deriving from the adoption of disruptive innovations.

PurposeThe last ten years have shown a significant upward trend of engagement in public management reflecting a significant increase in interest in the topic. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the benefits and factors affecting the construct of civic engagement that thus far are missing in the current literature through the analysis of studies published in the main journals of management.Design/methodology/approachThrough a systematic literature review, the current research tries to advance the progress in the understanding of the civic engagement construct analyzing a sample of 96 papers published in the main journals on the subject areas of “communication,” “marketing” and “public sector management.”FindingsThe literature was codified and characterized as follows: level of analysis, variables that affect civic engagement; benefits of civic engagement; and theoretic and methodological approach. This research explores the construct through an analysis of the literature found in the main scientific journals to intercept its various profiles and facets alongside the mechanisms that precede and follow its manifestation.Practical implicationsPublic organizations can no longer do without engaging citizens in decision-making processes. Public managers can use these findings to establish a connection with their citizens and influence their publics through commitment and managerial actions that guarantee direct democracy.Originality/valueThis is the first research that aims to study the phenomenon in the public sphere from a multidisciplinary perspective that is as yet incomplete. An integrated vision can highlight current and future developments and eventual opportunities for further research.

This article seeks to contribute to the extant knowledge about branding in the digital era exploring why consumers assume adversely behaviours towards brands and how brand managers react when their brand is attacked. From the multiple case study analysis emerged that not every brand reacts at the same way. Specifically we noted the following four different strategies: (1) ignore; (2) apologize; (3) start a dialogue with trolls and haters; (4) change behaviour. Interestingly, (3) and (4) appeared more effective in mitigating consumers attacks. On the contrary (1) and (2) would be risky in some contexts.

PurposeThis paper examines the communication modalities on Twitter to broadcast content to citizens and measures the effectiveness of the posted content in activating the citizens’ political participation proposing an retweetability rate.Design/methodology/approachThrough content analysis of the European Commissioners’ posts, this paper identifies the most used communication modalities to broadcast content to the citizens. A retweetability rate is proposed to measure the effectiveness of the posted content in activating the political citizens’ engagement. The methodology is applied to the tweets posted by European Commissioners, who are currently facing democracy legitimation issues and Euroscepticism.FindingsEmpirical results show that Twitter is not fully used yet as a citizen engagement tool. However, the paper highlights the potentiality of Twitter to broadcast contents of value and build a relationship of citizens and institutions.Practical implicationsMeasuring citizen engagement based on the posted messages can help the institutions to evaluate the effectiveness of the posted social media content. Moreover, the paper gives suggestions regarding how governments might implement social media content capable of fostering a dialogic communication with citizens.Originality/valueA measurement of citizen engagement permits the identification of which kinds of public communication stimulate the engagement and favor a closer bond between citizens and public institutions.

Contact with cardiac tissue is a determinant of lesion efficacy during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. The Sensei®X Robotic Catheter System (Hansen Medical, CA) has been validated for contact force sensing. The electrical coupling index (ECI) from the EnSite Contact™ system (St. Jude Medical, MN) has been validated as an indicator of tissue contact. We aimed at analyzing ECI behavior during radiofrequency (RF) pulses maintaining a stable contact through the robotic navigation contact system. In 15 patients (age, 59 ± 12) undergoing AF ablation, pulmonary vein (PV) isolation was guided by the Sensei®X System, employing the Contact™ catheter. During the procedure, we assessed ECI changes associated with adequate contact based on the IntelliSense® force-sensing technology (Hansen Medical, CA. Baseline contact (27 ± 8 g/cm2) ECI value was 99 ± 13, whereas ECI values in a noncontact site (0 g/cm2) and in a light contact site (1–10 g/cm2) were respectively 66 ± 12 and 77 ± 10 (p

Public engagement has been the focus of great attention of universities, ever since a strong social orientation has driven these institutions to open up more towards their territories and to assume an active and propulsive role in their development. In this context, web sites constitute a valid instrument for the valorisation and permeability of generated knowledge by making scientific research visible and comprehensible and thus enhancing its image and loyalty towards its stakeholders. This present work investigates the construct of online public engagement in the university ambit through an analysis of institutional websites taken from a sample of 86 Anglo-Saxon universities that have already developed a greater sense of awareness on this subject. This work contributes to the investigation of the approaches that universities are using to give online visibility to the activity of public engagement, outlining differences in the managerial approaches to public engagement in both public and private sectors.

Public engagement is a topic greatly debated in higher education (Watermeyer 2015; Davies 2013a, b). Universities are asked for a stronger commitment towards the society needs in order to encourage economic regeneration, enterprise growth, and community wellness. Recently, many government institutions have promoted community-oriented activities that involve both the territory and the surrounding universities.

By relying on the taxonomy introduced by Kotlar and De Massis (2013), the present study proposes to investigate the dynamics and the set of goals perceived by the family members strategic for the future growth of their family business. Using an interview approach, the researchers recorded the professional stories of 15 family firm owners and managers. Through the interpretation of the narrative material emerged that the interviewees never mentioned the role that family-centred non-economic goals (i.e., ‘family harmony’, the ‘family social status’ and ‘the family identity’) plays in the performance of the family firms. Contrary, non-family non-economic goals, such as innovation and internationalisation, are considered two keys growth drivers. In particular, if both innovation and internationalisation have equal importance amongst the current goals, internationalisation assumes a greater importance in relation to the future goals of growth. Keywords: Goal setting process; Family business; Growth Strategy; Narrative analysis